To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”
Save to my list
Remove from my list
In Christina Rossetti's poem 'Goblin Market' the goblin men's luring call attracts naive Laura to the market and consequences soon follow. The poem is a long metaphor for the marriage market.
In the market, ignorant women who do not understand the market for its purpose face veiled dangers. The need for young women to grasp how exactly the marriage market works is proposed nearing the conclusion of the poem. The 'Goblin Market' is an allegory for the marriage market, warning of the dangers that can be faced such as becoming an undesirable woman and the need to educate young women about the market to avoid ending up an old maid.
The 'Goblin Market' contains numerous metaphors that combine to form one about the marriage market. When the term 'marriage market' is used, it is a reference to when fathers would marry off daughters to gentlemen, represented in the poem by the goblin men, either for wealth or a title. The wealth of the suitors is presented to Laura in the form of what the goblin men carry: 'One hauls a basket, / one bears a plate, / one lugs a golden dish of many pounds weight' (Rossetti 56-59).
Verified writer
4.9 (984)
“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”
The poorest suitor being the one with the basket and the richest one with the golden plate. At this point, the day is getting late and Laura is alone with the goblin men: '[Laura] should not stay so late, / Twilight is not good for maidens'' (143-144). During this time period, it was considered to be scandalous for an unmarried woman to be out late with men whom she was not engaged or related to.
A woman's reputation would be tarnished and result in her no longer being considered desirable should one behave as Laura does.
One of Laura's biggest mistakes is giving in to temptation. Those ignorant to the marriage market face multiple dangers after giving into temptation and going to it. The goblin men successfully attract Laura into wandering to the market with the cry: 'Come buy, come buy' (4). There, Laura is unaware of the goblin men's true intentions: '[The goblin men] stood stock still upon the moss, / Leering at each other, / Signaling each other, / Brother with sly brother' (92-93,95-96). From the beginning of the interaction with Laura, the goblin men have wicked intentions. Laura is too ignorant to notice the goblin men exchanging unpleasant facial expressions. Then the goblin men begin signaling one another which Laura also fails to take note of. Oblivious to the suspiciousness of the goblin men in her company, she eats her fill of the goblins' fruit.
The use of fruit can have a sexual connotation when used in the context of how Laura: 'suck'd and suck'd and suck'd the more / [¦] She suck'd until her lips were sore' (134,136). This part suggests that Laura engaged in sexual activities which may have resulted in the loss of her virginity. If Laura had sex with one of the gentlemen it would result in her becoming what is referred to as a 'fallen woman' once word gets around. Laura soon finds out that she is unable to hear the goblin men's usual cry which can be interpreted as the gentlemen no longer seeking her out as a possible life partner. After this realization, Laura is devastated and enters a state of depression: 'Laura kept watch in vain / In sullen silence of exceeding pain' (270-271). Laura watches and waits to see the goblin men once more but it is useless, she is no longer desired. She no longer helps Lizzie with the daily chores and relies on her sister to take care of her.
With the assistance of Lizzie, Laura is able to recover from this ordeal and eventually has a family of her own. All the suffering which Laura goes through could have been avoided if she would have received some sort of education in regards to the marriage market. The poem delivers a suggestion to provide younger generations of women with information regarding the marriage market. Women were taught to strive for a happy marriage and love, not about the marriage market or sex: 'Fruits which that unknown orchid bore' (135). The orchid which Laura is speaking about is unfamiliar to her similar to how the topic of sex is likely to be for her. Women entering the marriage market are uneducated about sexual relations due to a segregational gap relating to sex because of one's gender.
The diction in which Laura describes the marriage market showcases how much she has learned about it: 'Laura would call the little ones / And tell them of her early prime, / [¦] Would talk about the haunted glen, / The wicked, quaint fruit-merchant men, / Their fruits like honey to the throat/ But poison to the blood' (548-549, 552-556). Laura now uses the words 'haunted,' 'wicked,' and 'poison' to convey the hazards of the market effectively to the children. She is also referring to the goblin men as just men. Laura is educating a younger generation about the marriage market using her past experiences so that the children may learn from her mistakes. Proper education on useful topics turns a world of fairy tales into one of reality.
"Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti. (2017, Jan 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/goblin-market-by-christina-rossetti-essay
👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!
Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.
get help with your assignment
