Oppression, Rebellion, and Complicity: Emma’s Complex Critique of the Cavour Law on Prostitution

This article examines Una fra tante (1878) by Emma, which tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl forced into state-regulated prostitution in post-unification Italy. Drawing on interactionist sociology and Foucault’s theories of power, I analyze the protagonist’s resistance to stigma and her rebellion against the Cavour regulation. Using the concepts of moral disgust, Kristevan abjection, and Braidotti’s nomadic subjectivity, I show how the novel critiques Cavour’s law while also reflecting societal biases against prostitutes, revealing a tension between subversion and complicity. By addressing the continued relevance of these issues, this study contributes to contemporary debates on stigmatization, subjection, and discursive oppression in the context of sexual exploitation and sex work.