Goblin Market

Goblin Market contains very heavy, erotic imagery through fruit about sex. In the line above, the reader can see the sexualization of the fruit. It provides the theme of lusting for the body. It has been compared numerous times to the story of Adam and Eve- falling to temptation through fruit. This story is about two sisters who come to realize the importance of sisterhood through temptation, assault, and healing. With sex being such a strong theme in this poem, it brings up many unanswered questions. One of the most important questions is: does eating the fruit equal having sex? I think readers are led to believe that consuming the fruit is most definitely a sex act. The fruit is a metaphor for sex. Rossetti uses the lines about fruit juices

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. In later parts of the story, Laura comes to the market and finds Lizzie. Laura is still very sick from previously eating the fruit, so she begins to lick the juice off of Lizzie’s face. Laura is healed from the juice. As much as fruit is sexualized in this poem, at this point we being to see the theme of sisterhood take off. Because of something that happened to Lizzie, Laura was

It is a parallel universe that also appears to have no men. There are goblins with a traveling fruit market. But aside from the two major differences, the setting of this poem is comparable to old english countryside. In line 544, readers are told that Lizzie and Laura have become wives with children of their own, but still there is never any mention of a husband. The goblins are technically the men in this poem, but they are creatures not humans. This could explain why Laura was so thirsty for