In contrast to the previous chapter, all sympathy that readers gained for Heathcliff is lost when Heathcliff beats Hindley. During the beating, Hindley is the victim of his own past sins and Heathcliff's displaced anger and aggression about Catherine's death.
Soon after Catherine's death, Hindley dies too. The details are not exactly revealed, but Heathcliff claims Hindley "spent the night in drinking himself to death deliberately." Suicide is more probable than murder because Heathcliff had the chance to kill Hindley before but never did so.
Heathcliff has rough intentions with both Linton and Hareton. He refers to his own son as "it," not even affording Linton the level of respect of a person. And Heathcliff essentially steals Wuthering Heights from Hareton. Hareton is the rightful landowner, although the land is in debt. What Hareton should have inherited from his father is a mountain of debt with Heathcliff serving as the mortgagee. What happens, though, is Heathcliff assuming control of the property because he owns the mortgage.
This chapter marks the end of the first generation and the first half of Wuthering Heights. At this point in time, Heathcliff and Hareton are at Wuthering Heights, and Edgar and Cathy are at Thrushcross Grange. The second half of the novel in many ways mirrors the first, with Heathcliff longing for revenge, and willing to destroy anyone who is in his way.
