© 2011 Joanne Frallicciardi Lyon ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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© 2011 Joanne Frallicciardi Lyon ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NEGOTIATING MOTHERHOOD IN THE WORKS OF LAUDOMIA BONANNI by JOANNE FRALLICCIARDI LYON A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School – New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Italian Written under the direction of Professor Andrea Baldi And approved by ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey October 2011 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Negotiating Motherhood in the Works of Laudomia Bonanni by JOANNE FRALLICCIARDI LYON Dissertation Director: Professor Andrea Baldi The 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. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writing of this dissertation marks the completion of a lifelong goal. I wish to thank many people for accompanying me on this journey. I begin by thanking my beloved parents for instilling in me an enduring passion and love for Italy and all things Italian. Sincerest thanks to Dr. Regina Soria, my undergraduate professor, for her many years of encouragement and her friendship. Many heartfelt thanks to my dissertation committee for their kindness, advice, and careful reading of the text: Professor Umberto Mariani, Professor Laura Sanguineti White, Professor Simona Wright, and the chair of my dissertation committee, Professor Andrea Baldi. A special thank‐you to the staff at the Rutgers Italian Department. Both Carol Feinberg and Robin Rogers were a pleasure to work with. Many sincere thanks to Lee Davidson for her fine editing and suggestions. I wish also to thank my friends and colleagues who were a source of inspiration and encouragement. Many thanks to my longtime, dear friend Dr. Giovanna Miceli Jeffries for her continued support, encourgement and friendship over the years. I owe a debt of gratitude to my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Christine Probes, for her comments, suggestions, and unwavering faith in me. And last but not least, I am eternally grateful to my husband and best friend, Rick, and my two wonderful children, Carolyn and James. Thank you for always believing in me. iii DEDICATION To my beloved parents Dr. Vincent J. Frallicciardi Signora Rosa Capuano Frallicciardi and Dr. Regina Soria iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Dedication iv Table of Contents v Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Women and Mothers: A Realistic Presentation 7 Il fosso 7 “Il mostro” 30 Palma e sorelle 44 “Palma” 45 Chapter 2: L'imputata: Social Constructs Shaping Motherhood and Women’s Lives 73 The Maternal within the Feminine 76 The Bonannian Women: “dure a impazzire” 103 The Mother‐Son Relationship 111 Chapter 3: Le droghe: The Mother‐Son Relationship Revisited 134 Parte prima: “Infanzia della bambina” 137 Parte seconda: “Infanzia del bambino” 146 Parte terza: “Le fughe” 161 Parte quarta: “La droga” 181 Conclusion 192 Appendix 195 Bibliography 198 v 1 INTRODUCTION Much of the existing academic research concerning Bonanni focuses on the realistic aspects of her work. In a style reminiscent of verismo, she records the misery and misfortune of Abruzzo’s poorest people with sharp, often crude images and use of realistic language. My investigation focuses on the representation of motherhood in her works. She portrays women as survivors who are faced with the difficult task of rebuilding the family unit. Of these women Lombardi writes: In ogni racconto le donne hanno un ruolo di primo piano: di tutte le età e di tutte le condizioni, le donne popolano la scena, tengono le fila della lotta contro le distruzioni della guerra; il loro legame con la vita è sotterraneo e tenace, quasi un patto con la legge della sopravvivenza di cui esse sono lo strumento e il tramite. (425) In her classic study of motherhood and the mothering experience, Of Woman Born, Adrienne Rich discusses two distinct experiences of motherhood. She argues that motherhood is both an institution created by a patriarchal society and a relationship that is the natural result of giving birth and caring for a child (13). In the earliest societies, the act of childbirth was considered a mysterious process governed by women, and it was the cause of awe and fascination in men. The capacity of the female of the species to create life was viewed as a potential for power. This resulting conflict of power was resolved by placing womankind in a powerless position. The work of mothering soon became a type of enforced labor, demeaning and uncompensated. By gaining 2 control over the female reproductive capacities, the balance of power shifted, thus eliminating the threat posed by the female procreative power. In my analysis of these texts, I look at the various forms of mothering and how women cope with the demands placed upon them as mothers. The Bonannian mother is dedicated, hard working, and seemingly indefatigable. She is called upon not only to care for her young, but at times, to manage financial affairs, comfort those who grieve, bury loved ones, and offer emotional support. These mothers are able to seek solutions for everyday problems, employing whatever means available to them within their limited capacities. Within this framework, I analyze a vast range of interpersonal relationships centered on motherhood. Chapter 1 In chapter 1 I examine three short stories from the collections Il fosso and Palma e sorelle. The first story, “Il fosso,” recounts the tale of a young foundling, Colomba, and her journey as wife and mother. Written in the third‐person narrative, Colomba’s story provides an example of the status of women during this period in Italy. Colomba accepts her fate, that is, a life of poverty and misery, which is exacerbated by the fact that she is a woman. She faces many restrictions related to her gender, including the absence of control over the number of her pregnancies, the lack of formal education, and an enforced reliance on her husband for financial support. This story foregrounds several significant topics, which are developed throughout the Bonannian texts. These 3 include the preference given to the male child, the failure of the male head of household to function successfully as provider, and the superior inner strength of women. Two major Bonannian themes, those of childlessness and the mother‐son bond, are the focus of “Il mostro.” This is the story of an unmarried aunt who visits her sister and her family. Zia Berenice is single by choice and has devoted her life to the study of child behavior. Her claims as expert in the field are challenged when she encounters the reality of raising a child through witnessing the coming of age of her nephew Nino. As Nino moves from childhood to adolescence, both Berenice and her sister, Paola, are blind to his transformations. His emerging masculinity both attracts and frightens the women, who do not know how to react to this natural process: they find Nino’s masculinity monstrous, as the title demonstrates. This story is especially significant for its presentation of mothering from the point of view of a childless woman and for the introduction of the theme of the mother‐son bond, developed more extensively in later novels. Bonanni’s interest and focus on the mother‐son bond and male adolescence anticipate recent feminist studies in this area. The third and final section of the chapter consists of a close textual reading of the short story “Palma.” Palmina is a young girl traumatized by several life events, including the death of her mother, her father’s sudden decision that she marry, and his selection of a spouse for her. The young woman learns quickly that her ability to make personal choices is thwarted. In this section I discuss the role that patriarchy plays in silencing women’s voices. 4 Palma is abused on her wedding night, detests her illiterate and uncouth husband, and is mostly controlled by her domineering father. In analyzing the maternal preference for the son over the daughter, I argue that patriarchy informs the mother’s emotional reaction to the sex of her child. These three short stories contain the seeds of the major Bonannian motifs that are developed throughout the course of her writing career. Chapter 2 With the publication of L’imputata, which was awarded the Viareggio prize, Bonanni establishes herself as a promising Italian author. Chapter 2 is devoted to a detailed discussion of the characters and themes of this novel. The plot revolves around the investigation of a murder, allegedly committed by a youth, Gianni Falcone. However, the story is much more than a murder mystery as it details the lives of the working‐class people living in a crowded tenement in the Abruzzi region. My analysis is divided into three sections, highlighting the various themes of the narrative. A close textual reading reveals the feminist themes incorporated into the fabric of the novel.