A Golden Curl By: Sarita Donaie

“‘You have much gold upon your head,’

They answered all together:

‘Buy from us with a golden curl.’

She clipped a precious golden lock,

She dropped a tear more rare than pearl,

Then sucked their fruit globes fair and red:” (Rossetti, 7)

Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” travels the reader through a sacrificing story involving sisterly love and an uncontrollable desire for savory fruits distributed by goblin merchants. Laura’s curiosity results in a transaction that leads her to clipping a golden curl from her innocent youthful head. This transaction highlights the indescribable hunger that Laura dangerously has for the goblin’s fruits, the trade of fruit for a golden curl is intimacy related. However, I believe the goblins' need for the golden curl signifies a less sexual, yet deeper, psychological transaction, and instead focuses on the surrendering of youth for the exciting, joyous feeling that comes with possessing Laura’s youth. The action of Laura relinquishing herself into temptation, trading her golden curl for the goblin’s fruits, is what’s important to the goblins before the actual partaking of the fruit occurs. Within this essay, I will discuss the increased understanding that I learned from the transaction between Laura and the goblins, as that portion of the poem satisfies the goblins desire for youth before Laura herself is satisfied from eating the fruit.

Desire for youth is continuously discussed within some fairytale stories. From Tangled (2010) to Sleeping Beauty (1959), in both Disney films the antagonist downfall comes with the realization that their beauty is subpar compared to that of the beautiful, youthful girl. This results in the antagonist harming the young girl to some extent; whether mentally, like in Tangled (2010), or physically, like in Sleeping Beauty (1959). This harm usually comes after the joyful climax the young girl experiences through the recognition of love finally found by their strong, male saviors. Such comparisons can obviously be seen between the Disney fairy tales I’ve mentioned and “Goblin Market.” The harm that befalls Laura occurred after she indulged in the goblins' fruits, and this only happens after the euphoric feeling she receives while partaking of the fruit. One factor the Disney princesses have incredibly in common with Laura is the attention to detail regarding her hair. In “Goblin Market” Laura’s hair is mentioned as, “a precious golden lock…a tear more rare than pearl” (Rossetti, 7), while the Disney princesses I’ve mentioned are infamously known for their beautiful golden hair. One of the films I’ve mentioned, Tangled (2010), goes as far to highlight the youthful girl's hair as magical and quite literally the key to staying youthful. Of the Disney films I’ve mentioned and “Goblin Market,” the increasing focus surrounds their physical features and how valuable it is for rewarding them, even if that reward is love or delicious fruits. 

The physical features of Laura and Lizzie are quite important within the continuation of the poem, from the sickly figure Laura obtained after partaking the goblins' fruits to Lizzie’s assault as the juices of the fruits are thrown on her body. The very mention of the girl’s youth gives the reader a glimpse into the visual appearances that the goblins have a particular attraction to. The psychological aspect of this attraction may very well be the desire to control, change, and dominate young girls. Once again, this is seen within the Disney films I’ve mentioned, the antagonists actions are driven by the desire to remain in control, this control, at least in the Disney films, can be maintained just as long as beauty is maintained. As the goblins maintain an interesting and whimsical appearance, young and unsuspecting girls couldn’t possibly understand that not all things are as they seem. This is where the psychological attraction to youth becomes active, the goblins crave the constant understanding of knowing that the young girls are better victims because they are naive. The golden curl of Laura’s hair symbolizes the naive, innocent nature that young girls have, in addition, it also symbolizes the physical appearance that young girls have. The transaction between Laura and the goblins depicts the deep attraction the goblins have towards young girls, their physical traits, and the type of young girls they mean to attract. With this in mind, the deeper meaning that the golden curl represents changes into an infatuation the goblins have; maybe an even deeper one than Laura had after she indulges the goblin’s fruits. 

Laura’s youth physically diminishes shortly after she realizes that she will never taste the goblin’s fruits again. She becomes weak and elderly-like rapidly. Laura’s deterioration potentially represents the power youth has and how once it's gone the perks gained through being youthful also diminish. Rossetti seems to be telling the reader that the importance of youth seemingly grows once it's gone and how the desire for youth will never decrease. This much is true as the goblins still parade around searching for more young girls to tempt. The need for more and more young girls grows as each day passes, causing the never-ending cycle of the goblins parading their fruits. This leads me to question the unceasing affects desire has on the goblins and how the possession of the golden curl ultimately is a means of addiction if the goblins are constantly in search of more young girls. While this story is mainly about Laura and Lizzie’s relationship with the goblins, it must be stated that the goblins have a relationship with many other young victims. So much so that one past victim, Jeanie, was mentioned within this story. So much undisclosed history surrounds the goblins, the cryptic nature of their existence transitions this story into a twisted fairytale. However, the never-ending fate of the goblins, like addicts, will always lead them down a path of constant search as the joyous feelings for possessing youthful girls will never be satisfied. This much is true as Lizzie’s encounter highlights the endless need the goblins have for any youthful girl. This desire the goblins have is made to be fulfilled with no particular person in mind, coincidentally the same goes for Laura’s desire for the fruit as she indulges the juices of the fruit from her own sister's body. The golden curl transaction is a distinctive, yet common, activity the goblins frequently participate in. The releasing of a personal bodily object is done by the goblins’ victims, and while this makes the transaction highly common, it’s also distinctive due to the transactions only incorporating bodily objects. Such specifics are highly shown to depict the regular and very consistent nature the goblins participate in when searching for young victims.

All in all, I believe the golden curls symbolizes so many different and important aspects the goblins and their victims hold, it gives the reader a lingering glimpse into the strange nature that the goblins and their victims are connected within. There are no goblin stories, or their victim’s stories, without connecting what each group would desire enough to interact. The goblins have their infatuation from the psychological thrill of controlling a youthful mind, and their victims see the delicious, juicy, and pleasing fruit. A desire sold for desire. The desire that initiates the transaction of a golden curl for fruit, although harmless in hindsight, can soon become dangerous to the naive victims. Aging rapidly and physically losing the beauty that made you the desirable victim in the first place, Rossetti dares to question more than just how twisted fairytale-like stories can be, she also forces the reader to question how important youth is to some. These realizations and more cannot begin to be completed within the labyrinth of literary breakdowns as the symbolism regarding all aspects of “Goblin Market” are almost never-ending due to the ever-changing importance of youth and the struggle to contain youth. The modern world proves this as there are goblins within all growing societies, waiting to tempt as many young girls as possible and constantly parading around in unceasing pursuit.