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Hindley Earnshaw is the antagonist of the novel. His primary motivation is jealousy: as a child, Hindley resents the affection his father shows Heathcliff and comes to see the adopted boy as “a usurper of his parent’s affections and his privileges.” Hindley taunts young Heathcliff by calling him a “beggarly interloper,” showing that he is keenly aware of Heathcliff’s lack of status and privilege. Once he inherits Wuthering Heights, Hindley continues to work to thwart Heathcliff by treating him like a servant, preventing him from continuing his education, and continually humiliating him. He ends up shaping Heathcliff into an embittered and vengeful man. However, after Hindley deteriorates from grief and addiction and Heathcliff returns as wealthy man, the dynamic between the two characters reverses. Heathcliff now works to achieve his revenge by seeking control of Hindley’s property and the loyalty of Hindley’s son. By the time of his death, Hindley has become totally disempowered, and Heathcliff has attained full control of everything that remained in his life.
