The most controversial changes from the book

Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë has been adapted many times because it is one of the most famous works of literature today. The classic novel focuses on the Earnshaws and a child who is one day brought home by his father to live with his family at Wuthering Heights as well as his neighbors at Thrushcross Grange. It is mostly narrated in the voice of Nelly Dean, a servant who lived on both estates for long periods of her life and was very involved in the families' personal affairs.

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Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, the child her father brought home, form a strong bond and fall madly in love. However, due to various factors, they fail to live a happy love story. Many of these are heavily modified in Emerald Fennell's adaptation Wuthering Heights. This article delves into the most controversial changes made to Emily Brontë Wuthering Heights in the 2026 book adaptation.

Mixing Mr. Earnshaw and Hindley

In the book, Mr. Earnshaw appears at Wuthering Heights with a boy he claims he picked up from the streets. She brings him home to live with her children, Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, and names him Heathcliff. He is kind to the boy, but his two children annoy him quite a bit until Catherine eventually takes a liking to him. However, when Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley becomes the man of the house and it is then that Heathcliff's role in Wuthering Heights is reduced to that of a servant and he is forced to work instead of being educated.

Hindley is not a character in the film at all; instead, Mr. Earnshaw is the one who brings in Heathcliff and mistreats him. In this reality, Catherine is the only one who really liked Heathcliff. While this change is not as major as the others, there is no reason why Mr. Earnshawn should have a completely different personality and Hindley not be part of the story.

Heathcliff is not white

Emerald Fennell explained to fans why she chose Jacob Elordi to play Heathcliff Wuthering Heights; she said he resembled the illustration of Heathcliff when she first read the book. This is a very personal choice for the director, and many viewers were not happy with this explanation, believing it did not justify changing a major part of the story.

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Although Heathcliff's parentage is unknown and his race is ambiguous in the novel, it is clear that he has a darker skin tone. This is one of the main reasons why he is ostracized by the Earnshaw siblings when they are very young. Racism is a key theme Wuthering Heightsand in the 2026 edit it is completely deleted.

Sexualizing a toxic relationship

Catherine marries Edgar Linton for his money, even though she is in love with Heathcliff. This causes him to run away and return years later to marry Isabella Linton, to provoke Catherine and try to enrage Edgar – all while actively seeking revenge by manipulating and abusing those around him.

Catherine and Heathcliff may be in love, but it is nowhere near a romance that should be used as an example of a love story. It is a love that consumes them both so deeply that Cathy withers away just from being separated from Heathcliff, and he vows to destroy anyone who has harmed him and their kin. This love is capable of destroying their lives and the lives of everyone around them.

The film was clearly promoted as a beautiful romance for the audience. the trailer description mentions that the film is “inspired by the greatest love story of all time” and was even released on Valentine's Day to encourage couples to go to theaters and watch it together on a date.

Isabella Linton as a character

The changes made to Isabelle Linton as a character were perhaps the most controversial of all among fans. While Isabella is portrayed as Edgar Linton's ward in the film, she is actually his sister in the book. Heathcliff marries her to get back into the Linton family and as a means of obtaining their family fortune.

It's no secret that he doesn't love her; he feels nothing but disgust for her and makes it very clear. From the day she moves into Wuthering Heights, she is immediately unhappy and is eventually forced to run away and live as a single mother – a great act of bravery, especially in the 19th century. In the film, it almost seems like she enjoys being tortured by Heathcliff, and that there is a sort of sadomasochistic dynamic between the pair. This is related to the previous item in this list.