2015 - ENG1DPL - Literary Imagination. Simon H. Isaacs, 18260026. Assessment Two, Final Essay. (Old)

Name: Simon H.
Isaacs
Student ID: 18260026
Class: 2015 - ENG1DPL - Literary Imagination
Due Date/Time: 1/11/2015
Word Count: 1800
Tutor(s): Dr Juliane Roemhild
Assessment Two
Final Essay
‘The supernatural is a prominent feature of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti was first published in 1862 as part of her first
volume of collected poetry. Allegorical in nature, the narrative tells the cautionary tale of the
dangers of temptation and desire. It further displays elements of the supernatural, featuring
mythical creatures, ambrosian fruits and bacchic eroticism combined with Christian religious
undertones and spiritual symbolism. All of this is intertwined with a fascination of nature,
colours and lighting that exemplifies the pre-Raphaelite literary and artistic movement, of which
Rossetti belonged. It is also considered to be a form of proto-feminist literature, exploring the
nature of female sexuality during a period in which women were historically sexually repressed.
In the following essay I intend to explore the nature of the supernatural in Christina Rossetti’s
Goblin Market. To do so I will investigate the mythical and spiritual symbols within the poem
whilst also drawing on similarities within classical, religious and children's literature to explain
their significance and meaning. In doing so, I will also make commentary on how the poem is a
piece of proto-feminist literature, exploring sexual temptation as well as a forms of religious
devotion on behalf of Rossetti.
Humanity has been fascinated with otherworldly phenomenon the moment our
brains were capable of thinking beyond survival. Christina Rossetti’s poem the Goblin Market
explores such things, featuring many elements of the supernatural. Its very title evokes the weird
and wonderful, its narrative telling the tale of two young girls and their strange dealings with the
group of grotesquely impish goblin merchants and their strange fruits. While these monsters are
a far cry from the green-skinned “goblinoids” that epitomise popular modern fantasy, the
creatures of Goblin Market exemplify the paranormal nature of the poem. Goblins appear in
myth and fairytale across the world from the medieval German “kobold” to the Japanese
“tengu.” Often associated with such traits as thievery, trickery and mischievousness Rossetti
writes describes her creatures vividly, reflecting their impish nature:
‘One had a cat’s face,
One whisk’d a tail,
One tramp’d at a rat’s pace,
One crawl’d like a snail,
One like a wombat prowl’d obtuse and furry,
One like a ratel tumbled hurry skurry.’(Rossetti, 1862.)
Through protagonist Lizzie, who warns curious Laura Rossetti furthur instils within the goblins
such mistrustful traits
‘We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed,
T heir hungry thirsty roots?’ (Rossetti, 1862.)
Despite their strange nature however, they appear, somehow, irresistibly charming, enticing the
protagonists with their ‘orchard fruits [...] Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges [...] All ripe
together, In summer weather.’ In this regard, we find that the goblins draw a similarities with
their fellow mythical creatures, the sirens, as they are depicted in Homer’s Odyssey. In response
to their charm
Their offers should not charm us,
Their evil gifts would harm us.”
She thrust a dimpled finger
In each ear, shut eyes and ran’ (Rossetti, 1862.)
Lizzie’s response to the goblin charms is perhaps a pastiche of the story of Odysseus and his
men, who come across the irresistible charms of the sirens. Seeking to resist them, their ears are
stopped with wax to guard against the siren's song (Russel, p. 150.) Despite Lizzie’s early
warnings, Laura proves too curious, the goblin’s magical charms, despite their devilish
appearance proving too much for the young woman. The goblin’s behaviour, is by no means
redeeming either as they leer at one another ‘Brother with queer brother; Signalling each other,
Brother with sly brother’ reinforcing the strangeness and conniving nature of these ‘[...]brisk
fruit-merchant men’ (Rossetti, 1862.) All these traits reflect the magical supernatural nature of
the creatures, they are both hideous to look upon, yet irresistible. Their aforementioned fruits
however appear to be far more than your average ‘Plump unpeck’d cherries, Melons and
raspberries’ (Rossetti, 1862) holding some form of narcotic, inducing errotic frenzied states.
There is far more to the fruits of the goblin men than meets the eye. Offered to Laura
for a single ‘precious golden lock’ and a ‘tear more rare than pearl,’ the strange fruits hold
magical properties as Rossetti identifies. The ‘fruit globes fair or red’ tasting far sweeter ‘than
honey from the rock, Stronger than man-rejoicing wine, Clearer than water flow’d that juice.’
(Rossetti, 1862.) To further their supernatural nature, they also appear to induce a form of frenzy
on those that consume them,
How should it cloy with length of use?
She suck’d and suck’d and suck’d the more
Fruits which that unknown orchard bore;
She suck’d until her lips were sore;
Then flung the emptied rinds away
But gather’d up one kernel stone,
And knew not was it night or day
As she turn’d home alone.
One may draw a connection with fruit and some drugs, particularly opium, which at the time had
seen a resurgence in recreational use and trade in the 1860s (Fairbanks,1992, p. 213.) Further
and perhaps stronger similarities can be drawn however, with the Forbidden fruit in biblical
allegory, which makes sense given that Rossetti is known for her religiosity. Mary Arseneau
identifies this ‘Critics have seen the goblin fruit as the forbidden fruit’ which she says could also
potentially relate to the concept or original or ‘sexual sin’ (Arseneau, 1993, p. 84.) Arseneau
relates this specifically to the story of Adam and Eve, the poem in general regarded as ‘a
suggestive exploration of sexual temptation, and as an allegory of Eve's temptation in the Garden
of Eden.’(Arseneau, 1993, p. 74.) L

2015 - ENG1DPL - Literary Imagination. Simon H. Isaacs, 18260026. Assessment Two, Final Essay. (Old)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2015 - ENG1DPL - Literary Imagination. Simon H. Isaacs, 18260026. Assessment Two, Final Essay. (Old)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

2015 - ENG1DPL - Literary Imagination. Simon H. Isaacs, 18260026. Assessment Two, Final Essay. (Old)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Name: Simon H.

‘The supernatural is a prominent feature of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”

You might also like