Between sanctity and stigma: Women’s agency in Achāmma

Abstract

This article explores the complex intersection of personal agency and the often-overlooked societal constraints that shape the lives of nuns and prostitutes. It draws on Vallachira Madhavan’s Achāmma as a central case study. Achāmma tells the story of a nun, Achāmma, who becomes a victim of sexual violence and other suffering and turns into a prostitute. By placing Achāmma within the context of rich historical and contemporary narratives surrounding nuns and prostitutes, this article challenges the traditional binary that casts these figures as representing both extremes of virtue and vice. Beyond fundamental preconceptions, it investigates the intricate motivations, experiences, and kinds of resistance women exhibit in religious and impoverished social situations. It explores the complex reasons, experiences, and forms of resistance women show in religious and underprivileged social roles, transcending oversimplified clichés. The fundamental research issue is the reductionist presentation of nuns and prostitutes as fixed, monolithic identities, frequently ignoring the social, economic, and personal aspects that determine their life paths. This article recognises a fundamental research gap—a dearth of comparative studies that explore the multifaceted realities of nuns and prostitutes.