hi guys can people Stop being racist about heathcliff in the big 2026. If you're such a fan of white heathcliff, maybe reflect a little bit on why you're SO INSISTENT that he CAN be a white man when the book literally describes him as a "dark-skinned [romani slur]" and a "lascar" (south asian sailors that would have been present in port cities like liverpool, where heathcliff was found).
note that he isn't referred to as 'dark' (common descriptor for italians/people from the mediterranean region), but as dark-skinned. When heathcliff is lamenting that he isn't as fair and blond as linton, nelly even tells him that he might be the son of a chinese or indian princess! yes, his race is left up for interpretation - within POC contexts. heathcliff is very clearly not a white man.
even if your argument is that he is seen as 'dirty' or that he is just tanned, remember that those same arguments could apply to Hareton, who frequently works outside and therefore would likely be just as tanned, and who is also seen as uncouth, uncivilized, and beneath others for most of the book. Hareton, however, is never referred to in such racialized terms. And while it's possible that Heathcliff could be Irish (not seen as white at the time), that doesn't explain the explicit and multiple occasions in which Brontë refers to him as dark-skinned.
(Also, if you are one of the people claiming that he is merely tan - look me in the eyes right now and tell me about how Ireland/England are known for the copious amounts of sunlight they get. Just truly astounding UV levels. Tell me.)
Furthermore, in denying that Heathcliff is most likely a racial minority, you're actually detracting from major themes in Wuthering Heights, including Brontë's subversion of Victorian domestic ideologies. When the Industrial Revolution was separating the public and domestic spheres, Gothic literature was increasingly used to point out how 'home' as a concept is not necessarily the bastion of rest, safety, and security that it was being touted as in contemporary society. For example, home is turned into a place of entrapment in The Yellow Wallpaper and Fall of the House of Usher. ''Home' disguises/hides evil in The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Black Cat. 'Home' is kept so private that it allows people to get away with despicable acts, such as in Jane Eyre and A Rose for Emily.
When a character like Heathcliff is consistently left out of the social contract and ideas of domesticity that cover every other character (such as when the Lintons suggest putting him in the cellar when they first meet him, and Nelly leaves him to sleep on the stair landing), as well as is routinely described as being a person of color, it becomes clear that Emily Brontë is making some kind of statement on how minorities and marginalized people especially were victims of these narrow domestic ideologies! It is no wonder that one of Heathcliff's most intense desires is to strip Hindley, his abuser, of his home. This commentary also includes women - see Cathy's conceptualization of 'home' being in Heathcliff and the moors, rather than the Heights or the Grange. See Isabella's abuse and how 'home' became a place to flee, rather than a refuge.
Gothic literature has always sought to subvert expectations, purely by nature of the genre. Why is it so hard for people to accept that one more subversion would have been to have a POC main character and love interest? I'm not saying you're a bad person if you truly believe that Heathcliff is instead a metaphor for Irish people in Northern England (Terry Eagleton has a great book about this), but if you find yourself offended by the fact that others are upset Heathcliff is once again being played by a white man, even in the face of such strong literary evidence to suggest that he should be the contrary, maybe do a little bit of self-examining and think about why that is.
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