“The Golden Bird” is a tale in which the romantic element, platonic though it is, is not immediately apparent from the text itself. It is not until the end of the story, the final paragraph in fact, when the fox asks the prince “to shoot him dead and cut off his head and paws” (Zipes 222) that the fox transforms into the brother of the beautiful princess. This crucial piece of information “would seem to hold the key to the fox’s persistent devotion to his mission” (McGlathery 41). When looking back on the story with this revelation in mind, it becomes quite apparent that the fox’s love for his sister is necessary to the plot. He is determined to see his sister freed, going so far as to aid the prince repeatedly in his quest, despite having his initial advice and warnings ignored. His determination and devotion is entirely the result of his love for his captive sister, and he will go to any lengths to ensure her freedom. This same love brings about a peaceful conclusion for the fox, his sister, and the prince. Without the fox’s desire to rescue his sister from her captors, the prince might not have been successful on his journey and the story may never have happened.
It might be tempting to assume that the fox is only looking for a way to return to human form throughout the story, manipulating the prince into fulfilling his desire and mutilating his body. A close reading of the text, however, does not support this idea. Once the fox returns to human form, “nothing more was missing from their happiness as long as they lived” (Zipes 222). It is quite clear from a detailed examination of the text that the fox wants much more than simply to return to his human form. He desires a reunion with his sister above all else, and he wants this enough to cohabitate with his sister and her husband after he is released from the magical spell that had been cast over him years before. It is likely that he would not have been “content to live with the sister, even after she is married” (McGlathery 164) had he not had a true love for his sister.
The love between sisters is the catalyst for a peaceful resolution in “Goblin Market.” This first hint of this love arises when Lizzie is warning Laura that she “should not peep at goblin men” (Rossetti 49). Her fear for her sister is genuine, even before the conflict of the story becomes apparent. The love for a sister is the cause of this fear. Later in the poem, Lizzie’s love for her sister Laura is strong enough that she is willing to risk her own life by confronting the goblin men and attempting to purchase fruit from them. When the goblin men hold the fruits “against her mouth to make her eat” (Rossetti 407), Lizzie still refuses to comply, even when tormented and even tortured by the goblin men. Her love for Laura is stronger than her fear of the goblin men or the threat of what else they may do to her. Their bond as sisters is essential to the plot of the poem and is the reason Lizzie is so determined to return with the juices of the goblin fruit on her own flesh. Lizzie would be less likely to risk herself in this manner for someone she did not truly love, making love integral to the plot of “Goblin Market.”
The strength of Lizzie’s love goes far beyond simply placing her own life in jeopardy. Lizzie invites Laura to suck the juices from her flesh when she declares, “Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices” (Rossetti 468). Lizzie allows such an intimate action in the hope that it will save her sister. The sucking of the juices does seem sexual in nature but the rest of the poem, though filled with sexual imagery, in no way supports a sexual relationship between the sisters. Instead, Lizzie is offering herself to her sister, not in a sexual way, but as a sacrifice necessary for Laura’s redemption and eventual salvation. Lizzie’s sacrifice is one of love and devotion and is a sacrifice that she does not make lightly. It is this love and devotion that moves the plot forward and results in Laura’s recovery after consuming the goblin fruit.
In “Alice Brand,” the love that exists between Alice and her lover Richard is of a more romantic nature and forms the basis of the story. Richard, after killing Alice’s brother, is forced to live as an outlaw in the forest. Alice, who could blame him for her brother’s death, loves him enough to admit that the fight between Richard and her brother was “but a fatal chance” (Scott 22). Her love leads her to follow him into the forest, leading to the events that take place during the remainder of the poem.
The love Alice and Richard share results in more than simply two lovers spending their lives together in the woods. Alice’s love for Richard allows her to stand against the dwarf Urgan “void of fear” (Scott 65). Her love is strong enough to risk her own life for the sake of her beloved, much as Lizzie risked hers by confronting the goblin men in “Goblin Market.” By taking this very real risk and facing Urgan, the “hideous dwarf” (Scott 59) is finally revealed as her brother Ethert Brand. Because Ethert Brand is not dead, Alice and Richard are able to return to society and eventually marry. Were it not for Alice’s love and devotion to her lover, none of this may have come to pass.
Love and romance often have a powerful role in fairy tales. This love may be platonic, as in the case of “The Golden Bird” and “Goblin Market.” The love in these stories is chaste and non-sexual in nature, but it is also incredibly powerful, as demonstrated by the determination of both the fox and Lizzie. The love in fairy tales may also be of a more romantic and sexual nature, such as in “Alice Brand” where the bond between lovers and their dedication to each other propels the story forward. Regardless of the type of love found in any particular fairy tale, romance is often pivotal to the plot, shaping the story and controlling the final resolution while exploring human emotion. These tales of love and romance stand “as a welcome vehicle for depicting this realm of human emotional experience” (McGlathery 197).
Works Cited
McGlathery, James M. Fairy Tale Romance: The Grimms, Basile, and Perrault. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991. Print.
Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market.” Representative Poetry Online. Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries, 2009. Web. 2 May 2011.
Scott, Walter. “Alice Brand.” The British Literary Ballad Archive. LiteraryBalladArchive.com, 2008. Web. 2 May 2011.
Zipes, Jack. “The Golden Bird.” The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. New York: Bantam Books, 1992. 216-222. Print.
