Hindley Earnshaw is the brother and Catherine and spiteful brother of the adopted Heathcliff. Hindley's hatred of Heathcliff had sprung early in their childhood, as his father, Mr.Earnshaw has grown to favor Heathcliff over Hindley. Because Mr. Earnshaw likes Heathcliff, any show of distaste towards Heathcliff on Hindley's part would severley anger his father, "Hindley's manifestations of scorn, while his father was near, roused the old man to fury; he seized his stick to strike him , and shook with rage that he could not do it." (pg. 45) This brutality in Heathcliff's defense only manages to make Hindley hate Heathcliff even more, growing increasingly bitter with age. Upon his three year absence to university, Hindley comes back with a change in demeanor (Although his cruelty has all but vanished), "He had grown sparer, and lost his color, and spoke and dressed quite differently..." (pg. 49) Mr. Earnshaw's death gives Hindley the opportunity to seek revenge on Heathcliff. He takes pleasure in seizing power over Heathcliff's life, even degrading the boy to the satis of farm-hand. Heathcliff, who once lived a life of luxury is no a slave in the house he once thrived in. Hindley's wickedness is only further emphasized through his plan to marry off Catherine to Edgar Linton in order to Unite the Earnshaw and the Linton families, knowing full well of Heathcliff's and Catherine's love for each other. Hindley's ultimate downfall occurs when his wife Francis dies. The death of the only person he loves drives Hindley to become even more evil in nature, becoming an agressive alcoholic to cope with the loss, he is violent and impulsive. At this point in the story, whatever compassion is left in Hindley's heart is gone, "Then physical appearance sympathized with mental deterioration ... his naturally reserved disposition was exaggerated into an almost idiotic excess of unsociable moroseness."