Wuthering Heights Through the Ages: How Heathcliff Reflects Changing Ideas of Masculinity

For nearly 200 years, Heathcliff has captivated audiences as literature’s ultimate “bad boy”—a character who refuses to stay fixed in time. From the windswept moors of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel to Jacob Elordi’s recent casting announcement, this brooding antihero keeps evolving. Each generation reimagines him through the lens of its own values, revealing more about contemporary attitudes toward masculinity than about Brontë’s original creation. As our cultural understanding of men, emotions, and power shifts, so does the man at the heart of Wuthering Heights—transforming from a tragic gentleman into a study of trauma, vulnerability, and modern complexity.

The Classic Brooding Hero: Polished Pain

Early film adaptations, particularly the iconic 1939 version, presented Heathcliff as a refined, melancholic gentleman—the quintessential “Byronic hero.” This portrayal emphasized mystery and moodiness while maintaining a veneer of social acceptability. During this era, masculine ideals centered on stoicism and hidden emotional depth. Heathcliff was framed primarily as a victim of class prejudice rather than a man grappling with psychological trauma. Audiences were encouraged to romanticize his darkness without examining his destructive behaviors. The 1939 film stripped away much of the novel’s moral ambiguity, transforming Heathcliff into a sympathetic figure whose cruelty could be excused by circumstance. This version reflected mid-century ideals: strength meant suffering silently, and a man’s worth was tied to his ability to endure hardship with dignity.

Raw Emotion and Modern Vulnerability: The Trauma Lens

By the late 20th century, film and television began reinterpreting Heathcliff through a psychological framework. Adaptations started exploring his childhood abandonment and the systemic abuse that shaped his worldview. This shift mirrored broader cultural changes in how we understand masculinity—moving from “strong silent types” toward men willing to acknowledge pain and complexity. Modern versions present Heathcliff as physically raw and emotionally exposed, stripping away the gentleman’s polish to reveal a wounded human being. Rather than romanticizing his behavior, contemporary adaptations ask viewers to understand it. This approach aligns with evolving conversations about toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and the ways environment shapes personality. The character becomes less a villain to admire and more a cautionary study in how unprocessed pain manifests as cruelty.