2.1 Symbols and Archetypes in "Goblin Market"

                 Christina Rossetti was one of the most popular English poet in nineteenth- century;born in London December 5th in 1830. She rised in artist family. Her father was an Italian poet and one of her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti became a poet and a painter. Already as child she struggled from depression. It was caused by mental and physical problems with her father.She published her first poem at the age of 18.Her the most famous work collection  "Goblin Markets" and other poems appeared when she was 31. Her work was the best known from romance and devotion. In her late life she was suffering from Grave disease and in 1893 she developed breast cancer what caused her death in 1894.
                  The poem "Goblin Market" it's pretty much about power of sisterhood. Two sisters Laura and Lizzie lived together without parents. One evening they heard Goblin's cries and screams  calling "Come buy! Come buy!". They begged to come to their market and buy their wonderful fruits. Laura even tough her sister was warning her of goblin men telling the story about girl Jeny. She ate the fruits from goblin's market and after some time she died. Laura's want was stronger. She went to the market and there bought  fruits. She didn't have money so she paid by giving them her hair's band. However, when she sarted eating, she wanted to eat more and more.
                   The next day she felt like she miss to eat Goblin's fruit but she noticed that she cannot hear their calling anymore so she cannot buy it. Along with the time she started to feel very bad physicaly and mentaly. Her health was that bad that her sister decided to go to Goblin's market and buy for Laura fruits which could make her get better. Lizzie took with her silver coin to pay for shopping. When the goblin men noticed that she just went to buy their fruit and she is not going to to eat anything they got angry. They started to fight with her trying to put fruits to her mouth. She run away from them to home very fast to let her sister drink the juices of fruits from her body.  Thanks to that after some time Laura started to feel better.
                   "Goblin's market" is a gold mine if we want to talk about symbols and archetypes. We can even specify them under some types. The most important here are fruits. They are special type of symbols in that text. At first because they are occupy 3/4 of poem. The other reason is that they have a lot of meaning, depend with which words they are complied. In general fruits according to Rossetti means women's desire. You try something what "taste" good and you want more. However it's not always good for you but even that you miss it and If you don't get it again, you feel sick. That situation was showed in very metaphorical way. Laura tasted forbidden fuits even her sister was warning her. We can see that from line 48 to 80 that Lizzie is even begging her to do not go to the market ("No", said Lizzie, "No, no,no. Their offers whould not charm us. Their evil gift would harm us". When somebody start to eat fruits it hard to stop because you want to more and more. When you don't get more you feel sick. After long time you can even die. Fruits are symbol of sexuality. Other type of symbol in Rossetti's poem are flowers and money. Laura paid to Goblin man hairs band.(line 116-125), "Buy from us with a golden curl". Other money in the poem is silver coin which had Lizzie.
                Rossetti in her work also shows archetype both places and people. Market is one of them. Its always symbolize place when people shop and talk , important meeting, money, trading. Goblins we met many times in different stories. They usually means troubles. However one of the goblins in "Harry Potter"  was friendly. He wanted help to wizard.
               "Goblin's market" refers to the very past years, to the times of Adam and Eve. Eve torn the apple from the banned tree even tough Jesus warning her. They could eat fuits from all trees they want except this. But she eat from this one which they couldn't. People' nature is that they get more excited to do things which are banned for them. If they don't get catch they want to do it again and again or they go even further with that. Eve got catch by Jesus  and together with Adam they had to suffer the consequences. In this case it was not worth it because Jesus actually didn't ask them about big thing. It was just one tree. Here we have situation where wants or curiosity or desire won with the obedience and loyality to God.



Sources:

1)http://www.courses.vcu.edu/ENGL624-nf/goblinmarket/book%20images.htm

2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_Market