From monster to marketable

His yellowish, nearly translucent skin eventually became green.

And as time went by his flowing black hair was first cut into bangs, and later greased back. The creature created by Mary Shelley, and incorrectly called Frankenstein for the past 190 years, has changed considerably.

But the lumbering star of stage, screen, television and literature is more relevant today than ever. With cloning and organ transplants commonplace, and as scientists stride fearlessly into the wilderness of genetic engineering, the unnamed monster created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and erroneously given his name, continues to provide a cautionary tale of the dire consequences that can befall man when he tries to play God.

Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus” introduced the world to the creature that referred to himself as the “Adam of your labors.” During the nearly two centuries that have passed it has achieved an exalted position in the pantheon of the undead.

Today we can find the likeness of the bolt-through-the-neck ogre on things as varied as socks, towels, coffee cups and cereal boxes. The cultural icon has become so familiar that it’s as apt to illicit a laugh as a shriek of horror.

Even so, its sad and tragic life is anything but humorous. The unnerving tale of a monstrosity created from assorted body parts and brought to life continues to spark serious discussions relating to man’s relentless drive for knowledge and the pitfalls of human hubris.

Currently on display in the University of Virginia’s Rotunda is an ambitious exhibit that traces the novel from its first modest press run of 500 copies to what it represents today. “The Monster Among Us: ‘Frankenstein’ from Mary Shelley to Mel Brooks” will be on display in the Dome Room through October.

Fourth-year student Shannon Gorman is the curator of the exhibit. She landed the challenging job of putting together the exhibit by writing the winning proposal in a history course taught by Terry Belanger, director of the Rare Book School and curator of UVa’s Special Collections Book Arts Press.

Most of the 145 items on display come from the collection of Susan Tyler Hitchcock, author of the recently published book “Frankenstein: A Cultural History.” As extensive as the display is, it represents a fraction of the items Hitchcock has collected pertaining to her favorite fiend.

“I first met with Susan at the beginning of this semester,” said Gorman, who majored in history and graduated May 18. “Her house is full of Frankenstein stuff. You open the closet and there’s a Frankenstein doll.

“She has plastic tubs everywhere filled with Frankenstein things. I’ve been at her home six times, and on my last visit I was still seeing things I hadn’t seen before.

“The beginning of the process was going through all her stuff and trying to get a sense of how I could tell the same story her entire collection tells, but without bringing the entire collection here. It was challenging, and probably the hardest thing was knowing when to just stop.”

Hitchcock’s fascination with Frankenstein was an offshoot of her interest in the Romantic poets. She was especially taken with the works of Shelley’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

After writing her doctorate dissertation on the poet, Hitchcock’s interest shifted to his wife. This resulted in her also embracing the monster in the early 1980s when she was teaching a course called “Man and Machine” to UVa engineering students.

“‘Frankenstein’ is about the oldest work of literature that has anything to do with the history of technology,” said Hitchcock, who is currently working as a book editor for National Geographic.

“Our first meeting related to the novel was on Halloween, so I wore a Frankenstein mask to class. During the class we compared what the students thought Frankenstein was all about to what they had learned once they read the novel.

“That was the beginning of my exploration of the path the myth has taken from the novel of 1818 to our present day. Every Halloween I would roam through the dime stores and card shops and buy a few more trinkets and examples of the current expressions of the myth of Frankenstein.”

Until her recent retirement, Ingrid Townsend taught UVa engineering students about the importance of taking into consideration the social impact their creations will have. Among her many achievements during her 34-year career at the university was to originate the “Man and Machine” course.

“I always used ‘Frankenstein’ as a case study to teach students that they are personally responsible not only for their work, but also for the impact of their work,” Townsend said. “Dr. Frankenstein is a prime example of someone who is consumed by the challenge of his work, but never thinks beyond the admiration that such an achievement would bring him.

“He thinks only of himself and possible glory, thus he is totally unprepared when things go wrong, causing even greater tragedy. The novel captures our imagination because now, just like Dr. Frankenstein, we are fascinated by the idea of creating life.

“So looking at the example of the poor monster, we learn to look beyond the achievement of creating life, and focus on the tragedy that must follow if no steps are taken to rein in ambition and to safeguard the public and also the creature.”

Like many classic works of literature, Shelley’s book can be read at multiple levels. Gorman first read it when she was in the seventh grade, and enjoyed it simply as a story about a monster.

“When I read the book for the second time this past Thanksgiving, I thought, ‘Oh, this is a good book,’” Gorman said with a laugh. “I was sort of embarrassed that I didn’t get it the first time.

“I hadn’t picked up the warnings about technology or the things about science and God. Now we read it as a serious statement about man pushing the limits of where his knowledge should go and what can happen.

“I think it’s also fascinating how Frankenstein has gone from a stay-away-from-it monster to something we put on socks or use as a character in children’s bedtime stories. But we can still find serious meaning in Frankenstein, and it’s not all funny movies like ‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.’”

One of the rarest pieces in the exhibit is a 1931 edition of “Frankenstein” published by Grosset & Dunlap. Its printing coincided with the release of the classic 1931 film of the same title, featuring Boris Karloff as the monster.

“The odd thing about that book is the publishers used scene stills from the film to illustrate it, but they have nothing to do with the novel,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t have a very good copy of it, but one in perfect condition is probably worth $5,000.

“What really surprised me was the massive numbers of comic books having to do with Frankenstein. Not only are there really old comics of him from the 1940s and ’50s, he is also a character in a lot of other superhero comics.

“One of my favorite items is a foot-tall dancing Frankenstein doll that Shannon put in the first display case [in the Rotunda exhibit]. He’s a plastic, slightly roly-poly smiling monster, and when you press a button he does a little dance, his eyes light up and the song ‘Monster Mash’ plays.”

The story, of course, is far darker and sadder, with the creature striking out in murderous rage.

“I think Mary Shelley thought of the monster as a blank slate when he was created,” said Gorman, whose next assignment will be teaching special-education classes in San Francisco for Teach for America. “Then he was written on with rejection and no love.

“The way she makes that an even sadder story is when he was reached out to later, he doesn’t know how to reciprocate or receive that affection. I think the tragedy of the monster is that once it’s made, it’s a lot harder to unmake.

“Being curator of this exhibit has been a very unique way to wrap up four years here. It’s not an exhibit you would probably think of being in the Rotunda, but I think it’s the perfect place.

“The Rotunda was created to be the university’s library, and the story of Frankenstein is all about seeking knowledge.”

The free exhibit will be on display at the Rotunda, open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., through October.