Goblin Market

While “Goblin Market” makes no explicit references to Christianity, its themes of salvation, temptation, and morality are apparent when looking through the work’s context. Rossetti, a devout Christian, often thought about the nature and requirements of goodness. Victorians also fretted over widespread vice and addiction. Many well-known Victorian values were rooted in the Christian faith. Rossetti peppers “Goblin Market” with subtle symbols, alerting readers to its themes. It is not a coincidence that the goblins list the apple first among their wares at the poem’s start and when Lizzie confronts the goblins.

Although Laura gives in to temptation, she is not automatically damned. Her actions do not change her intrinsic nature. Even after Laura eats the fruit, Rossetti still pairs her with Lizzie. The girls sleep in the same bed and possess the same purity. Rossetti compares them to freshly bloomed flowers, snow, pigeons, and ivory—all things either a solid white, fresh and beautiful, or symbolically associated with love. Nature protects them during the night. It does not stop because Laura has sinned.

Unlike the fall of Adam and Eve, Laura does not receive punishment from a higher moral power for her transgression.