Bronte's Dark Secret

These ideas go against what has been long understood about Wuthering Heights; but, it is true.

When you take the time to focus on Heathcliff and Isabella’s marriage

instead of Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship, you will see it.

Why haven’t Heathcliff’s heritage, Linton’s paternity, and Isabella’s plight been explored

before? I believe our minds have subconsciously chosen to protect us from the horror of incest.

However, let’s begin now and as Anne Brontë says, “it needs some courage to dive for it”.

First, you must believe Cathy, Ellen, Joseph, and even Heathcliff himself when they all notice that Heathcliff and Linton look absolutely nothing alike. Their thoughts and speech reveal that they question Linton’s paternity.

Follow this doubt and start to compare Heathcliff and Linton’s physical features.

In the Brontë novels, resemblance confirms paternity.

What does Heathcliff look like?

Not like the movie stars Laurence Olivier, Jacob Elordi, or the many others who have been cast to play him.

Instead, we are told Heathcliff has dark skin, a black countenance, long black hair, black whiskers, and black eyes with parents who could be from the bordering countries of China and India. He looks like a gipsy, the derogatory term, lascar, an American (from the Americas), or a person the Spanish Empire could cast away and abandon.

Heathcliff is depicted as a surly indigenae with a savage face, sharp cannibal teeth, and basilisk eyes. These were terms used at the time to describe native people from European colonies or lands Europeans were exploring.

Emily Brontë’s description of Heathcliff matches the long-ago eyewitness accounts of gipsies and photographs of these sailors. Review the 1807 book by HM Grellman, Dissertation of Gipsies, as well as the 1831 book by James Crabb, A Gipsies' Advocate or Observation on the Origin, Manners, and Habits of the English Gipsie.

Therefore, Heathcliff, like them, is most likely from British India and we can correctly imagine he would resemble the men in this photograph or the one further below on this website.

From a resemblance standpoint, yes, they look do alike so maybe Edgar is Linton’s father.

Continuing with this line of thinking, we need to read what else Emily Brontë writes and reveals to us about Linton’s paternity.

Download my research to investigate Emily Brontë’s descriptions and words that confirm Heathcliff is South Asian, her six clues about incest, and that Edgar is Linton's biological father.

The six clues are the following:

1) Physical traits (page 6)

2) Born 8 months (34 weeks) after his mother's January wedding date (page 22)

3) Personality traits (page 26)

4) Estate succession - Cathy is the heir (beneficiary) to Thrushcross Grange as declared in Edgar's will as well as by British primogeniture law as his only known child. Edgar is the heir to his father, Old Mr. Linton's will. Linton is not mentioned in either will. Therefore, Linton is Edgar's heir by the word other meaning, his son. (page 31)

5) Grammar/Errors -use of the double entendre, heir, to state that Linton is Edgar's heir (son); also, writing Lascar as a proper noun. The proper noun is not a mistake but a technique used by writers of the time period. For example, the word, Intended, used to describe Mr. Kurtz's fiancée in Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness. (page 27)

6) The family name/nickname over three generations; Old Linton, Young Linton (Edgar), Linton. (page 33)

Finally, in our modern times, DNA testing proves English gypsies originated from northwest India, therefore, reinforcing Heathcliff's Asian race.

Brontës' Dark Secret

Once you recognize that Heathcliff is from British India, you realize that Linton is not his biological child and his wife Isabella experienced incest.

This is Brontës' dark secret.

What does Heathcliff look like?

So, could Heathcliff be the father of Linton who has fair skin, yellow hair, and great blue eyes?

It's highly unlikely.

From a resemblance standpoint, yes, they look do alike so maybe Edgar is Linton’s father.

Want to read my paper?

Want to watch my video series?

Contact me if you would like to learn more or further discuss my work.

See my Sources and Historic Representations of these Characters for Yourself

Want to support survivors of sibling incest?

Once you recognize that Heathcliff is from British India, you realize that Linton is not his biological child and his wife Isabella experienced incest.

This is Brontës' dark secret.

What does Heathcliff look like?

So, could Heathcliff be the father of Linton who has fair skin, yellow hair, and great blue eyes?

It's highly unlikely.

From a resemblance standpoint, yes, they look do alike so maybe Edgar is Linton’s father.

Want to read my paper?

Want to watch my video series?

Contact me if you would like to learn more or further discuss my work.

See my Sources and Historic Representations of these Characters for Yourself

Want to support survivors of sibling incest?

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