2020-12-092020-12-092020http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/9545Elif Shafak's Black Milk: On Writing, Motherhood and the Harem Within (2007) tackles an important theme that is related to women and Feminist criticism. The writer sheds light on her inner conflict trying to create a balance between her writing career and motherhood. Moreover, she raises gender issues that are related to women writers in particular and women in general over history and in different societies. Throughout the book, Shafak describes herself as a fervent Feminist until the winds of change arrive and she becomes a mother. Though pregnancy and giving birth to a child make her suffer from a common maternal experience which is known as a postpartum depression, this experience allows Shafak to see herself changing and discovering other sides in her personality than just being a Feminist writer. So, this study aims at showing the inner conflict Shafak feels and tears her up between sticking to her Feminist commitment and trying hard to adopt the new role of being mother. In fact, this research discusses motherhood as a challenging task for the Feminists and whether it empowers or hinders them. For this reason, this study adopts Feminist and psychoanalytic lenses to understand Shafak's mindset as a Feminist and a mother and how she manages to achieve a common ground between these two sides.enfeminismPsychoanalysisMotherhoodOther