Post by mslewis on May 14, 2012 13:39:02 GMT
"I'd stare him out, chewing my gum, insolent, dumb.
I'd lie on my bed at home, on fire for him."
"The Devil's Wife" part 1
This quote is from part 1 of the poem, entitled "Dirt". At this point, the Hindley persona who is our narrator looks back on the beginnings of her relationship with Ian Brady, who she committed the murders with. Parts 1 and 2 of the poem have a much more organised and predictable structure (the lines are of a similar length, there is rhyme, each stanza has a fixed number of lines) which reflects the narrator telling a rehearsed story. This is something that the real Myra Hindley did: she would ask to be allowed to begin her interviews with police again and re-record them so that her account was exactly the way she wanted it. The Hindley persona in the poem offers us a carefully constructed story in an attempt to gain our sympathy. However, the reader can see through this artifice, becoming aware of how manipulative and self-obsessed she really is. The Hindley persona is also lacking in any remorse or empathy for her victims and her families. The structure reflects her cold, distant attitude towards her crimes.
In these two lines, the word choice of "chewing my gum, insolent, dumb" suggests the narrator wants us to view her as a young, naive girl who was influenced by an evil man and thus not really responsible for her actions. However, the words "I'd stare him out" allow us to see that she is not intimidated by Brady; she holds his gaze. The following line, "I'd lie on my bed at home, on fire for him," has overtly sexual connotations and conveys her extreme obsession with Brady. It contrasts sharply in tone with line 1 and shatters any ideas the reader may have that the Hindley persona was truly naive and innocent. We find her obsession with such an unpleasant character very worrying and, thinking about the source of evil, it implies that she has the potential to commit murder long before she does so.
These lines, then, reveal from the beginning of the poem the manipulative nature of the narrator as well as her abnormal feelings as she is so obsessed with such a sadistic character. It seems that far from being controlled by Brady, she found a willing accomplice who allowed her to act on her abnormal desires.
I'd lie on my bed at home, on fire for him."
"The Devil's Wife" part 1
This quote is from part 1 of the poem, entitled "Dirt". At this point, the Hindley persona who is our narrator looks back on the beginnings of her relationship with Ian Brady, who she committed the murders with. Parts 1 and 2 of the poem have a much more organised and predictable structure (the lines are of a similar length, there is rhyme, each stanza has a fixed number of lines) which reflects the narrator telling a rehearsed story. This is something that the real Myra Hindley did: she would ask to be allowed to begin her interviews with police again and re-record them so that her account was exactly the way she wanted it. The Hindley persona in the poem offers us a carefully constructed story in an attempt to gain our sympathy. However, the reader can see through this artifice, becoming aware of how manipulative and self-obsessed she really is. The Hindley persona is also lacking in any remorse or empathy for her victims and her families. The structure reflects her cold, distant attitude towards her crimes.
In these two lines, the word choice of "chewing my gum, insolent, dumb" suggests the narrator wants us to view her as a young, naive girl who was influenced by an evil man and thus not really responsible for her actions. However, the words "I'd stare him out" allow us to see that she is not intimidated by Brady; she holds his gaze. The following line, "I'd lie on my bed at home, on fire for him," has overtly sexual connotations and conveys her extreme obsession with Brady. It contrasts sharply in tone with line 1 and shatters any ideas the reader may have that the Hindley persona was truly naive and innocent. We find her obsession with such an unpleasant character very worrying and, thinking about the source of evil, it implies that she has the potential to commit murder long before she does so.
These lines, then, reveal from the beginning of the poem the manipulative nature of the narrator as well as her abnormal feelings as she is so obsessed with such a sadistic character. It seems that far from being controlled by Brady, she found a willing accomplice who allowed her to act on her abnormal desires.