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Where Duffy uses revisionism to re-evaluate alternative representations of femininity in history throughout The Worlds Wife, Bennett encourages the reader to re-evaluate the nature of history through Irwins revisionist versions of it, so introducing the idea of historiography, whereby historical accounts are dependent upon personal experiences or cultural context. Duffy deliberately distances her characters from sentimentalised idealism regarding the role of the female protagonist, creating real voices of suppressed female voices through her use of the dramatic monologue form. However Bennett presents subjunctive historiography through the characterisation of Dakin, leaving the reader to question how minor changes in historical events may significantly impact the route of history. Dakin seems to follow Hectors focus on the constant questioning of the alternate outcomes of history, musing on both alternate and subjunctive history (It’s subjunctive history. You know, the subjunctive? The mood used when something may or may not have happened. When it is imagined). Dakin finds enjoyment through merging both

Irwin and Hectors arguably conflicting perspectives to history. Duffy also uses subjunctive history to convey a provocatively sympathetic portrayal of the English serial killer, Myra Hindley, within the poem The Devils Wife. Here, Duffy utilises revisionism and subjunctive history to provide possibilities of what may have occurred in the ambiguous events of The Moors Murders (963-965). Duffy is subversive through her depiction of Myra Hindley as a victim, rather than a violent criminal, through her objectification and public judgement of her appearance and voice (a subject of great focus amongst media and the public eye of the 960s): Nobody liked my hair. Nobody liked how I spoke. Duffys use of repetition of Nobody, combined with emphatic nature of the sentences, instil sense of victimisation. The objectification of Myra Hindley encourages the reader to question and revise what it is to be a woman in an intensely judgemental modern society. Duffy subtly uses revisionism to criticise society and the media for their frivolous judgement of Myra Hindley, re-writing history by illustrating Hindley as a victim.