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Episode Summary:

Princeton Professor Susan Wolfson on Why We Love 'Frankenstein' Two Centuries Later
Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Rachel Martin (with intro and outro by Andrew Limbong)
Guest: Susan J. Wolfson, Princeton English professor and co-editor of a new annotated edition of Frankenstein

Episode Overview

This episode explores why Mary Shelley's Frankenstein continues to captivate readers and inspire countless adaptations two centuries after its publication. Princeton professor Susan J. Wolfson, editor of an acclaimed annotated edition of the novel, discusses with NPR’s Rachel Martin the cultural legacy of Frankenstein—how the book's themes, imagery, and misinterpretations have permeated society, and why it remains relevant today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cultural Pervasiveness vs. Direct Experience

• [01:04] Rachel Martin opens noting that Frankenstein is so embedded in popular culture that many believe they've read it, even if they haven’t.
  • “There are some books that have saturated themselves so deeply into our culture and consciousness, we tend to believe we've read them even when we haven't.” (Rachel Martin, 01:04)

2. The Original Story vs. Pop Culture Adaptations

• [01:19] The popular image of Frankenstein—bolts, lightning, green skin—is quite different from Shelley's more ambiguous and psychological tale.
  • Rachel Martin highlights that the novel lacks the iconic “lightning bolt” moment. Instead, the “creation” scene is understated (“infuse a spark of being”).
    • “But in the book, no lightning bolt, no thunder...Instead, Victor Frankenstein describes the moment...‘that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.’” (Rachel Martin, 01:37)
  • [02:08] Wolfson clarifies: “We don't really know exactly what is happening other than that infusing of a spark. We assume that it's electrical.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 02:08)

3. Impact of Film and Technology

• [02:21] The “electric spark” has inspired real scientific innovation—Wolfson shares that the inventor of the pacemaker, Gene Rosenbaum, was influenced by the 1931 movie’s take on Frankenstein’s creation.
  • “The American doctor Gene Rosenbaum...saw the James Whale 1931 film as a child. And it stayed with him powerfully...Electricity. Infusing a spark into a dead body and bringing it to life. That's amazing.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 02:21)

4. Physical Appearance and Creator’s Disgust

• [03:08] The annotated text and Wolfson’s commentary highlight Victor’s revulsion at the creature’s physical form, despite the attempt at beauty.
  • “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath. His hair was a lustrous black and flowing…” (Rachel Martin, quoting novel, 03:02)
  • “Which is not bad in itself, right?...Victor Frankenstein has designed this creature to be a beautiful man, and it hasn't turned out that way.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 03:08 & 03:11)

5. Representation of the Creature

• [03:24] Wolfson’s favorite visual is not from pop culture but from the first published illustration:
  • “When you look at the creature...he is recognizably human looking. And that, I think, is a much deeper disturbance than...the kind of cultural processing...in which the creature very much looks like a deranged, horrifying, scary, dangerous madman.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 04:01)
  • The original creature is “dazed, confused,” not the green-skinned monster pop culture depicts.

6. Legacy and Symbolism of “Frankenstein”

• [04:54] The term “Franken-” has entered the language as a catch-all prefix for the unnatural, out-of-control, or hybrid (e.g., Frankenstorm).
  • “That's a kind of default prefix for any horrifying, alarming development in weather, in science, in fashion, in food, technology. And everybody knows what that means.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 05:09)

7. Moral of the Story: Consequences and Idealism

• The ongoing legacy stems from Frankenstein being a cautionary tale: “The way in which idealism may not think through consequences. A human creation that has gotten out of control.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 05:23)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [01:16] Susan J. Wolfson imitates the famed movie line, “It's alive, it's alive, it's alive.”
• [03:45] Wolfson describes the very first visual image of Frankenstein’s creature—human, not monstrous.
  • “I've seen undergraduates on Monday morning who don't look as good. He's, you know, he's dazed, he's confused. He is recognizably human looking.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 04:01)
• [05:09] On the “Franken-” prefix’s cultural power: “Everybody knows what that means.”

Key Timestamps

• 00:02 – Andrew Limbong’s intro; sets up the relevance due to a new Frankenstein film.
• 01:04 – Rachel Martin introduces Frankenstein's ubiquity in culture.
• 02:08-02:21 – Discussion of the ambiguous “creation” scene and its scientific inspiration.
• 03:02-03:11 – Exploring the original creature’s description and the theme of unmet expectations.
• 03:34-04:01 – Wolfson’s favorite image of the creature; discussion of visual adaptations.
• 04:54-05:23 – The word “Frankenstein” in common usage and as a symbol of unintended consequences.

Tone & Closing Thoughts

The conversation is accessible, witty, and insightful, blending scholarly analysis with pop culture touchpoints. Wolfson’s humor—comparing Frankenstein’s monster to undergraduates on a Monday morning—and Martin’s curiosity make for an engaging dialogue.

Summary Quote:
“The way in which idealism may not think through consequences. A human creation that has gotten out of control.” (Susan J. Wolfson, 05:23)

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode offers a thoughtful reflection on why Frankenstein endures—not as a simple horror story, but as a rich, cautionary meditation on creation, humanity, and unintended consequences.