How does Mary Shelley present women in 'Frankenstein'?

FORM

In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley presents women as thoughtful to the main plot through the use of the epistolary form.

• In the novel, women are only heard of in the letters from Victor Frankenstein (Elizabeth begins with "my dearest friend"). Thus, one might suggest that they are unheard and passive in the main plot of the novel (the rise and decline of Victor Frankenstein and the creature) but they only assist in building the climax. 
• Not having women in the main plot presents the narrow story of the monster and Victor as women are not their to provide any solutions for the two. In fact, Victor throws the female monster in the sea which exemplifies how Shelley deliberately removes them from the main plot.
• The epistolary form shoes how women were distant in the sciences as opposed to the men, for the monster and Frankenstein were incredibly engaged with the sciences. One might suggest the distance women in the novel create provides nuances in Shelley's great belief of Romanticism - a belief that reason can not explain all within the world and an embrace of nature. Many romantics rejected 'artificial' life (like the monster). 
• Thus the women only being in the distance of science and in nature may convey to the audience how they are much more logical and intelligence. They are far away from involving themselves into the main plot unless forced (Justine was accused of murder).
•  Shelley may be challenging Elizabethan views on women as they were often seen as less intelligent and less rational thinkers. However, women in Frankenstein, women distance themselves from science as a Romantic would have, and remain happy people unlike Victor Frankenstein and the monster who eventually die.  To protect themselves of a chaotic life, the epistolary form shows the women's persistent distance in the novel as a letter would have to be sent to places far away from the sender. 

You can argue that they are passive and then re-argue the narrow nature of the novel. For same reason but less about Romanticism and logical. You can talk about her mother being a feminist and 'a Vindication of the Rights of Women',

LANGUAGE 

Shelley presents women as objects in 'Frankenstein' through the use of pronouns.

•  Victor Frankenstein says he looked "upon Elizabeth as mine" and a "possession of my own" which suggests he thinks Elizabeth belongs to him.
• The use of "my" and "mine" suggests women can be bought if they are objects thus one might argue that Victor is symbolic of conservative and heavily traditional ideas. Shelley's repeated use of the possessive pronouns may be indicative of her disagreement ashelley was greatly influenced by her mother's belief in equal rights between men and wen, for Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley's mother even wrote a book on her beliefs called 'A Vindication of the Rights of a Women'. 
• Hence, the use of pronouns allow the audience to consider Elizabeth Lavenza's role in the novel as merely an accessory of Victor's. 
• The novel later contrasts Elizabeth's portrayal as one who is respectful and empowering as she tells Justine to "rise" from her deep state of despair. Shelley may be challenging the initial prejudice the characters and the audience are made to feel of Elizabeth: merely property. 
• Thus, the audience may realise that with our without Victor, she is more than a piece of property and that she is humanely empowering and great which forms a positive impression on women. 

STRUCTURE 

Shelley presents women as neglected by men through the use of character presence. 

To induce sympathy for male readers.

FORM

Women are powerful.

- The epistolary form means Mrs Saville, Walton sister, is given no voice. 

• She is simply the intended recipient of Walton's letter. 
• She hears of all the implications rising in Frankenstein yet can not respond to even offer solutions so the men of the novel are left to fend for themselves which only results in death or the unknown (monster leaves the ship in the end and Victor dies). 
• The correspondence owing to Walton's being on a ship, can only be one-sided and as such is scarcely a correspondence at all. As Walton is Frankenstein's sole audience, Mrs Saville is Walton's which vastly amplifies women's power and role in the novel as pushing it forward. 
• Simultaneously, Mrs Saville's lack of voice may induce sympathy from the audience so that they can understand how voiceless women tended to be in Elizabethan society. Shelley shows how women are fundamental in maintaining society and she shows this by having women only involving in the subplots of the novel, as opposed to the main plot which ends in a rather chaotic fashion.

Mention Shelley's influence from her mother: Mary Wollstonecraft. 

Language

Shelley presents women as vulnerable through the use of a paradox.

•  Justine in court reflects the vulnerability of women in society;  she is an innocent women who is driven to "confess" but she "confessed a lie". One might suggest, women were overwhelmed by their stereotypical requirements, so much to the point that they were "threatened and menaced" that they began to think that they were "monster" people deemed she was. 
• To "confess" means to tell the truth which conveys how desolate and hopeless Justine may feel. Shelley ridicules the justice system of Geneva (European nation) as suspected criminals are 'guilty until proven innocent'. Moreover, Shelley addresses the political nature of Geneva and may be addressing the way in which women were treated legally (women could not vote for instance). Moreover, Shelley me be channelling Mary Wollstonecraft's belief in equality between men and women (a modern audience might say feminist views) as Mary Wollstonecraft was Shelley's mother and a great influence on her life. The the use of the paradox may cause the audience to feel rather confused as well but may see the element of injustice Justice feels which may induce sympathy from the audience.

How women were vulnerable through mirroring scenes: Justine is executed and Victor is trialled in court for something he did not do but is able to escape it. Showing his male dominance. An example of mirroring events is when the female monster is thrown "into the sea that very night" and how Harriet Shelley committed suicide in 1816 by drowning herself in the sea. Effect? Why? To show how women were often see as disposable like rubbish. This is a contrast to how traditionally in Christianity, people would be put into graves as a more respectful means. Audience feels at sudden loss as the grave will always be on ground and easy to locate whereas a body in sea is not likely to be found.