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September 29, 2024 - 1:00pm
It is a revelation to me that the rigid consensus around the “race” and ethnic origins of Heathcliff, the Byronic protagonist of Emily Bronte’s legendary Yorkshire Gothic tale, Wuthering Heights, was that he was definitely a “person of colour” — meaning someone of non-European descent, most likely black Sub-Saharan African.
Whenever I’ve read the novel, first at school, and multiple times since, my interpretation has been that Heathcliff was something closer to Romani gypsy origin, and thus would’ve looked more like a saturnine Mediterranean than a Sub-Saharan African or a “half-caste”, to use the arcane 19th century term.
The backlash to the casting of Australian actor Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation from critics on social media demonstrates how firm this consensus is. Volleys of “she obviously hasn’t read the book” and “the story is being whitewashed” have been launched toward Fennell. In the background is clearly the issue of representation of “ethnic minorities” in classical literature. This is why period dramas now are increasingly cast to make the England of the past look like the multiethnic England of present. While understandable, there is a tendency for this to spill over into absolutist claims which ironically become rather racially essentialist — like “Heathcliff is black”.
Despite describing him as having dark skin, dark eyes and dark hair, Bronte leaves Heathcliff’s precise racial and ethnic background rather vague and ambiguous. There is speculation that he might be “a little Lascar, or American or Spanish castaway”. However, it is never stated plainly where he is from, other than that he was a foundling discovered in Liverpool by Mr. Earnshaw, who raised him. Indeed, the enigmatic origins are precisely part of the point of Heathcliff as a character. It enhances his mystique as a wild and exotic Byronic hero, a tortured soul who is “mad, bad and dangerous to know”.
This means, naturally, there is a scope of interpretation for Heathcliff’s “identity”. The theory that he is black or a “person of colour” stems from the fact that throughout the 18th century Liverpool was among the biggest slave trading ports within the British empire. So, Heathcliff might have been the product of an illicit interracial dalliance — possibly involving Mr. Earnshaw himself — and then thrown out onto the streets. Thus, the hostility and exclusion he endures is basically racism.
It’s plausible. But if he was canonically black then I suspect his enemies, given the era, would’ve gleefully stressed his “negro” origins.
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SubscribeSort of ironic really, For a time blacks, or people of colour, were used in novels and films to portray the dark, primal aspect of man’s nature. Not so longer ago that was derided as racism, it suggested that blacks were primitive and savage, that they lacked the sensitivity of the West. We no longer use them that way in novels and films because it’s racist,
Instead we now use blackness as symbols of “otherness” and that’s okay apparently. They are still backward and lacking in our sensitivity because of their “otherness” and presumably this means all blacks, even if they don’t know it. They could not be equal to us because of this “otherness”. I think i’d be insulted if I was used to portray something not quite whole. In fact I do, I find it insulting to see whiteness used as a tool to portray racism. Do you think these idiots can see who and what they are?
Indeed I am looking forward to this adaptation provided it doesn’t go 21st century ( like the recent Persuasion), but sticks to the original Bronte version.
I simply can’t bear the thought of yet another inflicting of Netflix style ” Bridgerton”!
It’s strange how the wheel has turned full circle- both Merle Oberon and Vivien Leigh had to take great pains to hide their Anglo Indian identities.
According to Google’s AI program, at least in its first iteration, the average Roman pontiff is a black lady, as was George Washington.
I could be wrong, but as this was a triangular trade I assume that slaves did not generally pass through Liverpool.
No, there was a black population in Liverpool in the 18th century.
I have no idea of the size.
They may well have been involved in helping transporting slaves.
Or just general seamen. I have heard that Britain traded by sea throughout the world. I wonder if anyone could verify this for me?
Heathcliff is also violent, dangerous and with a large/healthy sexual appetite. Is this why he ‘must be black’?
Great article. I’m not sure how ‘worshipful’ it is though when people steal someone else’s ancestors while pretending their own never existed.