Christina Rossetti, in her poem entitled Goblin Market, uses two sisters to
construct a female hero unseen in previous English-literature works, escaping
the established gender-roles to save another’s life. Laura submits herself to
the temptation of the goblins’ fruits and, as a result, loses the ability to
receive more, leaving her physically weak and mentally unable to overcome
further desire for the fruit. In a way, Laura represents the typical “fallen
women” of British literature by being unable to control herself at the presence
of temptation. The heroine figure is revealed through Laura’s sister, Lizzie.
At the sight of her sister’s demise and deterioration, Lizzie ventures out to
this temptation with the goal of conquering it.
She meets with the snickering goblins that tempt her by telling her to
“sit down and feast with us, be welcome guest with us, cheer you and rest with
us” (811). The goblins attempt to win her over by these requests as well as
their fruit, but Lizzie proves herself heroic by resisting. They begin to
attach her physically and sexually, “grunting and snarling, their looks were
evil, [they] tore her gown and soiled her stocking, held her hands and squeezed
their fruits against her mouth to make her eat” (812). Even as these goblins force
themselves and their fruit upon her, Lizzie keeps her mouth sealed and stands
strong against the temptation. This character operates well within the
framework of a female hero’s behaviors. Although it is somewhat passive, Lizzie
saves her sister by self-sacrifice. She maintains actions expected of women by
not attacking any of the goblins, but comes out on top by resisting them and
saving her sister, representing a heroic side of the character.
Is it somewhat contradictory that Rossetti uses women in two
different ways—one as the fallen woman and one as the heroine? It is difficult
to know her stance on women in literature when she uses such contradicting characters.
Also, what is it that saves Laura ultimately—the juices of the fruit or the
love of her sister?
I think that the representation of the women as both weak and a heroine serves to present that new image without pushing too many established boundaries for women at that time. Presenting the weak woman first gives the readers something familiar with what they hold to be true. When the strong woman appears they are able to accept that not all women can be heroines, but maybe a few can. However, this heroine title holds women to a high standard, requiring them not to fall to any sort of temptation. Both women also end up married which shows the overall dependency on men. With Laura getting married the idea that people can be saved from entering into sin is also presented, but this requires the work of a love like Lizzie's.
ReplyDeleteI dont think that it is contradictory because they are sisters, and because she worked at a womens shelter and this story could help the women realize that they can have a second chance at life once they stop giving in to their "pleasures". The love of her sister saved her, because she risked her life to better her sister.
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