The poem “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti tells the
tale of two sisters, Lizzie and Laura.
Lizzie is typically the perfect young woman, conforming to
the rules of her society and not looking to or approaching the Goblin Men- a
group of satanic characters who attempt to lure people into buying their fruit,
which we later learn is dangerous. Lizzie however is immediately introduced as
a more curious and breaks away character; looking to the Goblin Men even though
she is reminded not to. When Lizzie runs away, Laura stays behind and approaches
the Goblin men, entranced by their sensual descriptions of the Goblin Men, and
says that she would like to purchase some of their fruit, but has no money with
which to do so. As a result, the Goblin Men ask for a lock of her golden hair.
Hesitantly she agrees, and gorges on the fruits given by the Goblin Men,
keeping a single stone from one of the fruits.
Laura returns home to Laura and their Mother. Lizzie warns
her that she should not have stayed out, but Laura describes the fruits she has
eaten to her sister. Laura tells the story of Jeanie who succumbed to the
Goblin Curse after the fruit she had eaten made her forlorn and tired, until
eventually she died. Laura ignores this and tells her sister that she will
return the next day to buy more fruit.
The two sisters retire to bed together, and wake the next
morning to continue with their normal lives and the daily duties they must
perform. However Laura seems distracted, not able to focus on or enjoy the
simple parts of the day, instead longing for the night. When the two go to gather
water in the brook, Laura loiters in the water complaining that the bank is too
steep, and stands listening for the Goblin cry but not hearing it. The two
sisters return home, but when Lizzie is asleep, Laura sits in tears yearning
for the Goblin Fruit. Laura spends days waiting for them but never seeing the
Goblins. She even tries to water the stone she saved from one of the fruits in
the hope it will grow, but to no avail. She became more frail and “dwindled”
and began to die.
Lizzie considers the prospect of approaching the Goblin Men,
but only does so when Laura is in a critical condition. She approaches the
Goblin men, giving them a shilling in order to take the fruit home to her
sister. The Goblin Men insist that if she is to eat the fruit, she must do so
now with them. When she refuses to do so and demands her shilling back, the
Goblin’s drop their charm and attempt to force Lizzie to eat the Goblin Fruit.
Lizzie refuses to open her mouth even as they try to force it down her throat,
and so the Fruit Juice covers her skin. The Goblin Men eventually give up and
leave Lizzie, bruised and covered in Goblin Fruit juice.
Lizzie runs home to Laura, telling her that she is covered
in the Juices of the Goblin Men’s fruits, and lets Laura drink the juices from
her skin. Lizzie watches over Laura throughout the night, keeping her
temperature down and monitoring her heart beat. Come the morning, Laura wakes
and is fully recovered, and rejoices with her sister.
The poem concludes many years from the sisters’ childhoods,
when they are both married and have children of their own, and Laura is telling
her own children of the story of what her sister did to save her. The poem
concludes with Laura describing how a sister will do anything for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment