Parenting

Mary Shelley was raised in a very open and honest family, which could be percieved as beneficial or not depending on what you think children should be exposed to. Through her novel she is able to communicate her views on what parenting should be and opinions on her own upbringing.
Men in Frankenstein play a very dominant role which is most evident in the character of Victor. he is the creator of the monster and own Elizabeth (not literally but he feels as though, and acts as though, she is his to keep like a possession). This shows that Shelley acknowledges the inequality between men and women (or father and mother) during that time period.
Women in the novel play a very passive role which is shown quite clearly through Elizabeth. She is very quiet and supportive and goes about her life without making an effort to play a larger part in any of the situations. it would also seem that she is alright with and accepts having no strong opinions.
Through these characters we can see how Shelley views most family situations and how she may be opposed to the way the family is unequal. After all, things did not work out for the characters living in that way.