Response to the Men in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

In Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market the overarching themes of temptation, fall and redemption are as brutally apparent on first read as the call of the Goblin men to the young maids who have not yet tasted of the forbidden fruit. It has been readily accepted by many scholars that the fruit stands for both the representation of both that knowledge biblically annotated as carnal understanding, and the wider general knowledge through education denied to women in the Victorian era. If this is so, it stands to reason that Lizzie, Laura and the fallen, and since buried, Jeanie represent the community of woman living in the era. Assuming this to be the case, the questions are begged, what is represented by the Goblin men, how does it tie in with the human men the girls marry before the end of the poem, and what of the fleeting image of the King?

Consider first the physical traits of the Goblin men. They purr, they squawk, they chime, and they sing. They are all described as somewhat humble and low with a "voice of doves" that "sounded kind and full of loves." Stashed within the seemingly harmless motif of playful pet like creatures are the true intentions of Evil, with words like "prowled," "leering," and "sly." From this we can infer the Goblin men represent something that presents itself as harmless like a pastime to fritter away hours, as women of the time are encouraged to do, and yet decidedly and intentionally dangerous beneath the surface.

The deceptively playful nature of the Goblin men changes violently after the initial win over Laura's seemingly weaker self control. The taking of the lock of golden hair in willing payment initiates the change, showing two vital factors at once. First, the fruit must be willingly accepted, a fact proven when they fail to make Lizzie eat. The second is that the Goblins have no care for the moral chastity of the girls they hawk the wares to, despite their seeming position of service in a market industry.