*TW* descriptions of violence and true crime The Gothic in literary terms has always been a way in which traditions can be subverted and allows the writers and audience to focus in on the mysterious, the shocking and the macabre. Repressed fears and trauma manifesting themselves in different ways to evoke a complex range of emotions within its audience, from terror to awe, commenting on the darker side of the human subconscious. Usually focusing on a personification of evil, the monster within the Gothic is a study of the social construction of incomprehensive acts. A serial killer is considered much the same as the Gothic monster trope within popular media - sub-human and abject recreational acts of madness and merciless, often motiveless evil. The Gothic monster provides a narrative archetype for serial killers to be portrayed by the media, which then can blur the lines between fiction and true crime in order to separate serial killers to the public, rather than the public ackn...