A steamy lesbian love story. A scathing commentary on the commercialization of sex. A fierce struggle between physical temptation and spiritual good. A nursery rhyme for children. “Goblin Market” encompasses a multitude of interpretations, some blending together harmoniously, others remaining diametrically opposed. It symbolizes the complex nature of its creator. With each reading, he challenges readers to analyze it, debate it, and actively engage with it again. In light of several of his other poems as well as his biography, another voice emerges to guide the interpretation of this complex work. The narrative poem “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti stands out as one of the first feminist texts in its condemnation of the role of Victorian women and the empowerment of a female heroine. Rossetti denounces her contemporaries for their characteristic vulnerability and submission to the wishes of men through her depiction of Laura's temptation and downfall. Rather than simply condemning the status quo, she offers her audience a credible and inspiring heroine in Lizzie. However, the truly revolutionary and feminist quality of this poem lies in Rossetti's assertion that Lizzie is a female Christ figure. In his contrast between the powerless Laura and the empowered Lizzie, Rossetti presents to his Victorian audience the inevitable change in women's roles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Victim In the Victorian era, women shouldered the burden of silently and gratefully responding to their husbands' every need and whim. Rather than maintaining their own identity, women became objects and possessions for men. In his poem “In the Studio of an Artist,” Rossetti subtly addresses the injustice of this relationship through his description of a woman objectified in an artist's painting. Instead of representing her "as she is", the artist is content to paint her "as she fulfills her dreams", without the pains of life which make her human (14). When he represents her simply as a perfect “saint” or “angel,” he refuses to recognize the “lack of expectation” and the darkness of sorrow in the eyes of a real woman (7, 12). Rather than allowing Victorian women to add the role of victim to oppose, Rossetti condemns these women for their inability to assert themselves through his characterization of Laura in "Goblin Market". Despite her initial warnings to "don't look at the goblin men" and "don't buy their fruit," Laura finds herself weak and unable to resist their calls (42, 43). “Curious Laura chose to linger” among the goblin men, thereby ignoring her instincts and succumbing to their will (69). Persuasive and assertive in their temptations, they easily break her “last restraint” and watch her “suck, suck, and suck some more” (86, 134). Rossetti further chastises women for their weak constitutions in his portrayal of Laura's helplessness. Upon realizing the futility of her search for the goblin market, Laura "grinds her teeth for pent-up desire" and becomes "cold as stone" instead of actively seeking a way out of these depths of despair (267, 253). . Through his ironic portrayal of an objectified woman in a painting and his denunciation of Laura's weakness and powerlessness, Rossetti critiques the passivity and inferior status of Victorian women in an attempt to bring recognition to the need for change. demanding instantaneous and revolutionary changes in gender roles, Rossetti offersVictorian women practical and effective ways to gain power. Rather than succumb to the easy way out of a marriage of convenience, the speaker of “No Thanks, John” flatly rejects convention in favor of her personal needs. Although many other women would "pity" the suitor if he asked, this woman refuses "to do this task" because she "never loved him" from the start (9-10, 12, 5). Despite her incessant pleading, she maintains that she "would rather say 'no' to fifty Johns" than succumb to weariness and "answer 'yes' to [him]" (19, 3, 20). Furthermore, the speaker adopts the dominant role when she asks her immature suitor to “rise above chicanery” and use his “common sense” (29-30, 16). In addition to her vignette of this speaker creating power for herself, Rossetti adds encourages women to challenge the status quo by casting Lizzie as the heroine of "Goblin Market." Beyond her simple characteristics of purity and kindness, Lizzie's true heroism comes from her active pursuit of danger and her determination to defeat it. Witness to Laura's anguish, Lizzie perfectly understands the risks of venturing into the world of goblins and forbidden fruits. Despite her desire to “buy fruit to comfort [Laura],” she remembers another girl driven to death by her fall into temptation and the fear of “paying too much” (310, 311). Then Lizzie's hesitation ceases when "the waning Laura seems to knock at death's door," thus spurring the heroine to act (320-321). In order to save Laura, Lizzie begins to actively “listen and seek” for danger (328). Although she always remains aware of the risk, she firmly demands "much and much" of fruit and refuses to bow to the goblins' temptation to eat in their presence (365). In these two poems, Rossetti depicts women who assert their strength and integrity by holding tightly to their principles in the face of temptation. The Christ Figure In his most revolutionary and controversial tactic, Rossetti strengthens the feminist voice of this piece through its portrait of a female Christ figure. According to his biography, Rossetti embodied many contrasts and polarities as part of his "complex nature" (1611). Deeply pious in her religious beliefs, Rossetti "renounced... any pleasure or relationship which did not conform to her strict Anglo-Catholic principles" (1611). Nevertheless, her life was woven with a thread of defiance of conventions in favor of personal integrity: she "regarded her choice of single life as an act of artistic self-preservation" despite Victorian society's promotion of marriage and of procreation as a civil and religious right. duty (1611). Her ability to reconcile her strict faith with her challenges to conventions indicates that she would also be capable of playing with the controversial aspects of her faith while maintaining deference to its core principles. In his affirmation of Lizzie as a Christ figure in "Goblin Market" Rossetti simultaneously elevates the status of women and empowers them by simply questioning the importance of Christ's gender. Because "tender Lizzie could not bear to oversee her sister's strenuous care" and not "share" the burden and strife, she parallels Christ's role as sacrificial lamb (299-300 , 301). She willingly offers herself to evil with the intention of saving her fallen sister. Just as Christ suffered on the cross to redeem sinners, Lizzie endures mutilation, mockery, and the claws of goblins in her attempt to save Laura (429, 401). Despite their taunts and cruelty, “Lizzie doesn’t [pronounce]."