Blog Entry 2.1 Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

Christina was born in London December 5, 1830 by Italian parents.  Her father, aunt and uncle were poets and writers. She was one of four children and all her siblings were also poets and writers. She began to write at age 7 and at age 14 her dad became very ill which put the family in a huge financial depth. She quit school because she started to suffer from depression.  At age 18 she contribute to the literary magazine. In 1862, at age 31, she wrote the “Goblin Market", her most famous poem. Christina had volunteer at St. Mary Magdalene the house of charity from 1859-1870, it was a refuge for former prostitutes. She was known for her romantic, devotional and children's poem. She died December 29, 1894.  Christina interpreted her poem has an allegory about temptation and salvation, erotic desire and social redemption.  My interpretation after reading the Goblin Market is about drugs, lust, sex, death and redemption.

Goblin Market depicts two young beautiful sisters name Lizzie and Laura, whom in which they live alone in poverty.  Every evening before dawn they would go to the river and fetch water. The goblin market is filling with men who usually try to convince women to buy their forbidden fruits. They would call out to women who passed by to come buy their fruits. Lizzie would often warned her sister Laura that the goblin men are evil; the fruits they sell are forbidden.  During a regular routine, Laura passes by the goblin men, somehow, was manipulated and persuaded in to buying their fruit.  Subdued by the goblin men, Laura was unable pay for the fruit because she had no money, so, instead she took a lock of her beautiful hair.  Eager and worried Lizzie waited for Laura to return home.  When Laura finally came home, she informed Lizzie on what she have done.  Lizzie was totally upset at Laura and reminded her what happen to Jeanie who refused to take heed  and bought fruits from the goblin men. Jeanie got very ill and died and no one cared. The next day the sisters when about their daily duty to catch water from the steam and Laura physicality was unable to keep up with Lizzie's. Laura began to get weary and sick. Lizzie started to notice how ill her sister was getting, feeling helpless, she cuddle Laura and  they slept in each other harm's. After days, Laura realized she could not hear the goblin men while Lizzie could. Her long beautiful black hair grew gray, has her appearance started to widow away.  Poor Laura, did not listened and obey, now she starts to suffer the consequences of her actions. Laura needed more fruits from the goblin men to regain life because her addiction grew, as well as her symptoms. Lizzie wanted to desperately save Laura, so she risked her own life and went to get fruits from the goblin men. During the transaction, the goblin men realize she came with money therefore they got angry and vigorously assaulted her. Those monstrous men inflict force to get Lizzie to eat the fruits. Lizzie happen to escape after they dose her with fruit juices. Devastated and weary, Laura drank the juice off Lizzie and slowly transformed into a newly woman. In the end they both lived and reformed Laura got to tell her detrimental story to her children.

 The goblin market is closely related to the story in the Bible about Adam and Eve. For those who are not formula, it is first story in the Book of Genesis about the first two people God created. Adam and Eve who were casted out of the garden because they were warned by God not to eat the apples, but they did anyway after the devil in the form of a snake tempted them to do so.

Lizzie Exude innocence and pureness. She obeys and resisted temptation when pretentious presents itself. She is more like  God's Angel in the situation. "We must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits: who knows upon what soil they fed"(42-45). "...No, no, no; their offers should not charm us, their evil gifts would harm us"(64-66).  Lizzie is strong emotionally and does not subdue to negative things/temptations.  Flood  destruction, power, danger, uncontrollable "white and golden Lizzie stood like a lily in a flood"(408-409). As destructive, powerful and dangerous as these men were, Lizzie stood her grounds to be strong and refused to eat or try their forbidden fruits. Laura is a young girl, who seems misguided, naive, looking for love, quickly influence, just like Eve. Her curiosity got the best of her. "Laura rear'd her glossy head, 'look, Lizzie, look, Lizzie (52-54)...' curious Laura chose to linger, wondering at each merchant man"(69-70).  With money to buy the fruits, Laura, clip a precious lock, referring to her sexuality that relates to virginity , indeed something she will never get back. She had sex which basically sells her soul to those nasty evil men.  The fruits, apple, oranges, grapes, etc in this case are considered the forbidden fruits, "who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry thirsty roots" (45). To eat the unknown or forbidden fruits, will resort to fatal and deadly consequences which happen in Laura's case. Goblin men represent the snake, evil doer who gets people to do devious things which kill their soul. The market is where the evil men sells their forbidden fruits and utter words "come buy, come buy"(4) words of temptations, "sweet to tongue and sound to eye; come buy, come buy " which are words to salivate which equal to irresistibility that Laura falls for. Flowers usually represent beauty, fragility, love, pureness, affection and womb with a sexual connote. But these were poisonous and dangerous. "Ate their fruits and wore their flowers pluck'd from bowers" (150-151). Those evil men took advantage of Laura's innocence and harm her.  Fire refers to her lost of essence, light, reaction, birth, life, and death, “To swift decay and burn her fire away" (297-280).  Laura became ill, her essence of life begins to dye, she lost her temperature and became cold. She could no longer see the light she saw when she was born, only darkness and death reigns.

In concluding, I believe this poem is actually about two sisters whom Christina Rossetti encountered in the refugee home in 1859-1870. Christian's acquaintance with the two sister must have given her the inspiration to write "Goblin men". One  sister got caught up with drugs, results in exchanging sex for the forbidden.  I am assuming they were abandon or runner ways at that time whom in which they lived among prostitutes, pimps and drug dealers. One sister values her moral's to stay away from deviant behavior.  While the other curiosity landed her into a life of destruction. Basically, the true love of one strong sister conquered evil and redeemed her sister soul back.  Growing up, most young teens are rebellious, curious, eager to try and influence easy by negative force. Christina left reader with a message that their will be temptation of peoples faith thats include drugs, lust, sex and death.  Unfortunately, the weak will crumble, but, there is always salvation and redemption.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina Rossetti