Temptation In Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Temptation in the Market The poem “Goblin Market” tells the story of two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, and their experience with goblins. The goblins are always trying to sell their fruits to the girls, but they always try and ignore them. One day, Laura gives into the goblins calls and buys some fruit from them. After Laura tastes the fruit she keeps on wanting more but can no longer hear the goblins call and starts to waste away. Lizzie, fearful that her sister may die, goes and finds the goblins to buy fruit for her sister. The goblins try and invite Lizzie to eat with them but when she declines the goblins start attacking her and trying to force her to eat the fruit. Once the goblins leave Lizzie, she returns home and makes Laura lick the juices off of her, healing Laura. Christina Rossetti’s work, titled “Goblin Market”, uses the literary elements of characters, imagery, and symbolism to symbolize the theme of temptation. Throughout “Goblin Market” we see how the goblins affect the characters. The goblins are magical and mystical. While Laura and Lizzy are pure and

Writers use imagery to help readers have a mental picture of an image or scene in the story. At the beginning of the poem, Rossetti uses visual imagery to describe the goblins as kind and friendly, trying to tempt the girls into buying their fruit. The author writes “One began to weave a crown / Of tendrils, leaves and rough nuts brown” (99-100). The goblins first impression of friendliness and welcoming Laura is what allows her to give into her temptation to buy the fruit. After Laura becomes sick after not being able to find and eat any more of the goblin’s fruit, Lizzie decides to go and find the goblins and buy fruit for her sister. The goblins invite Lizzie to come and eat with them but refuses. At this point in the story, readers begin to see the goblins true colors. Rossetti describes the goblins change of