Post 10: Setting the Record Straight on Heathcliff’s Appearance
Interest in Wuthering Heights continues to skyrocket as the movie’s press tour rages on, and with that has sparked some mainstream discussion of Heathcliff’s race. Jacob Elordi’s casting has been surprising from the beginning. I was shocked only because I figured the progressive voices in Hollywood would influence the casting of an actor with a different racial background. My academic credentials are in history, and in consequence I am compelled most deeply to look for answers in text evidence and cultural analysis. Thus, this post will attempt to investigate what Emily Bronte may have truly had in mind when she wrote Heathcliff into her novel.
First, I would like to note that many scholars have understood Emily Bronte’s role in her family as an outsider. She is often called “the Strange One,” perhaps for her more reclusive behavior. Elizabeth Gaskell, in her biography of Charlotte Bronte, notes that Emily was the “prettiest,” and Charlotte was like a guardian to her and Anne. She also notes that Emily was shy, and her sister Charlotte noted the following about her:
“My sister Emily loved the moors. Flowers brighter than the rose bloomed in the blackest of the heath for her;—out of a sullen hollow in a livid hill-side, her mind could make an Eden.”
She herself was a “free, wild, untameable spirit.” And I think it can be inferred through these observations that Emily may have written some of herself into Heathcliff, who also presents as a misunderstood, unsettling outsider. Now obviously, this does not directly translate to race, but Heathcliff is primarily understood as “other,” for reasons beyond just his appearance. But, let’s identify a few quotes from the novel that might give us some insight into what that appearance was.
Ch. 1: He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose.
Ch. 6: But who is this? Where did she pick up this companion? Oho! I declare he is that strange acquisition my late neighbour made, in his journey to Liverpool—a little Lascar, or an American or Spanish castaway.’
Ch. 7: A good heart will help you to a bonny face, my lad,” I continued, “if you were a regular black; and a bad one will turn the bonniest into something worse than ugly. And now that we’ve done washing, and combing, and sulking—tell me whether you don’t think yourself rather handsome? I’ll tell you, I do. You’re fit for a prince in disguise. Who knows but your father was Emperor of China, and your mother an Indian queen, each of them able to buy up, with one week’s income, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange together?
Ch. 10: A half-civilised ferocity lurked yet in the depressed brows and eyes full of black fire, but it was subdued; and his manner was even dignified: quite divested of roughness, though too stern for grace.
Upon a simple reading, we can conclude that Heathcliff, at the very least, presents differently from the pale and blue-eyed Lintons. This is also not typically how someone of solely European descent would be described, though, the possibility remains open, as it is thought that Heathcliff could be a Spaniard. One thing is for certain – he has a striking appearance that is different from those around him, but how? To answer this question more deeply, we must first consider what someone in Bronte’s time thought of racial classifications. Spoiler alert, it is quite different from the contemporary American view on race.
England, in the time of Victoria and even still, uses class as a metric for judging and understanding others. While class differences and disparities exist in other cultures, studies and surveys show that even modern Britons view class as something relevant when considering one’s social standing and general trajectory in life. Heathcliff is scorned and ridiculed for his uncouth roots and his lowly stable boy status, which, in addition to his appearance, compounds his status as “other.” Victorian England was also not as multicultural as the modern United States. It was not standard to see Bantu people walking around, and people of distinctive East Asian appearances really only existed in fairy tales to many young children living in a place like Yorkshire. If Heathcliff were to look strikingly “other,” the observations would be even more clear. Ambiguity is the key word here. What are we supposed to make of someone who is supposed to be a gipsy, but perhaps a bit Chinese, perhaps a bit Indian, perhaps Arab, perhaps Spanish? The answer is, nothing. Heathcliff’s race is ambiguous and mysterious, and that is an intentional plot device. His appearance signals one thing only for certain: he is “other.” It would be disingenuous to portray Heathcliff as someone with a clear and distinct racial background – someone who is clearly one hundred percent Chinese or one hundred percent Indian might not capture the ambiguity that Bronte was trying to convey. So, this brings us to Jacob Elordi. Ironically, he himself does have Basque heritage. He has dark hair and brown eyes. I imagine he will be portrayed as having tan skin in the film. Therefore, the selection of him as Heathcliff, I argue, is not outrageous. Rather, it is just one way to cast him. Heathcliff’s race is ambiguous, and what is perhaps more relevant to his behavior is his low status and unusual features. Or at least, a more holistic approach to understanding why Heathcliff is scorned should be prioritized.
For fun, I have attached images of the people that Heathcliff is described to have looked like in some way below.
“Gypsies” (Roma people) pictured in France, 1942. The Romani language is Indo-Aryan, and these people have ties to Northern India. There is a nomadic history to the Roma, and a complex history at large. They have been living in Europe for hundreds of years, and it is likely that blends from other ethnic groups have informed their identity. Photo courtesy of The National World War II Museum of New Orleans.
Starting in the 16th century, the British East India Company and other European enterprises employed sailors of Southeast Asian heritage. The idea of Heathcliff being a Lascar castaway suggests that men who looked something like this might be part of his bloodline.
Marcus Chen wrote about his experiences growing bi-racial, being half Indian and half Chinese. If Nelly’s whimsical ideas of Heathcliff’s noble birth are true, perhaps he looked something like Marcus.
Ben Barnes, a British actor noted for playing Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia film series, is one of the people who pop up when you Google “people with dark eyes.” This is far from scientific inquiry (ha ha ha), but I think his features could also be in alignment with what Bronte describes. He could lean into depressed eyebrows and eyes filled with black fire if he needed to do so.
One additional idea I want to speak to involves theories that Heathcliff is actually the son of Mr. Earnshaw. This would partially explain why he hastily brings him home to his family – and it is fun to speculate about this heritage, but I cannot identify any reasonable evidence to suggest that this is true or what Emily Bronte wanted us to believe. Reading too deeply into subtext might be dishonest when there are no other clues present, so perhaps it is worthy to just take Mr. Earnshaw at his word – he found Heathcliff in the streets of Liverpool and took him into his home because of his kindness. However, if for whatever reason someone wishes to believe that Heathcliff is in fact Earnshaw’s son, one would have to concede that half of his heritage is European, and this might suggest an even more gentle presence of his features that were considered “other.” Furthermore, since Linton Heathcliff has pale features himself, it is not unreasonable to believe that Heathcliff has some European heritage, whether it be from Earnshaw or someone else.
My personal conclusion? Any attempt to take ownership of Heathcliff’s race and suggest that he should look exclusively one way is foolish, simpleton behavior. As readers and true fans of the book, it is our job to do our very best to fully understand the complex amalgamation that is Heathcliff. He carries many mysterious pieces in himself, and enjoying some of that mystery and accepting multiple interpretations of it is our duty!
Maybe I should come out as a "Heathcliff is Irish" truther and see where the wind takes me....
