History YMMV / WutheringHeights

** The famous quote "I am Heathcliff!" is actually very misleading if you just read the back cover. The line from Nelly right after it is: "If I can make any sense of your nonsense, Miss, it only goes to show me that you are ignorant of the duties you undertake in marrying; or else that you are a wicked, unprincipled girl." This pretty much bringing the whole thing full circle. The love between Heathcliff and Cathy is a love between two people that a lot would call downright sociopathic. Isabella's "love" is full of naivety without fully thinking. So the real meaty question is more than likely is when this trope comes up on a character like Heathcliff is the person thinking like a "Cathy" or a "Isabella"? As if they were thinking like a "Nelly" they'd be questioning why we are even having this conversation.

** The famous quote "I am Heathcliff!" is actually very misleading if you just read the back cover. The line from Nelly right after it is: "If I can make any sense of your nonsense, Miss, it only goes to show me that you are ignorant of the duties you undertake in marrying; or else that you are a wicked, unprincipled girl."

** In the 2011 film Heathcliff is black, whereas in the book he is just described as "dark" and probably is of some Romani heritage. Cue the "How dare they cast a black actor! This is political correctness gone mad!" outrage. Obviously.
*** And to counter that, some pointed out that though the book would imply that Heathcliff wasn't really white, he also almost definitely wasn't black (the book says so, stating that he wasn't a "regular black"). The book's use of the term "gipsy" does indicate that he was Romani, and though the director claimed that they auditioned many Romani actors, some fans said that it seemed unlikely that not a single Romani actor fit the part, and saw the casting as a missed opportunity. The arguments go on and on.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many female readers insist that Heathcliff is a dashing hero, despite his many, ''many'' shortcomings (even to the point where they thought his [[spoiler: [[{{Squick}} digging up Catherine's body]] ]] was romantic). The author herself makes fun of this sentiment among her readers by making Isabella Linton idolize him. Catherine admonishes Isabella that "He's not a rough diamond--a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he's a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man" and Heathcliff comments on Isabella's naivety and romanticism regarding him, mocking it later in the book. It is very amusing that ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' tries so hard to compare itself to this story, when it is in fact denouncing the kind of relationship Stephenie Meyer tries to glorify.

** As Heathcliff begins his descent into suicidal madness, Nelly ponders the mysteries of his origins and wonders if he truly might be part goblin, demon, or vampire... but quickly dismisses such theories as "absurd nonsense."

* MisaimedFandom: Despite Brontë pulling absolutely no punches in her description of Heathcliff, despite Catherine herself stating that he has no hidden depths of love and tenderness, despite Heathcliff's own statement that he hopes Catherine wakes up in torment in the next world for rejecting him... teenage girls will insist on seeing him as a romantic hero!
* {{Narm}}: The name "Heathcliff" may make some readers [[WesternAnimation/{{Heathcliff}} think of]]... well... just watch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el9kKP3aZbE this]].

*** And to counter that, some pointed out that though the book would imply that Heathcliff wasn't really white, hr also almost definitely wasn't black (the book says so, stating that he wasn't a "regular black"). The book's use of the term "gipsy" does indicate that he was Romani, and though the director claimed that they auditioned many Romani actors, some fans said that it seemed unlikely that not a single Romani actor fit the part, and saw the casting as a missed opportunity. The arguments go on and on.

* MisaimedFandom: Despite Brontë pulling absolutely no punches in her description of Heathcliff, despite Catherine herself stating that he has no hidden depths of love and tenderness, despite Heathcliff's own statement that he hopes Catherine wakes up in torment in the next world for rejecting him...teenage girls will insist on seeing him as a romantic hero!
* {{Narm}}: The name "Heathcliff" may make some readers [[WesternAnimation/{{Heathcliff}} think of]]...well...just watch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el9kKP3aZbE this]].

*** And to counter that, some pointed out that though the book would imply that Heathcliff wasn't really white, his ability to gain a high social standing (even through nefarious means) seems unlikely for a black man in nineteenth-century England. The book's use of the term "gipsy" does indicate that he was Romani, and though the director claimed that they auditioned many Romani actors, some fans said that it seemed unlikely that not a single Romani actor fit the part, and saw the casting as a missed opportunity. The arguments go on and on.

* AssholeVictim: It's ''very'' easy to argue that Heathcliff's successful degradation of his former tormentor Hindley is well-deserved.

* ExternalRetcon: There's a sequel to this called simply ''H'', which relates a letter that Heathcliff sent to Catherine; it arrived on her wedding day, but [[RonTheDeathEater that cruel, meddling Nelly Dean]] keeps it from its intended recipient. In the end, it relates Heathcliff's true heritage (brace yourself!): [[spoiler: [[LukeIAmYourFather He's the son]] of [[Literature/JaneEyre Edward Rochester and his first wife Bertha!]] Never mind that no estimation of when ''Literature/JaneEyre'' occurs would allow for Rochester and Bertha to have been married in or before 1764, Heathcliff's estimated birth year. Very likely they weren't even born yet themselves.]]
** [[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,311219,00.html Entertainment Weekly sure didn't think much of it.]]

* WhosYourDaddy: Some readers have debated whether or not Catherine Linton [[spoiler:is in fact the biological child of Heathcliff and Catherine]], due to the close timing of his return to the Heights and her conception. However the book mentions the strong resemblance between Cathy II and Edgar, making this unlikely.
** The bigger question: Is Heathcliff the first Mr. Earnshaw's son?

** In the 2011 film Heathcliff is black, whereas in the book he is just described as "dark" and probably is of some Romani heritage.

* ExternalRetcon: There's a sequel to this called simply ''H'', which relates a letter that Heathcliff sent to Catherine; it arrived on her wedding day, but [[RonTheDeathEater that cruel, meddling Nelly Dean]] keeps it from its intended recipient. In the end, it relates Heathcliff's true heritage (brace yourself!): [[spoiler: [[LukeIAmYourFather He's the son]] of [[JaneEyre Edward Rochester and his first wife Bertha!]] Never mind that no estimation of when ''JaneEyre'' occurs would allow for Rochester and Bertha to have been married in or before 1764, Heathcliff's estimated birth year. Very likely they weren't even born yet themselves.]]

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: A few readers have [[http://livingston.schoolwires.com/139620929192030233/lib/139620929192030233/_files/Ellen_Dean_as_villain.pdf laid the blame for this tragedy]] at Nellie's feet, claiming that she is actually a very prejudiced person who only really cares about securing for herself a peaceful, comfortable existence and is consequently unable to relate to the [[TrueArtIsAngsty intense passions]] of Heathcliff or Cathy. May be [[JustifiedTrope justified]] if one considers her complicity in [[NiceJobBreakingItHero failing to reveal to Cathy that Healthcliff was present]] when she was discussing who to marry, [[WhatTheHellHero not telling Edgar Linton]] that his own wife was ill and dying, and [[WhatAnIdiot keeping Cathy II and Linton's relationship hidden]] until it was too late.

* ExternalRetcon: There's a sequel to this called simply ''H'', which relates a letter that Heathcliff sent to Catherine; it arrived on her wedding day, but [[RonTheDeathEater that cruel, meddling Nellie Dean]] keeps it from its intended recipient. In the end, it relates Heathcliff's true heritage (brace yourself!): [[spoiler: [[LukeIAmYourFather He's the son]] of [[JaneEyre Edward Rochester and his first wife Bertha!]] Never mind that no estimation of when ''JaneEyre'' occurs would allow for Rochester and Bertha to have been married in or before 1764, Heathcliff's estimated birth year. Very likely they weren't even born yet themselves.]]

** As Heathcliff begins his descent into suicidal madness, Nellie ponders the mysteries of his origins and wonders if he truly might be part goblin, demon, or vampire... but quickly dismisses such theories as "absurd nonsense."

* MisaimedFandom: Despite Bronte pulling absolutely no punches in her description of Heathcliff, despite Catherine herself stating that he has no hidden depths of love and tenderness, despite Heathcliff's own statement that he hopes Catherine wakes up in torment in the next world for rejecting him...teenage girls will insist on seeing him as a romantic hero!

* ExternalRetcon: There's a sequel to this called simply ''H'', which relates a letter that Heathcliff sent to Catherine; it arrived on her wedding day, but [[RonTheDeathEater that cruel, meddling Nellie Dean]] keeps it from its intended recipient. In the end, it relates Heathcliff's true heritage (brace yourself!): [[spoiler: [[LukeIAmYourFather He's the son]] of [[JaneEyre Edward Rochester and his first wife Bertha!]]]]

* WhosYourDaddy: Some readers have debated whether or not Catherine Linton [[spoiler:is in fact the biological child of Heathcliff and Catherine]]. The timing of his return to the Heights and her conception are somewhat suspect and Nellie couldn't be everywhere.
** Which would lead, [[YourMileageMayVary depending on your tastes]], to UnfortunateImplications regarding her and Linton's later relationship, since Linton is [[IncestIsRelative also]] Heathcliff's child.
** This is highly unlikely, considering the strong resemblance between Cathy II and Edgar.

* MisaimedFandom

** As Heathcliff begins his descent into suicidal madness, Nellie ponders the mysteries of his origins and wonders if he truly might be part goblin, demon, or vampire... but quickly dimisses such theories as "absurd nonsense."

* AdaptationDecay: A number of adaptations end the plot after Catherine's death, thus missing vast amounts of Heathcliff's characterisation and misdeeds, possibly contributing to the outgrowth of DracoInLeatherPants / MisaimedFandom.

* [[WhosYourDaddy Who's Your Daddy?]]: Some readers have debated whether or not Catherine Linton [[spoiler:is in fact the biological child of Heathcliff and Catherine]]. The timing of his return to the Heights and her conception are somewhat suspect and Nellie couldn't be everywhere.
** Which would lead, [[YourMileageMayVary depending on your tastes]], to UnfortunateImplications regarding her and Linton's later relationship, being that Linton is [[IncestIsRelative also]] Heathcliff's child.

** The bigger question: Is Heathcliff the first Mr. Earnshaw's son?

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: More than a few critical readers have [[http://livingston.schoolwires.com/139620929192030233/lib/139620929192030233/_files/Ellen_Dean_as_villain.pdf laid the blame for this tragedy]] at ''Nellie's'' feet of all people, claiming that she is actually a very prejudiced person who only really cares about securing for herself a peaceful, comfortable existence and is consequently unable to relate to the [[TrueArtIsAngsty intense passions]] of Heathcliff or Cathy. May be [[JustifiedTrope justified]] if one considers her complicity in [[NiceJobBreakingItHero failing to reveal to Cathy that Healthcliff was present]] when she was discussing who to marry, [[WhatTheHellHero not telling Edgar Linton]] that his own wife was ill and dying, and [[WhatAnIdiot keeping Cathy II and Linton's relationship hidden]] until it was too late.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many female readers insist that Heathcliff is a dashing hero, despite his many, ''many'' shortcomings (even to the point where they thought his [[spoiler: [[{{Squick}} digging up Catherine's body]] ]] was romantic). The author herself makes fun of this sentiment among her readers by making Isabella Linton idolize him. Catherine admonishes Isabella that "He's not a rough diamond--a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he's a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man" and Heathcliff comments on Isabella's naivety and romanticism regarding him, mocking it later in the book. It is very amusing that ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' tries so hard to compare itself to this story, when it is in fact denouncing the kind of relationship Stephanie Meyer tries to glorify.

** This is highly unlikely, considering the strong resemblance between Cathy II and Edgar

** Which would lead, [[YourMileageMayVary depending on your tastes]], to UnfortunateImplications regarding her and Linton's later relationship, being that Linton is [[IncestIsRelative also]] Heathcliff's child.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many female readers insist that Heathcliff is a dashing hero, despite his many, ''many'' shortcomings (even to the point where they thought his [[spoiler: [[{{Squick}} digging up Catherine's body]] ]] was romantic). The author herself makes fun of this sentiment among her readers by making Isabella Linton idolize him. Catherine admonishes Isabella that "He's not a rough diamond--a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he's a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man" and Heathcliff comments on Isabella's naivety and romanticism regarding him, mocking it later in the book. It is very amusing that ''{{Twilight}}'' tries so hard to compare itself to this story, when it is in fact denouncing the kind of relationship Stephanie Meyer tries to glorify.

* HilariousInHindsight: In complete fairness, given Isabella Linton-Heathcliff's fate, it is difficult to imagine why anyone would constantly compare [[{{Twilight}} a book]] to ''Wuthering Heights'' and name the heroine of said book ''[[NamesTheSame Isabella]]''...

* TheMasochismTango: And HOW.

* TheMasochismTango: [[MostTriumphantExample And HOW.]]

** The famous quote "I am Heathcliff!" is actually very misleading if you just read the back cover. The line from Nelly right after it is: " If I can make any sense of your nonsense, Miss, it only goes to show me that you are ignorant of the duties you undetake in marrying; or else that you are a wicked, unprincipled girl."