What Big Teeth She Has
ELLA MCLENNAN
Abstract
Myra Hindley is one of the most notorious female murderers in the world. This poem explores the ways in which Hindley has been, and continues to be mythologised by society. It examines the mythical women that have been compared to her, and attempts to demonstrate how dangerous it is to compare real people to fictional characters. The poem discusses how the press depicts murderers and the affect this has on the world. Using examples such as Dracula, the poem also reflects on how facts lose truth over time, and how many stories about real people have become mythologised whether this was intentional or not.
Keywords: Myra Hindley; Moors Murders; mythology; murder; crime; dehumanisation; sexism; victim