There are several meanings and interpretations of Christina Rossetti’s, “Goblin Market”. “Goblin Market” is the story of two sisters, which one of them, Laura, is tempted to visit the new goblin market in town. Laura buys the fruit from the goblin men in exchange for a lock of her hair, despite the several warnings from her sister Lizzie not to consume the fruit. Laura gets sick and Lizzie saves her by going to the market. After the goblins taunt, tease and torment her with the tempting fruit, the fruit’s juices smudged in her face, she runs back home letting her sister kiss and suck them from her cheeks. Tasting the juices for a second time was what saved Laura. “Opening with the sensuous advertisement of exotic fruits hawked by goblin men to innocent young women, Rossetti’s poem presents an explicitly articulated image of a marketplace in which female ‘appetite’ is at stake” (Carpenter 415). This essay will analyze the two different interpretations of “Goblin Market”, there is arguable Christian symbolism and an erotic symbolism present.
“Goblin Market” was interpreted as a poem that contained symbolism from the Bible and Christianity, unlike in the modern era; it is interpreted as an erotic poem. “Temptation in ‘Goblin Market’ is symbolized great traditional symbol of sin and temptation in the Bible. Clearly the fruit sold by the goblin merchants…are the forbidden fruit of Scripture. They belong to the order of fruit which tempted Eve” (Packer 376). Packer described one of the most famous and common Biblical themes. In “Goblin Market”, Eve is presented as Laura, the forbidden apple is presented as the fruit sold by the goblin men, and the snake that lead Eve to temptation is presented as the goblin men. There are many a...
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...er terms, the fruit, the goblin men, Laura’s expressions and the Rossetti’s word choice implied an erotic connotation to the poem.
Works Cited
Carpenter, Mary W. “”Eat Me, Drink Me, Love Me”: The Consumable Female Body in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”” Victorian Poetry 29.4 (1991): 415-34. Web. Nov.2013.
Mendoza, Victor Roman. “”Come Buy”: The Crossing of Sexual and Consumer Desire in Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market.” ELH 73.4 (2006): 913-47. Print.
New International Version. [Colorado Springs]: Biblica, 2011.
BibleGateway.com. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Packer, Lona M. “Symbol and Reality in Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market.” PMLA 73.4 (1958): 375-85. Web. Nov. 2013.
Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market". The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Vol. E. Ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005. 1466-1478. Print.
Wershoven, Carol. "Insatiable Girls." Child Brides and Intruders. Bowling Green: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1993. 92-99. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Linda Pavlovski. Vol. 157. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
Hoggart, Simon. “Beauty and the beasts.” The Spectator. ProQuest, 31 July 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 2189.
In Christina Rossetti’s narrative poem” Goblin Market”, two sisters, Laura and Lizzie were enchanted by glorious calls from the goblin that were directed towards young innocent maidens, “Come by come by.” The sisters knew not to take the fruit from the Goblins because they were eerie as to where the fruit came from. However, Laura feel for the tempting calls of the Goblin men. It could be argued that Laura accepted the fruit because of her curiosity in the Goblin men created Laura’s desire to indulge herself into something she has yet to experience. Laura had a yearning for sexual temptation because of the tempting calls from the Goblins.
One of the strongest emotions inherent in us as humans is desire. The majority of the time, we are unable to control what we crave; however, with practice, we learn not all things we want are necessary. As a result of this mature understanding, we are able to ease our feelings and sometimes even suppress our desires. Something even more mature is understanding that when we give in to our desires, we become vulnerable. In a harsh, brutal world, vulnerability will not work to our advantage. In Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market,” she writes about a sister who succumbs to her desire and pays dearly for it while the other sister resists her desires and receives the ultimate reward of her sister’s life. By creating such a spectacular tale, Rossetti stresses the importance of being in touch with one’s desires and being able to prevail over their strong hold because in the harsh world we live in, we cannot afford to let our desire get the best of us.
Parry, Joseph D. "Interpreting Female Agency and Responsibility in The Miller's Tale and The Merchant's Tale." 80.2 (2001): 133-67. Academic Onefile. Web. 16 May 2013.
...re cautious look at "Goblin Market" shows that the poetry is pretty complicated, and able to back up a more innovative studying than the ones put forth above. Rather than saying that "Goblin Market" has a particular concept, I would put forth the idea that it efforts to cope with certain issues Rossetti identified within the cannon of British literary works, and particularly with the issue of how to create a women idol.
American Literature. 6th Edition. Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2003. 783-791
In the essay, “Come Buy": The Crossing of Sexual and Consumer Desire in Christina Rossetti's “Goblin Market” a critic name Victor Roman Mendoza expressed of how consumer desire and the goblins’ phrase “come buy” have a relation in the quote, “The poem’s own confusion of sexual and consumer exchange repeats itself in the frequent rehearsal of the goblins; phrase, “Come buy,” in which payment for the merchant’s good promises erotic climax” (Mendoza, 920). What Mendoza was emphasizing was that he described the poem confusion of sexual and consumer exchange as there was a repetition of the goblins' phrase "come buy" as the payment of the goblins fruits becomes the erotic climax. In addition, Mendoza mentioned the listing of the fruits promised
...nd “dew-wet grass” (ll. 532-533). As with the girls’ experiences with the goblin men, this homoerotic experience is like a dream (l. 537). Laura and Lizzie, by sharing of themselves, discover that “there is no friend like a sister” (l. 562). Their love, redeeming and life giving, surpasses the seductive yet bitter fruits of the goblin men.
Scott, Clement. "Review of 'A Doll's House." The Theatre 14.79 (July 1889): 19-22. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Paula Kepos. Vol. 37. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2011.
Rosetti challenges the traditional patriarchal perception of victorian womenin terms of sexuality and education. She recognises that the ideologies of her time were wrong and needed to be reslolved. She used the “Goblin Market” to challenge this and also as a warnign against men and tempting sexual situtations. Many women gave into these temptations and became 'fallen women'. Rossetti was showing young girls the consequences of falling out of line. The sexual references are the main cause for questioning the real intended audience for this poem. There are many strong symbols and innuendos throughout to support these ...
Christina Rosetti’s poem “Goblin Market” has elements of Christianity and sexuality; however, the Christian elements outweigh and are more influential than the sexual elements.
Works Cited and Consulted Barnet Sylvan. The "Introduction" of the "Int The Merchant of Venice, Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New
In line 9 there is a metaphor used to describe the fuzz on the goblin’s fresh peaches that makes the peaches seem like a human face. This personification is what opens the door to more erotic imagery that comes soon after. Later, in lines 406-407, Rossetti gives us intense imagery of what can be assumed to be sexual assault. Lizzie goes to the market and the goblins try to force feed their fruit to her. The goblins end up just squeezing the fruit juice all over Lizzie’s face after she fiercely tried fighting them off.