20-year-old protagonist Frankie is an intelligent, caring woman when The Women opens. She has a close bond with her brother, Finley, but as she finishes college in California, she feels distant in her own life—reluctant to become a socialite as their wealthy parents want. Her decision to enlist in the American army as a nurse is an attempt to maintain her bond with Finley (who is stationed in Vietnam as a soldier) and find her purpose, connecting to the theme of Discovering One’s Purpose. When Frankie departs for Vietnam, she is naïve and determined to please others by following the rules. She soon discovers order is difficult to come by in war. Still, she improves as a nurse and realizes healing is her calling. Over two years of service, Frankie becomes more lenient with her morals, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Yet, she adheres to fidelity, refusing to date married men—that is, until she falls for Finley’s friend Rye Walsh.

Upon returning home after her tour, Frankie has been forever changed by her trauma. She expects acclimation to civilian life to be challenging but does not anticipate her undiagnosed depression and PTSD. Anxiety and nightmares make her long for her friends and purpose in Vietnam.