Final answer:
In 'Wuthering Heights', many civilized characters share an underlying characteristic of cruelty, despite their social respectability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic that many of the civilized characters in the novel Wuthering Heights share is B. Cruelty. Despite being viewed as 'civilized', characters such as Edgar Linton and his sister Isabella, as well as Hindley Earnshaw, exhibit cruel behavior at various points in the story. Their actions often stem from their own pains and frustrations, but unlike the raw and untamed nature of Heathcliff's cruelty, their behavior is couched in a veneer of social respectability.