Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” focuses primarily on the theme of temptation, which is represented by the Goblins and their fruit, and the sisterly relationship between Laura and Lizzie are represented through a Christian allegory. Rossetti describes the Goblin men as animalistic creatures who take advantage of the innocence, curiosity, and affections of young women. She gives “each merchant man” physical attributes of an animal, “one had a cat’s face… one tramped at a rat’s pace,” and others are described as a snake, snail, and a wombat (Rossetti 70-71, 73). The use of animal imagery to describe them shows that they bare no human attributes, so they are depicted as evil, seductive creatures. Their ultimate goal is to seduce the girls …show more content…
Ultimately, Laura is the one to give in to temptation by sampling the Goblin’s fruit. She ignores her sister’s warnings “you should not peep at goblin men” and goes to the Market anyways (Rossetti 49). To start, she has no money yet the Goblin’s persuade her to “buy from us with a golden curl” and she goes on to clip off a lock of hair, thus paying with her body (Rossetti 125). Laura’s lock of hair symbolizes her innocence and vulnerability, whereas the Goblin’s symbolize temptation and everything sinful. In a way, the Goblin’s work as one to lure Laura in. They scheme “signaling each other, brother with sly brother,” and prey on her purity, similar to the serpent who tricks Eve into eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, knowing that God has forbidden it and only damnation will arise (Rossetti 95-96). Just as there were consequences against Eve for disobeying God, there are consequences for Laura as well, and she begins to deteriorate soon after consuming the