It’s an experiment gone horribly wrong — Frankenstein, a violent monster, is created and left to roam and kill. It may be a horror story to most, but Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel was never intended to forever haunt our dreams.

The latest exhibit at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave., “Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature,” illustrates the transformation Frankenstein has undergone over the years.

Laura Mielke, assistant professor of English, was at the opening to give an analysis and timeline of the famous novel. Mielke says the original Frankenstein character was sensitive and caring, turning to violence only after he was abandoned.

The sympathy Frankenstein longed for, Mielke says, is what proved him to be more than just some scientific experiment.

“[Shelley] is willing to see the monster as having life and being human because that’s really what it craves,” she says. “What makes us human is sympathy for one another and acting on that sympathy.”

Laurel Scott, a freshman at Ames High School, says she has not yet read “Frankenstein,” but can see how society has changed the story’s original interpretation and meaning over time.

“I think it’s really interesting the way the literature has developed throughout the years,” Scott says. “In the context it was written, it was supposed to be a ghost story, [but the media] decided that they could make it into more of a dramatized movie that people would like to actually watch.”

Jaci Johnson, sophomore in community and regional planning, says she believes society is drawn to “Frankenstein” because of the question it poses — where do you draw the line?

“I think that it is a normal question … to wonder where the line between what makes a moral creature and what makes a monster lies,” Johnson says. “I can’t help but wonder if technology will allow us to cross that line and forget the implication of what our human achievement allows us to do. We may be able to do it, but should we?”

Mielke says the lasting impact of “Frankenstein” on society is great because of Shelley’s interest of advancements in technology.

“I think first and foremost it has lasting power because of the issue of technology and that Frankenstein was a very recognizable symbol of what can go wrong when a creator or scientist presumes to be God [and] crosses that line,” Mielke says.