Hindley Earnshaw

* 1939
* 1970
* 1978
* 1992
* 1998
* 2009
* 2011

*Wuthering Heights* (2011)

Lee Shaw (2011)

The Master

Linton Heathcliff (nephew, †, deceased)

### Personalities

Spoiled, whiny, vile, jealous, abusive, violent, hateful, vengeful, ruthless, discontented, bitter, alcoholic, domineering, intelligent, manipulative, cunning, tyrannical, negligent

### Allies

Frances Earnshaw
Mrs. Earnshaw

Joseph

### Likes

Afflicting abuse towards Heathcliff, drinking, gambling

### Goal

To always make life difficult for Heathcliff (succeeded)
To gamble huge amounts of money to Heathcliff for his rent (succeeded)
To kill Heathcliff (failed)
To get his house and money back (failed)

### Fate

Falls heavily in debt after Heathcliff swindles him, and dies months later

> "*I wish my father were back again. Hindley is a detestable substitute- his conduct to Heathcliff is atrocious. H. and I are going to rebel- we took our initiatory step this evening.*"
> ― Chapter 3
>
>

Hindley Earnshaw is a major character and antagonist in Emily Brontë's *Wuthering Heights*. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, the brother of Catherine Earnshaw, the foster brother of Heathcliff, the husband of Frances Earnshaw and the father of Hareton Earnshaw.

Hindley becomes extremely hateful towards Heathcliff after he is taken into his home, constantly making his life miserable, resulting in Heathcliff's vengeful acts against him.

## Description

While readers sometimes consider Heathcliff to be the villain, it is Hindley who is mostly the novel's antagonist, as his actions and personalities were indirectly responsible for Heathcliff's downward spiral of insanity and brutality. As a child, Hindley hates him not only for his jealousy that his father loves Heathcliff tenderly, but possibly that Heathcliff is an orphan with unknown origins and Hindley believes that because his foster brother is different from him, he thinks he doesn't deserve to be treated as part of the family.

## Storyline

### Early Years at Wuthering Heights

Hindley grew up at Wuthering Heights in Yorkshire, the first child of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, and had a younger sister named Catherine. He grew up alongside a servant named Nelly Dean, whose mother nursed him from infancy.

One morning, at the beginning of harvest season, Mr. Earnshaw prepares to depart on a business trip to Liverpool. 14-year-old Hindley, 6-year-old Catherine and Nelly are having breakfast when Mr. Earnshaw asks his children what gifts he would like to bring back for them, and he wants them to be small. Hindley asks for a fiddle, and Catherine wants a whip. After Mr. Earnshaw promises Nelly he’ll bring her home some gifts, too, he kisses his children goodbye and leaves.

Three days later, Hindley and Catherine are eager for their father’s return, and Mrs. Earnshaw puts their meal on hold, expecting he will return by dinner. The children eventually grow tired of running to the gate awaiting his arrival, and when it gets dark, they beg their mother to let them stay up late.

At 11 o’clock, Mr. Earnshaw walks in. He sits down while laughing and ranting about his exhausting trip home. Everyone gathers around and spots a black-haired, dirty, small boy around Catherine’s age. Nelly is horrified, and Mrs. Earnshaw demands that the child be thrown out of their house. Mr. Earnshaw explains that while he was in Liverpool, he spotted the boy on the streets but was unable to find who he belonged to and brought him home with him. He orders Nelly to wash the child and let him sleep with the children.

Hindley and Catherine search Mr. Earnshaw’s pockets for the presents he promised them. He is disappointed to see his fiddle is broken and Catherine’s whip was lost on the way home. They refuse to let the boy sleep with them, and Nelly leaves him on the stairs, hoping he will be gone in the morning.

The boy was later christened and is named Heathcliff after a deceased infant son. Catherine bonds with Heathcliff, while Hindley hates him for his father’s affection for him and would occasionally hurt him. However, Heathcliff barely cries when Hindley beats him, and he makes it look like an accident. Hindley and his mother resent Heathcliff, but after Mrs. Earnshaw dies less than two years after Heathcliff was brought into the family, Hindley is on his own to despise Heathcliff, and his resentment angers his father.

After Hindley, Heathcliff, and Catherine fall ill with measles, Nelly is tasked to nurse them back to health. Heathcliff was dangerously ill but was calm throughout his illness, while Hindley and Catherine always complained. Eventually, all three children have recovered from their illness, and Nelly starts to warm up on Heathcliff.

One day, Mr. Earnshaw buys two young horses for his sons. Heathcliff chooses the handsome horse, but when it falls lame, he demands Hindley give him his horse. Both boys then get into a fight, and Hindley threatens to hit him with an iron weight. Heathcliff says he’ll tell on their father if he hurts him. Hindley throws the weight at Heathcliff’s chest, and he falls to the ground, but quickly gets back up and would have run for Mr. Earnshaw if Nelly wasn’t there to stop him. Hindley finally agrees to give him his horse but hopes it will “kick his brains out” and calls him an “imp of Satan.” He knocks Heathcliff under his feet before running away.

### Ownership of Wuthering Heights

A few years later, Mr. Earnshaw’s health starts failing. Hindley continues to bully Heathcliff, but his father punishes him by beating him with a stick. The curate advises Hindley to send him to college, and Mr. Earnshaw agrees. Hindley is sent away to college, and Heathcliff and Catherine grow closer in his absence.

After Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Hindley returns home for his father’s funeral and to claim his inheritance as the owner of Wuthering Heights.To everyone’s surprise, he brings home a wife named Frances Earnshaw, but he never tells his family who she is or where she came from. Frances settles into her new life at Wuthering Heights but constantly fears death. Like her husband, Frances also hates Heathcliff.

During his absence, Hindley has changed into a polished gentleman, and he immediately orders Nelly and Joseph to move to the back kitchen. He initially plans to refurnish the house but changes his mind when Frances loves the old interior design. He also cuts off Heathcliff’s education, makes him one of the servants, and orders him to work long hours in the fields. Despite his dominance over Wuthering Heights, Hindley doesn’t keep a close eye on Heathcliff and Catherine, allowing them to cause mischief and roam the moors together.

One Sunday evening, Heathcliff and Catherine are ordered out of the house but don’t return by supper. After searching for them around the house, Hindley orders all the doors and windows to be locked so they can’t come back inside. Only Nelly waits for them, but only Heathcliff returns and informs Nelly that they spied on the Lintons at Thrushcross Grange. Catherine was injured by the Lintons’ guard dog as they tried to escape, and the Lintons lovingly treated and pampered her as Heathcliff was forced to leave without her.

Hindley is furious about what happened to Catherine, and the next day, Mr. Linton appears at Wuthering Heights to lecture him for his reckless supervision of Heathcliff. Instead of flogging Heathcliff, Hindley orders him to never speak to Catherine again, and Frances will look after Catherine when she returns.

Five weeks later, Catherine arrives home as a proper, noble lady.Hindley takes her horse she rode him with and is surprised by how beautiful she has become, and asks Frances if she has become like the Lintons’ daughter Isabella. Frances replies that Catherine must behave like a lady now, and Nelly helps Catherine into the house. Hindley orders Heathcliff to greet Catherine, but Heathcliff refuses, angry at how Catherine criticized his filthy appearance.

It is Christmas Eve, and the Lintons are invited to Wuthering Heights for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Hindley and Frances have Catherine gift the Lintons some presents to thank them for their kindness. The Earnshaws have dinner together while Nelly and Joseph dine alone. The next day, the Lintons arrive at Wuthering Heights by coach, and the Earnshaws return on horseback, as they often rode their horses to church service during winter. As the guests settle in, Heathcliff comes in from the kitchen after Nelly cleans and dresses him to impress Catherine. Hindley is disgusted by his neat appearance and shoves him back into the kitchen, ordering Joseph to lock Heathcliff in the garret until dinner is over, as he worries Heathcliff will steal some of the food if left alone. Nelly insists Heathcliff won’t steal anything and that he should join everyone else. Hindley threatens to beat Heathcliff by pulling his hair if he is still downstairs until after dark.

After Edgar insults Heathcliff’s black hair, Heathcliff angrily throws hot applesauce at Edgar’s face. Hindley gives Heathcliff a beating and then drags him to the garret. Hindley and the guests danced and sang Christmas carols for the rest of the evening. Later, after Nelly releases Heathcliff, he vows revenge on Hindley.

### Descending Alcoholism/Gambling

One June morning in 1778, Hindley and Frances’ son, Hareton, is born. But Frances has been suffering from consumption for months and may die by winter. Hindley is devastated by this news, and the doctor, Mr. Kenneth, reminds him he should be grateful his wife has given him a son and should have known better than marrying a sickly woman.

A week later, Mr. Kenneth warns Hindley that his medicines won’t help her, and Hindley retorts that she will be fine. He tells Frances about this, and she seems to believe him. But one night, Frances died in Hindley’s arms from a fever. While Hindley is happy with his newborn son, he places him in Nelly’s care and instead of crying, he curses a lot and becomes a heavy drinker. His violent outbursts drive away many servants, but only Nelly and Joseph stay. He takes his abuse out on Heathcliff and Catherine, and nobody comes to the Heights except for Edgar, who has started seeing Catherine following her stay at Thrushcross Grange.

One day, while coming home in a drunken stupor, Hindley grabs Hareton from the kitchen cupboard, threatens Nelly to make her swallow a carving knife, and forces it into her mouth before spitting it out.Hareton starts kicking and wailing in his father's arms, and Hindley tries to kiss him and then declares he'll break his neck. Hindley carries him upstairs and lifts him over the banister. Nelly hurries to save Hareton, and she and Hindley hear Heathcliff approaching. Hindley then drops Hareton, but Heathcliff catches him just in time. Hindley blames Nelly for keeping Hareton out of her sight, and she chastises him for how he treats his son. Hindley laughs and drinks another bottle of brandy.

Later that night, Catherine has a private conversation with Nelly and reveals she has accepted Edgar’s marriage proposal but cannot marry Heathcliff because it would degrade her. Heathcliff then disappears, and a violent, windy storm arrives by midnight. Catherine rushes outside to search for Heathcliff, and 20 minutes later, she returns inside drenched and sits by the fire. While Nelly and Joseph tend to her, Hindley asks Catherine what is wrong. She replies that she is cold and wet, but Nelly says she wandered outside the whole night.

Nobody talks about Heathcliff’s disappearance that night. In the morning, Nelly opens the window, but Catherine demands her to shut it. Hindley feels her wrist and notices she’s sick. Joseph says he should have locked the doors so she wouldn’t have been outside the moors at midnight, and Edgar had sneaked into Wuthering Heights. Catherine replies that Edgar came for a visit. Hindley questions her if she was with Heathcliff last night, and he would be glad to make him leave. Catherine sobs that she was never with him last night and would want to go with him if Hindley turned him away.

Hindley orders Nelly to take Catherine to her room, but she starts acting crazy, so Nelly begs Joseph to fetch Mr. Kenneth. When the doctor arrives, he diagnoses Catherine with a fever. Joseph and Hindley hardly help Nelly nurse Catherine, but Catherine manages to fight her illness. Mrs. Linton often visits Wuthering Heights and wants to bring her to Thrushcross Grange to nurse her back to health. But Mr. and Mrs. Linton contracted her fever and died within a few days of each other.

Catherine then arrives home more passionate and stubborn, and nobody has heard of Heathcliff after his disappearance. She distances herself from Hindley, and when she is about to have an angry outburst, he allows her to throw her fits and doesn’t scold her, as she is difficult to stand up to. Hindley even wishes his sister would bring honour to the family by befriending the Lintons. Three years later, Catherine and Edgar are married. After the wedding, Nelly is persuaded to move to Thrushcross Grange with the newlyweds and has a hard time saying goodbye to 5-year-old Hareton. Hindley doesn’t want any female servants in his home, so he orders Nelly to pack her things and leave. He also assures her that Hareton will have a curate as his tutor.

Six months after Catherine’s wedding, Heathcliff suddenly returns as a wealthy gentleman and Hindley invites him to stay at Wuthering Heights. Hindley has started gambling and Heathcliff would join him and other men for some cards. Hindley lends large sums of money to Heathcliff, unaware that he is swindling him of his health as revenge, although he keeps on inviting him back for more game of cards. Additionally, Heathcliff dismisses Hareton’s tutor and teaches the boy bad habits, such as swearing and turning against his father.

About two months later, Heathcliff elopes with Catherine’s sister-in-law, Isabella. On their first night back at Wuthering Heights, Hindley meets her when she finds a way inside the house and demands what she wants. Isabella introduces herself and she has just arrived here with Heathcliff after their elopement. He left her at the kitchen door and she tried to be friendly to his son Hareton, but he threatened the dog on her. He mutters curses and threats to Heathcliff, ushers Isabella inside, and locks the door. She asks for a female servant to show her a bedroom, and he ignores her, pacing around the room. After a few hours, Isabella bursts into tears, which catches Hindley’s attention. She says that she’s tired and begs for a room and a female servant. Hindley tells her there are no female servants, and she has to wait on herself. He says Joseph will show her a room, and before she leaves, he stops her and adds that she must lock her door. He pulls put a pistol from his waistcoat, with a knife attached to the barrel. He says he has been standing outside Heathcliff’s door, waiting for his chance to shoot and kill him with the pistol.

Isabella takes the pistol to view it, but Hindley gets jealous, snatches it back, and puts it back in his waistcoat. He doesn’t care if she tells him about his plan, but urges her to look out for him. She asks why he hates Heathcliff so much and why he won’t make Heathcliff leave. Hindley says he has lost his money to Heathcliff and Hareton is on the verge of being poor, and he has vowed revenge against his arch nemesis. He continues pacing around the room as Isabella goes to the kitchen. She later hears him beating the dog Throttler before going to bed.

A few months later, Catherine dies from childbirth. Hindley plans to attend to be sober and attend his sister’s funeral, but ends up drinking instead. Heathcliff spends all his time visiting the Grange, and the night after Catherine was laid to rest, Heathcliff leaves the house to pay his final respects. While he’s gone, a severe snowstorm arrives and Hindley locks the front door. Heathcliff arrives home close to midnight, and tries to come inside. Hindley asks Isabella to keep him outside and says she must be quiet so he will have his chance to kill him. Isabella refuses to listen and warns Heathcliff not to come inside. Heathcliff demands she let him inside, but she refuses and leaves him outside. Hindley swears at Isabella for warning Heathcliff.

Heathcliff breaks open a window, pokes his head inside, and again demands Isabella to let him in. She warns him that Hindley is armed with a knife and loaded pistol to kill him, and Heathcliff demands she let him in from the kitchen door. She tells him he should lay down and die at Catherine’s grave, as he doesn’t deserve to live after losing Catherine. Hindley rushes to the window, but Heathcliff grabs his pistol and cuts his wrist with the knife. He then smashes the window, bursts inside, and beats Hindley into unconsciousness. Heathcliff drags Hindley to the settle, where he tears off Hindley’s shirt and roughly wraps it around his bloody wrist. Isabella fetches Joseph, and Heathcliff makes Isabella clean up the blood while Joseph revives Hindley with some alcohol before he is sent to bed.

The next morning, Hindley sits by the fire and Heathcliff stands by the chimney. None of them eat breakfast, so Isabella eats alone. Isabella gives him some water and asks how he feels. Hindley doesn’t remember Heathcliff attacking him last night and wishes he had the strength to kill Heathcliff as he struggles to get up. Isabella remarks that she and Catherine would have been alive and well at the Grange if Heathcliff hadn’t came into their lives. Heathcliff hears this and orders her to leave. When Isabella insults him by saying that Catherine would have been different if she married him, he angrily throws a kitchen knife at her, leaving a bloody cut under her ear. Heathcliff and Hindley get into a fight again while Isabella sees this as her chance to escape Wuthering Heights and seek refuge in London.

### Death

Hindley dies six months after Catherine. At the time of his death, he was heavily in debt after Heathcliff swindled him of his wealth. Because of this, Heathcliff claims ownership of Wuthering Heights and makes Hareton his servant.

## Personality/Appearance

Since Heathcliff has been adopted into the family, Hindley grows bitterly jealous of him because his father doted on Heathcliff more than him. Having always been a spoiled child, he bullies Heathcliff and even becomes violent towards him, such as when he fights him over a horse and insults him when he ends up giving up his horse to him.

## Relationships

### Heathcliff

Hindley's foster brother and archenemy. Bitter and jealous of Heathcliff being doted over by his father, he takes out his hatred of him but doesn't take interest in him when Heathcliff and Catherine are out on the moors. He ends up ruining himself when he gambles large amounts of money towards him and has his house taken over by his rival.

### Frances Earnshaw

Hindley's wife. He secretly marries her while he was away at college and brings her back home after inheriting the Heights. It may be possible that he loved and adored his new wife, and even had her take part in his cruelty towards Heathcliff. He spirals out of control after her death from childbirth.

### Hareton Earnshaw

Hindley's son. He barely pays any attention to him and he would endanger his son's life when he drank too much.

### Mr. Earnshaw

Hindley's father. He was once loved and spoiled by him until Mr. Earnshaw adopts Heathcliff and loves him more instead of Hindley. He was set off to college by his father to stop him from abusing his foster brother.

### Mrs. Earnshaw

Hindley's mother. He and his mother were the only relatives who disliked Heathcliff, but he was left alone following Mrs. Earnshaw's death.

### Catherine Earnshaw

Hindley’s sister. Little is known about their relationship, although he had her live under his domineering roof.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 4
2. ↑ Chapter 5
3. ↑ Chapter 6
4. ↑ Chapter 7
5. ↑ Chapter 8
6. ↑ Chapter 9
7. ↑ Chapter 10
8. ↑ Chapter 11
9. ↑ Chapter 13
10. ↑ Chapter 16
11. ↑ Chapter 17