Hindley Earnshaw

Hindley Earnshaw is a character in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. He is the older brother of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.

History
Hindley lives at Wuthering Heights, and is nursed by Nelly Dean's mother. When he is 14, he asks his father to bring him a fiddle home from Liverpool, but he cries when the fiddle is crushed and Old Earnshaw brings back Heathcliff instead.

Hindley hates Heathcliff and bullies him, as Heathcliff stole his father's affections. Nelly initially sides with him, but after all the children fall ill with measles, she becomes more sympathetic. However, her opinion changes again when Heathcliff blackmails Hindley for a horse.

The curate recommends to Old Earnshaw that Hindley should be sent away to college. He returns to the Heights when Mr Earnshaw dies, along with a wife, Frances. Hindley becomes the master of Wuthering Heights, and reduces Heathcliff to a mere servant.

Catherine and Heathcliff refuse to be separated, or tamed, and after Catherine goes to stay at Thrushcross Grange, Mr Linton takes Hindley aside and reminds him how to raise his sister and look after his family. Consequently, Hindley encourages Catherine's friendship with Edgar and Isabella Linton. Frances dies three years later, giving birth to Hareton Earnshaw. After Frances' death, Hindley turns to gambling and alcohol, terrorising his family.

Catherine and Nelly move to the Grange, leaving Hareton, Joseph and Hindley alone at the Heights. Heathcliff moves in and encourages Hindley's bad habits, whilst allowing him to mortgage Wuthering Heights to pay his gambling debts. He is invited to Catherine's funeral, but doesn't come.

He dies aged 27, 'true to his character, drunk as a lord'. Nelly mourns him. Heathcliff takes ownership of the Heights, as he was the mortgagee, despite Hareton being Hindley's son and heir.

Adaptations

 * Hindley was played by Warwick Ward in the 1920 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Hugh Williams in the 1939 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Robert Brown in the 1953 BBC drama of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Patrick Troughton in the 1962 BBC drama of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Pran in the 1966 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by William Marlowe in the 1967 BBC drama of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Julien Glover in the 1970 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by John Duttine in the 1978 BBC serialisation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Jeremy Northam in the 1992 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley is played by Ian Shaw in the 1998 television film adaptation of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Burn Gorman in the 2009 ITV drama of Wuthering Heights
 * Hindley was played by Lee Shaw in the 2011 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights