Frankenstein on Trail: Purdue Students Bring Literature to Life
Purdue University in Indianapolis students in SCLA 102 weren't preparing for a traditional exam. They were preparing to put Victor Frankenstein on trial.
As part of Purdue University's Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program, students transformed Mary Shelley's Frankenstein into a courtroom drama, complete with attorneys, witnesses and a jury. Led by Assistant Professor of Sociology and Data Science Robbee Wedow, the experience at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis challenged students to think on their feet, build persuasive arguments and explore the novel from new perspectives.
"I want it to be a really fun, unique, engaging assignment that brings the text to life," Wedow said.
After spending several weeks reading and discussing Frankenstein, students divided into prosecution and defense teams, with classmates portraying characters from the novel. Each side prepared opening arguments, questioned witnesses and delivered closing remarks before a jury of Purdue faculty and administrators.
The verdict? Frankenstein was found guilty of child abandonment, but not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
For Trisha Kamat, a motorsports engineering student who served as the prosecution's lead attorney, preparing her case meant looking beyond the facts to understand Frankenstein's motivations and character.
"I was a little bit more analytical of some of the interactions he had with the characters," Kamat said.
She also had to anticipate the defense's strategy, prepare witnesses and adjust her questioning as the trial unfolded.
Across the courtroom, Joshua Murnan, a mechanical engineering student and the defense's lead attorney, discovered that even careful preparation couldn't account for every unexpected response.
"You have to be prepared, but then you also have to be able to think on your feet," Murnan said.
Both students credited their teams' ability to adapt, collaborate and construct arguments under pressure as important parts of the experience.
The trial also offered something different from their typical engineering coursework.
Wedow designed his Cornerstone course around questions about what makes us human, using literature to explore the intersection of science, philosophy and society. Through assignments like the mock trial, he encourages students to approach complex questions with imagination and consider perspectives beyond their own.
He also hopes students leave with a greater appreciation for respectful disagreement.
"They learn how to respectfully argue with one another and disagree or agree or think about the other side's perspective," Wedow said.
Hosting the trial at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library added another dimension. Wedow said the setting was especially fitting because of Vonnegut's commitment to literature, intellectual curiosity and freedom of expression. Taking students outside their familiar classroom also helped emphasize the importance of their roles.
For Kamat, the experience offered a memorable alternative to a traditional assessment.
"I think it's a very fun way to test our knowledge on the book without having to just do another test or quiz," she said.
The experience reflects the broader purpose of Cornerstone: giving students across disciplines opportunities to engage with the humanities, explore important questions and develop skills they can carry into their future careers.
And for one day in Indianapolis, that meant putting Frankenstein on trial.