DescriptionThe purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the notion of the maternal in the works of Laudomia Bonanni. I have focused on three of Bonanni’s texts for this purpose: a collection of three short stories entitled Il fosso, and the novels L'imputata and Le droghe. In my analysis, I demonstrate how her writing provides a voice for women and their struggle to survive as mothers and wives in postwar Italy. While examining these issues, I also consider the influence of patriarchal institutions in shaping the status of motherhood in post-World War II Italy and how these cultural and social constraints are portrayed in her works. My research leads to significant conclusions regarding intertextual relationships in Bonanni’s works and her commitment to social critique. In the end, I claim that Laudomia Bonanni, despite her insistence that she is not affiliated with any feminist movement, emerges as a true champion of women’s rights, particularly those of mothers.