Religion in Goblin Market

Religion in Goblin Market From the beginning of time there has been a battle between good and evil. The urges that lie deep within the human spirit can be steered towards things that sustain life or forces that take away from it or take it away entirely. The curiosity to just have a taste of something, even though one has been warned of the potential of an ill outcome, can sometimes be too overwhelming to stave off after a glimpse. This has been the experience of Laura, a young lady in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”. Laura is warned by her sister, Lizzie, not to look at the goblins peddling their luscious fruits. In spite of the warning, Laura devours the fruit and is, thereafter, stricken with the obsession to have it. Her sister risks her life by returning to the goblins to get more fruit for her and upon her return, Laura is saved. The author’s devotion to the Anglican Church and the “persistent themes [of religion] in both her poetry and prose” (258) tell readers the true meaning behind this work. This interpretation challenges the work of those critics who have long assumed the symbolism and allegory used in this poem is about capitalism. Others have argued that the poem is literally about food adulteration and still others have seen the poem as a feminist tale with a female hero creation. Rossetti strived to use this poem as a religious guide for her readers. The only valid interpretation is the representation of temptation, the fall, and the redemption of man. Growing up, Christina Rossetti had her talented and religious family as a strong influence. Her roots being deeply planted in the Anglican Church served as instruction for her life. The author, being so devoted, refused “two marriage proposals because her suitors beliefs failed to conform to the tenets of the Anglican Church” and thus continued to live out her life with her mother (258). This shows how firmly she held on to her religious beliefs. In thwarting the men’s attempts to wed her,

Cited: Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market.” Representative Poetry Online. 1862. University of Toronto Libraries. October 9, 2013. http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1753.html Stern, Rebecca F. "Adulterations Detected": Food and Fraud in Christina Rossetti 's "Goblin Market". Nineteenth - Century Literature. Mar 2003. 477-511. Web. October 9, 2013. “Christina Rossetti”. Literary Criticism, Vol. 7. 258-259. Web. October 9, 2013. English Standard Version Bible. Web. October 9, 2013. www.biblegateway.com