[fantasyfan]

The Goblin Market was supposedly written for children along with Speaking Likenesses and Sing Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book. But unlike the last two GM has such extraordinary imagery with quite adult references that it is difficult to imagine that it was intended primarily for children.

The title originally intended by Christina was "A Peep at the Goblins--to M.F.R."
This provides one layer of the symbolism in the story. M.F.R. refers to Christina's sister, Maria Francesca Rossetti. Thus, one critic, Lona M.Packer suggests that the symbolic understory of the poem deals with Christina's obsessive love for William Bell Scott--a minor poet and painter who was a close friend of Christina"s brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

At the time the poem was written Scott had fallen in love with another woman. Maria was a great aid in helping her sister handle the depression occasioned by the collapse of the love affair. Packer claims that "Laura" represents Christina and "Lizzie" is Maria. The Goblins offer a forbidden fruit which Laura desires but which will in the end lead only to depression and isolation because it can never lead to joy and fulfilment.

Certainly, there is also a considerable amount of Christian imagery and Christina was a very devout High Anglican. So one can build a set of religious meanings quite easily in the poem.

However the poetic imagery is imbued with an astonishing sense of repressed sexuality. If the fruit Laura has tasted is the love for Scot then there is a sense of it being replaced by a Lesbian relationship which turns out to be the deeper bond.

So . . . you can go in all sorts of directions here.