The sensational genre was uniquely suited to explore the fundamental concern of searching of ones identity. In Braddon’s novel, the question of identity is addressed through two main topics: gender roles and insanity. Traditional gender roles formed the backbone of Victorian society. Feminine women and masculine men derived their identity from the roles society gave them. When finally confronted with the evidence of what she has done, Lady Audley circumvents gender role expectations by attributing her transgressions to madness, claiming that she could not help herself. Lady Audley, who outwardly fulfills every Victorian idea of what a woman should be and how she should act. In fact, she even uses those ideals as cover for her crimes, hiding