Blog Entry 2.1 - "Goblin Market" Symbols & Archetypes

            Christina Georgina Rossetti was born in London from 1830 to 1894. She started writing at the age of seven and published her first poem at the age of eighteen. Rossetti comes from a family of writers; her siblings and her father were all a form of inspirational writers. During the 1840s her family encountered financial issues due to her father’s health which caused Rossetti to drop out of school. Rossetti has written many poems such as The Face of the Deep, The Germ, and one of her famous works The Goblin Market. The Goblin Market was published in 1862 when she was thirty one years old. This famous literature of hers is about temptation in the Victorian era and female gender roles. On December 29, 1894 she passed away due to breast cancer.
            The poem "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti is about two sisters Lizzie and Laura who are walking by the brook fetching water. As they walk Laura feels tempted by the goblins who are selling fruits. Lizzie warns Laura about the goblin's poisonous fruits. However, Laura does not comply to her warnings about the fruits the goblins are selling so she pays for the fruits with her golden lock of hair due to the lack of money she has in her pocket. Soon after eating the delicious fruit she finds herself deaf and blind the following day. Seeing that Laura is so hopeless and sicken Lizzie returns to the Goblin Market. At the goblin Market Lizzie gets beaten and thrown fruits because she paid the goblins with real money instead of a piece of her. Lizzie returns home all bruised up demanding that Laura licks the remaining juices from her mouth. The next day Laura becomes well once again and a few years later, each sister got married and raised children of their own telling this story to their kids.
           Rosetti uses many literature terms in which has hidden messages. For example Lizzie tells Laura "we must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits( 42-42). This line means the goblins that they are passing by are like devils who sell forbidden items in the black market. These goblins lure in young girls and sell them unnecessary things so they can come back for more. In line 126 and 127, she (Laura) clipp'd a precious golden lock. and she dropp'd a tear more rare than pearl." Laura clips her precious golden hair which symbolizes her precious virginity. Lizzie tells Laura not to even look at the men or she will become tempted into their mischievous traps. "Fruits which that unknown orchard bore," these fruits are the mysterious temptations that Laura lusts for. Although Lizzie tells Laura not to get involved with the goblin men but Laura cannot help but return to the fruits that calls out for her. In lines 466-471 Lizzie tells Laura "come hug me, kiss me, suck my juices, eat me, drink me, and love me." These lines represents what Laura lusts for throughtout the poem. She craves for love and affection for which her sister can only give her. No goblin men nor fruits can satisfy Laura's mind and body.

            The archetypes in this poem are the goblins, Lizzie, and Laura. The Goblins are identified as an archetype because they are viewed as evil sins where Laura is human and cannot resist herself from her flaws. Everyone is not purely good and innocent because without evil there is no good. Lizzie is acknowledged as the good sin, where she helps Laura through her sinful flaws.

            This poem represents Adam and Eve where human kind faces good and evil. Christina Rossetti puts Laura to face her sins and Lizzie as the good ego. This poem tells us readers that human kind temptations are all apart of life and resistance is an important factor to maintain while facing difficult situations.