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Celia Gress
Professor Lisette Gibson
English 211
3 December 2014
Gender Analysis of “Goblin Market”
Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” is an exceptional piece of work to use
when exploring binary opposites, patriarchy, and coded lesbian meaning in gender
studies. The two main characters of the poem are sisters, Lizzie and Laura. In
Rossetti’s poem, each time the two sisters fetch water from a stream they must
endure the tempting sounds of goblin calls. Unlike Lizzie, Laura gives in to the
goblin’s dove-like calls and suffers the consequences by nearly dying. Laura only
lives after her encounter because of Lizzie’s courage and perseverance to save her
sister’s life.
Lizzie and Laura’s choices can be analyzed and used to explore issues
concerning sexuality, power, and the marginalized population of women in
literature that makes women the “other.” The relationship between the two sisters
can also be examined to better understand a female homosocial relationship as well.
When reading this poem it is clear that Lizzie defies the stereotype of the “other”
that makes women not the “doer,” but the “done to,” in typical fairy tales.
Lizzie is definitely the “doer” of this story as she takes the on male abuse and
becomes the poem’s heroine, saving her sister – the damsel in distress. Lizzie goes
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beyond the feminine bounds for female characters in 1859, the time Christina
Rossetti wrote “Goblin Market.” Lizzie and Laura can easily be compared as the
binary opposites in this piece if the analyzer would view Lizzie as portraying a role
customarily for the male sex. Laura would be portraying the female role in this
piece, making her the stereotypical “done to.” Lizzie would be the “doer.”
The first example in the text that demonstrates Lizzie being the “doer” in
comparison to Laura, who is the “done to,” is when they first hear the goblin cries.
Lizzie does not give into the goblin cries and the temptation that the cries ignite in
her for their fruit. Instead she warns Laura not to listen, demonstrating self-control
and responsibility. Self-control and responsibility would have been a trait only men
would have been believed to possess in 1859.
‘No,’ said Lizzie; ‘No, no, no;
Their offers should not charm us,
Their evil gifts would harm us.’
She thrust a dimpled finger
In each ear, shut her eyes and ran (14-18).
Laura’s character provides the audience with a good example of a female
character who illustrates how typical, female characters were portrayed in early
fairy tales – the damsel in distress. The illustration Laura provides confirms female
stereotypes seen in the early fairy tales. She gives into temptation and follows the
sounds of the goblin cries. To Laura, the goblin cries sound like cooing doves.
“Curious Laura chose to linger [W]ondering at each merchant man,” said the
narrator (19-20). Interpreting this quote with the assumption Lizzie is not as
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courageous as Laura is incorrect. This is not the correct way to interpret this quote
when doing a binary opposite comparison. When doing a binary opposite analysis,
this detail should be interpreted as Lizzie taking on a male gender role. Lizzie should
be viewed as responsible by the analyzer. This view is important because she is
defying the stereotype that women cannot be responsible, let alone control their
desires and resist temptation.
This text can also be analyzed using patriarchy conflicts in relation to men
and women. Laura found herself experiencing a homosocial group of goblin men
once the goblins reach her. This is the first example of patriarchy between men and
women in the text. The goblin men appeared in a group, ready to dominate and take
advantage of Laura.
Leering at each other,
Brother with queer brother;
Signaling each other,
Brother with sly brother (45-48).
This excerpt from the text is useful to use because it leads the analyzer to
view the goblins as actual men. Imaging the goblins as a metaphor for men allows an
interpretation of the text from a patriarchal view. The men are grouping together
and beginning to act devious, or “sly.” The excerpt conveys the goblins in a
threatening way, almost as if they are planning to over power or trick Laura. The
devious, or “sly,” actions of the goblin men could be compared to how some men
aggressively pursue women. For example, a male that deviously uses a date rape
drug that is slyly slipped into a cocktail could be compared to the goblin men in the
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story. The goblin men were using their dove-like cooing to enchant Laura and
achieve a similar outcome as a date rape drug. Both men and goblin men use
devious, sly methods to overcome and endanger women so they can take advantage
of them by embracing patriarchal power. (Stopped Here)
Stereotypically, women can also be viewed as weak and ignorant. It is clear
from doing a close reading of the excerpt that the goblin men plan to take advantage
of Laura based on stereotypical assumptions about her, simply because she is a
woman. Unfortunately, Laura allows for this to happen. This allowance is why she is
the “done to” and not the “doer.” Laura plays into female stereotypes.
Laura then continues to play into the stereotype men have for women. She
uses her sex appeal and sells herself for what the goblin men are offering. This detail
in the text helps the analyzer explore the issues of sexuality between the female
characters and the male, goblin men. From a patriarchal viewpoint this could be
interpreted as a form of prostitution. Even though Laura did not sell herself for sex,
she still gave the goblin men a physical piece of herself in exchange for the goods she
wanted.
This part of the text also serves the purpose of portraying a stereotypical
view of an attractive female’s appearance. “Buy from us with a golden curl,” said one
of the goblins (125). This description of her hair gives the audience the impression
that females’ hair is only worthy when it is blonde and curly. The text never
mentions Lizzie’s appearance.
The second example in the text that demonstrates Laura is the “doer” is when
she decides to save Laura. Laura is fully the damsel in distress when she starts to
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“dwindle” form not having the goblins’ fruit (320). Lizzie defies the stereotype that
women are selfish when she decides she will save her sister regardless of the
consequences she may face when she encounters the goblin and the fruit they offer.
This is also when she fully becomes the “doer.”
From the patriarchal viewpoint, this is where Lizzie defies the male genders’
control over women. The goblin men begin to abuse Lizzie when she declines their
offer to dine on fruit with them. They “kicked and knocked her” but, Lizzie “uttered
not a word” to the goblin men (428, 430). Lizzie did not giving in when the goblin
men “coaxed and fought her,” (425). She stood up for her sex and disproved female
stereotypes of women being the weaker and more ignorant of the two sexes.
Lizzie’s final act that completes her role as the “doer” is when she returns
home to her sister, the damsel in distress. Lizzie has been selfless and suffered, but
she tells her sister “never mind my bruises,” (467). Lizzie then encourages Laura to
lick her so she can taste the juice “squeezed from goblin fruits for you [Laura],
goblin pulp and goblin dew,” (469-470). This is similar to how any male character in
a typical fairy tale would have saved the female, who was usually the damsel in
distress.
Lizzie proved the female sex could not be viewed as irresponsible, lustful,
weak, and ignorant. Even though her sister demonstrated these characteristics, one
person’s actions should not define a whole group. Lizzie and Laura’s relationship
throughout the story also allow for an analyzer to further examine the text using
gender studies by looking at a female and female relationship. This poem is heavily
centered on a relationship between two sisters. It was this relationship that drove
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Lizzie to be the “doer” that saved her sister. This relationship gives the audience a
perspective on how important sisterhood can be for the female sex.
Even though this poem portrays patriarchy concerning Lizzie, Laura, and the
goblin men, it would be very easy for a lesbian critic to argue coded lesbian meaning
between Lizzie and Laura. The most apparent evidence for this argument is toward
the end when Lizzie saves Laura. “Eat me, drink me, love me” is how Lizzie
encourages Laura to consume the goblin fruit from her body (471). Laura “kissed
and kissed and kissed her [Lizzie]” as she began to taste the goblin men’s fruit (486).
Lines 464-492, during the goblin juice exchange, can be read with a very homoerotic
lens.
The description of Laura’s interaction with Lizzie as she received the fruit
juice is very sexual. The sexuality of the description, as well as Lizzie’s resistance to
goblin men as they are abusing her, could be easily used to find the text’s coded
lesbian meaning. The resistance to the goblin men could be interpreted as distaste
for men as they impose patriarchy in a sexually abusive way. The critic could also
argue that the goblin abuse could be a metaphor for the abuse Christina would face
if she were to come “out” about her sexuality. The goblin men could be interpreted
as the societal pressure Christina felt to conform to hetero-normativity. Support for
this close reading analysis is found in lines 422-423 when the text says “One may
lead a horse to water; [T]wenty cannot make him drink.” Christina could be saying
she will not give into societal pressure.
Regardless of how this poem is read by its audience, Lizzie demonstrates the
gender is just a role. Even though Lizzie’s sex is female, she still portrayed the
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gender role of a male. Her portrayal defied female stereotypes and proved the
female character do not always have to be to “doer,” or the damsel in distress. A
female can be the “doer” and save the day just as well as male would in a typical
fairy tale.