Feminism in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

2293 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literary influences Victorian era

Feminism in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

The Victorian period marked the first traces of progress in the feminist movement, and poet Christina Rossetti embraced the advancement as her own long-established principles slowly became publicly acceptable. Her poem "Goblin Market" comments on the institutions in Victorian society that she and her feminist contemporaries wished to see altered, creating modern female heroines to carry out its messages. The goblins serve as malicious male figures to tempt the innocent heroines, sisters Laura and Lizzie, to corruption.

According to the Victorian definition, a gentleman "never takes unfair advantage . . . or insinuates evil which he dare not say out," and possesses, among other qualities, the ability to avoid all suspicion and resentment (Landow 4). The goblins in Rossetti's poem succeed in contradicting every Victorian definition of a gentleman throughout the poem; the only male figures present, they represent the deleterious nature of men on the lives of women. In "Goblin Market," the mens' only beneficial purpose is "impregnation. Once both sisters have gone to the goblins and acquired the juices of their fruits, they have no further need of them" (Mermin 291).

The poem begins with the goblins calling the sisters' attention to their delicious, exotic fruits, which represent the proverbial forbidden fruit--one taste leads to destruction. But the goblins depict their fruits as enticing. Rossetti uses rich imagery such as "Currants and gooseberries,/ Bright-fire-like barberries,/ Figs to fill your mouth,/ Citrons from the South,/ Sweet to tongue and sound to eye" (1) to stimulate the reader's senses, just as the goblins' calls provoke Laura and Lizzie. The goblins at...

... middle of paper ...

...n 'Goblin Market.'" Victorian Poetry. Vol. 21, No. 2. Summer 1983.

Phillips, W. Glasgow. "Theme in Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market'." The Victorian Web. 1992. URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html.

Plowman, Melanie. "As A Poet Speaking from Within Female Limitations." The VictorianWeb.1990.URL:

http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html.

Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market." Goblin Market and Other Poems. Ed. Candace Ward. New York: Dover Publications, 1994. 1-16.

Weathers, Winston. "Christina Rossetti: The Sisterhood of Self." Victorian Poetry. Vol. 111, No. 2, 1965.

Wohl, Anthony S. "The Supposed Excessive Sexuality of Lower Classes and Tribal Cultures." The Victorian Web. URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html.

Show More
Related

  • Mrs. Turpin in Flannery O’Connor’s Revelation

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mrs. Turpin shows prejudice in several different aspects of her life. Her prejudice is first seen when she is in the doctor’s waiting room. The story states that “her little black eyes took in all the patients as she sized up the seating situation.” (339) While in the waiting room, Mrs. Turpin is surrounded by people of many different cultural and social backgrounds. As she gazes around the room Mrs. Turpin immediately begins putting the people into categories. Some she called “white trash”, others were wealthy and pleasant, and the remainder such as Mary Grace, were ugly. Most of Mrs. Turpin’s free time is also filled with prejudice thoughts. The story states that “Mrs. Turpin occupied herself at night naming the classes of people.”(341) She spends so much of her life judging other’s lives that she does...

    Read More

  • Victorian Women's Loss of Innocence: Rossetti's Poetic Perspective

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sexual Dalliance and its Outcomes in Victorian Society: Christina Rossetti’s “An Apple Gathering” and “Cousin Kate”

    Read More

  • Comparing Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market and William Wordsworth’s The Thorn

    1707 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market.” The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. 2B. Ed. David Damrosch, et al. New York: Longman, 1999. 1712-1724.

    Read More

  • Raven And The Goblin Market

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • Victorian Sexuality in Stoker’s Dracula, LeFanu’s Carmilla, and Polidori’s Vampyre

    1689 Words  | 4 Pages

    To “be a lady” in Victorian times, women had to repress their “instincts,” meaning that they must not have sex. Lead by the “cult of true womanhood,” which dictated piety, purity and submissiveness in women, females were directed to become almost asexual. Women went into sexuality thinking that it was something not to be talked about, that women were not supposed to have a libido, and that the act of sexual intercourse was not something that they should enjoy.

    Read More

  • Revenge: The Unvanquished

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Unvanquished by William Faulkner, the theme of revenge appears throughout the story. Primarily, Bayard and Ringo avenge the death of Rosa Millard, their grandmother. By violently shooting the sociopath Grumby, Granny’s killer, their revenge is wrought through the traditional Southern form of closure, bringing about the death of the killer and avenging the victim. Next, Drusilla, Bayard’s cousin, displays revenge by joining Colonel Sartoris of the Confederate army in order to avenge the death of her fiancé. By joining the Confederates, Drusilla gains the opportunity to kill the Yankee soldiers responsible for her fiancé’s death in battle. Finally, Bayard exacts vengeance upon Redmond for murdering Colonel John Sartoris, Bayard’s father. However, Bayard achieves his goal of seeking revenge in a nonviolent way, avoiding killing anyone, breaking the traditional Southern code of revenge. Each character struggles with the necessity to avenge the death of their loved ones, seeking the ultimate, most appropriate punishment for the murderer who harms their family.

    Read More

  • Revenge

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chillingworth’s story begins when he arrives at Boston and witnesses his wife for the first time in two years in public display upon the scaffold. He questions a man about his wife and finds out that he has been wronged by Hester. He is told that she now wears the letter due to carrying out an act of sin. From that moment Chillingworth character becomes darker and intent upon revenge. However, an interesting fact is his revenge was never pointed at Hester: “We have wronged each other; mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into a false and unnatural relation with my decay. Therefore as a man who has not thought and philosophized in vain, I seek no ...

    Read More

  • Sex And Sexuality In The 17th Century

    121 Words  | 1 Pages

    Sexuality is a subject that has changed over times, the idea of sexuality and sex shifted from one view to another as people began to enforce different views in society. At the beginning of the 17th century there was little need for secrecy about sexuality and sexual practices as the idea was an open topic that could be discussed freely in society. Adult humour was not kept from children and ideas were open to all (Foucault and Hurley, 2008). However this times in society changed due to the power of the Victorian bourgeoisie. Sex and sexuality became confined and moved into the privacy of the home. People no longer spoke freely about it and secrecy became key (Foucault and Hurley, 2008).

    Read More

  • Society’s Expectation of Revenge

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Revenge is defined as harming someone for the wrong doings that they commit. Revenge is the key ingredient to hundreds of the most loved and action packed movies, books, and shows of today. Because of the fact that there is so much vengeance played out in entertainment media, society encourages revenge as necessary to those seeking retribution. Works of art such as Kill Bill and “Killings” are prime examples of stories that are about revenge.

    Read More

  • Revelation

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Revelation” starts off at a small town doctor’s office in the waiting room. Mrs. Turpin and several other characters are making small talk as they wait to see the doctor. Mrs. Turpin’s words quickly reveal the fact that she is a prejudiced snob. She is very quick to judge everyone in the room. Mary Grace is an ugly girl who is setting in the room listening to all of Mrs. Turpin’s judgments. Mary Grace gets very upset with Mrs. Turpin for being so judgmental. Instead of saying something to make her stop, Mary Grace throws her book at Mrs. Turpin. She then continues to hit and strangle Mrs. Turpin. During the struggle, Mary Grace calls Mrs. Turpin and “old warthog from hell”. Mrs. Turpin goes on with her day very angry. She could not understand what she had in common with a warthog since she was better than everyone else. While Mrs. Turpin was taking care of her family’s pigs she had a revelation. She was talking to God and she realized that she was wrong for making judgments so quickly and thinking that she was better than others.

    Read More

  • Goblin market by Christina Rossetti

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market". The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume E The Victorian Age. Ed. Julia Reidhead. 8th ed. Vol. E. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005. 1466-1478.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Revenge

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ethical or not, the simple effort of investigating whether the ghost’s claims were true shows that Hamlet was a just man not entirely fixated on avenging his father in the beginning of the play. Hamlet could have simply ignored the ghost’s request of removing Claudius or could have killed Claudius without any tangible proof, both being disgraceful in injustice or in recklessness. But instead, with great effort, Hamlet discovered the truth of Claudius’ crime by arranging the play “The Mousetrap” to draw out Claudius’ well-hidden guilt publicly. It was then that Hamlet had the evidence he needed to serve his uncle’s

    Read More

  • Revenge

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    Revenge is considered part of human nature because it is a survival instinct. Humans are inclined to commit acts of savagery because people are delicate beings. The Oxford English Dictionary defines revenge as, “the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered.” Two good examples involve Montresor from the Cask of Amontillado and the unknown narrator from the Tell- Tale Heart. Montresor murders a fellow wine connoisseur because he insulted Montresor in a manner that could not be exonerated. The narrator of the Tell-Tale Heart enacts revenge by murdering an old man for provoking the narrator’s worst fears in the form of a “ vulture eye”. In both of these works by Edgar Allen Poe, the need for revenge consumed their internal fears and insecurities to perform those cruel acts. In the end though, both of the people discussed showed signs of remorse that in a way formed the character.

    Read More

  • Hamlets Revenge

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet’s sixth soliloquy is full of irony, philosophy, and with the familiar subject of revenge. It reflects themes of the entire play, and it helped further my understanding of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet. The main character, in his second-to-last monologue reflects Claudius’ regret which is an obstacle to revenge. This barrier creates frustration for Hamlet, but also is a reason for further procrastination, which is usually Hamlet’s way out of a situation. The subject of the soliloquy is essentially that if Claudius is killed by Hamlet while praying, he will go to heaven. This situation is ironic because of Claudius’ secret inability to pray, and the irony is unknowingly reflected throughout Hamlet’s viewpoint of the situation. Hamlet’s philosophy is educated, but very ironic, as are many of the words and images that Hamlet uses. The characteristics of this soliloquy, the subject, irony, Hamlet’s procrastination and his philosophy are true reflections of the entire play, and that is why my understanding of the play developed and improved by examining the sixth soliloquy.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Seeking Revenge In Hamlet

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    Seeking revenge is never the answer to any problem. In Romans 12:19 it states, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” says the Lord.” In Shakespeare play Hamlet, there are plenty of examples of the domino effect of revenge seeking. The first example is the rage and revenge expressed by Hamlet, which drives him mad. The second is Laertes seeking revenge on Hamlet. Lastly, all characters who played the game of revenge all payed the price in the end. Let us begin the game of revenge dominos…

    Read More

More about Feminism in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Open Document