Goblin Market

Christina Rossetti wrote “Goblin Market” as a narrative poem. The poem features a plot with protagonists, antagonists, and an omniscient third-person narrator. An omniscient third-person narrator does not directly participate in the plot yet knows the inner thoughts of all the characters. A third-person narrator seldom uses first-person pronouns.

The omniscient narrator adds a foreboding and eerie air to “Goblin Market,” helping to mimic the cautionary aspects of folktales. It feels like a story passed down over generations rather than a salacious confessional. While she takes inspiration from earlier stories, Rossetti created an original fantastical fairy tale rather than transcribing an older oral story.

While the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales focused on relationships in general, Rossetti placed sisterhood at the center of her story. Rossetti’s decision was radical at the time. The Victorian worldview painted women as dependent on their fathers and husbands. Women possessed moral superiority but could easily be tempted and corrupted by the outside world. The world became divided between the public sphere and the domestic sphere. Men entered the morally grey public sphere of business and politics. Society expected women to stay behind at home, teach children moral behavior, and provide men with