Goblin Market By Christina Rossetti

A Philosophical and Sociological Approach on Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”
Christina Rossetti was brought up in a family that encouraged a love for art and literature. This resulted in her drawing and writing poetry from an early age. Her early exposure to literature aided in her becoming an influential Victorian poet that would take part in essential movements in British Literature. Another important aspect that helped shape her writing style was her faith. Rossetti “became intensely involved with the Anglo-Catholic movement within the Church of England” (Rossetti, 1489). From there on out, Rossetti abided by her strict religious beliefs; this can be seen in most of her writing. Her well-known poem “Goblin Market” was a revolutionary
This is also what ultimately brought her to her decision of breaking off two engagements to unsuitable men. Rossetti therefore lived a life without a spouse. This, among many other aspects of her life, led to Jerome McGann referring to her as “one of nineteenth-century England’s greatest ‘Odd Women” (Rossetti, 1489). Her involvement with her church and strong faith is what led her to her participation in sisterhoods that were founded by the Anglican Church that she attended. It is through her social work that she was able to meet the “fallen women”, otherwise known as a harlots, which she depicts throughout “Goblin Market”. These “fallen women” were women who had been mistreated emotionally, mentally, and physically. A harlot, or hooker, was a term that was commonly used in describing women. Rossetti even mentioned in “Goblin Market” that, prostitution was usually “referred to as the Great Social Evil” (95). Rossetti aimed to guide these fallen women in the right direction as to not have them go back to their old ways once they felt and were doing
Essentially, Laura is giving a part of herself, a part of her soul in return for a forbidden fruit that can be seen as sin. After having this one taste of the fruit Laura feels that she needs more of it and goes looking for the goblins in order to obtain more, but she is unable to hear or see the goblins when the second time around. Lizzie, who had warned her sister by reminding her of Jeanie and her downward spiral, soon seeks after the forbidden fruit as well. In order for her to obtain this “forbidden fruit”, Lizzie must exchange an item just like Laura had. The goblins mentioned have the final word on what can be accepted in exchange for the fruit. It was Simon Humphries who said that “It almost seems as if the goblin men want nothing to be exchanged for their fruit”, but Laura and Lizzie feel the need to give a part of themselves to the goblins as a payment in order to feel less guilty for having this forbidden fruit or sin (396). The goblins wanted someone to eat the fruit just badly enough that they had no interest for money being an exchange: “”Come buy.” was essentially their way of saying to their customers, “Come eat.”” (Humphries, 397). The yearning for this fruit becomes so intense that whoever has their share of it will not rest until they have more of it; meaning that they will give up and do anything in order for the goblins to provide them with more fruit.