Prominently exemplified in Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market is the deep bond that is held between sisters from birth. No matter how deep a bond is between siblings, however, something will always try to tear them apart. In the case of Laura and Lizzie, Laura falls to temptation at the hands of goblin men. Nevertheless, before things get better, they will always get worse. After tasting the goblin men’s fruit, Laura’s life is sent into a downward spiral as she begins to decay both mentally and physically, and realizes she can no longer see or hear the goblin men in order to buy more fruit to nurse this newfound addiction. These nine lines highlight the consequences of Laura’s fall into temptation by illustrating the overwhelming melancholy
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The first sign that depression is taking hold of Laura is when it is stated in line 260 that “her tree of life drooped from the root” (260). The tree of life signifies one’s life from birth to death, presenting it as something familiar and tangible that emits oxygen necessary for living, yet Laura’s tree is dying, drooping from the root. Most nurture and grow their tree of life, however Laura’s life has become worthless to her without the fruit, and so her tree wilts and droops “from the root” because without the goblin’s fruits, her past has lost all meaning and her expectations for a future have been drowned in a cold, melancholic absence (260). With a loss of meaning in life and a loss of hope for the future, Laura “said not one word in her heart’s sore ache” (261). In this instance, Laura is longing so deeply and painfully for the fruit that “her heart’s sore ache” mimics that of someone who has lost a lover (261). No matter if Laura only feasted with the goblin men and ate their fruits for one night, their absence is sorely noted, deepening her terminal sorrow when she cannot find them no matter how hard she looks. Silent, Laura searched, “peering thro’ dimness, nought discerning”, her good judgement having been abandoned as she continues to hunt for the goblin men, though the night is turning dim and she cannot hear their call (262). For once, instead of being the cautioning sister, Laura has thrown caution to the wind, “nought discerning” as she listens and yearns for the goblin men (262). When night falls in the woods, all the predatory nocturnal animals come out to hunt for whatever prey they can find, yet Laura is not concerned with what prowls in the dark unless something calls her to come buy fruits. Laura’s judgement is beyond clouded, leaving her with no regard for her own life if it means she has a chance to
The first sign that depression is taking hold of Laura is when it is stated in line 260 that “her tree of life drooped from the root” (260). The tree of life signifies one’s life from birth to death, presenting it as something familiar and tangible that emits oxygen necessary for living, yet Laura’s tree is dying, drooping from the root. Most nurture and grow their tree of life, however Laura’s life has become worthless to her without the fruit, and so her tree wilts and droops “from the root” because without the goblin’s fruits, her past has lost all meaning and her expectations for a future have been drowned in a cold, melancholic absence (260). With a loss of meaning in life and a loss of hope for the future, Laura “said not one word in her heart’s sore ache” (261). In this instance, Laura is longing so deeply and painfully for the fruit that “her heart’s sore ache” mimics that of someone who has lost a lover (261). No matter if Laura only feasted with the goblin men and ate their fruits for one night, their absence is sorely noted, deepening her terminal sorrow when she cannot find them no matter how hard she looks. Silent, Laura searched, “peering thro’ dimness, nought discerning”, her good judgement having been abandoned as she continues to hunt for the goblin men, though the night is turning dim and she cannot hear their call (262). For once, instead of being the cautioning sister, Laura has thrown caution to the wind, “nought discerning” as she listens and yearns for the goblin men (262). When night falls in the woods, all the predatory nocturnal animals come out to hunt for whatever prey they can find, yet Laura is not concerned with what prowls in the dark unless something calls her to come buy fruits. Laura’s judgement is beyond clouded, leaving her with no regard for her own life if it means she has a chance to