British Imperialism and Cultural Anxieties in Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market

Goblin Market (1862) by Christina Rossetti is a narrative, fantasy poem about two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, who face temptations from goblin men who, on the surface, sell fruit at a market, but whose addictive wares physically debilitate their customers to the point of death. Given that the release of this poem in the thick of England’s Victorian era coincides with the reign of the British Empire, I read and understand it in light of that historical context. In this reading, Goblin Market conveys cultural anxieties about what the British Empire means for England, specifically as it deals with commercial relationships with its subjects. Understanding that this poem covertly showcases cultural anxieties about British imperialism provides just one of many examples of the impact of British imperialism on the literary culture of its time

Blast Off: The Comic Format as a Launchpad for Meaning-Making in Tillie Walden’s On a Sunbeam

In this visual presentation we propose that On a Sunbeam (2018) by Tillie Walden dismantles the traditional literary canon in its form and content. On a Sunbeam is a queer, sci-fi, coming-of-age graphic novel. The story, set in space, centers around the protagonist, Mia, and her construction crew who repair floating buildings throughout the cosmos. This story centers gay women of color, and, in fact, excludes the existence of male identifying characters--with the sole exception of Paul, the cat. Visual aspects, sometimes in conjunction with words but also in the absence of verbal elements, are the driving force of On a Sunbeam. This privileging of visuals, which is inherent to the comic format, is relatively uncommon within traditional literature. This visual analysis aims to explore how On a Sunbeam breaks with the traditional literary canon, not only in its prioritization of visual language, but also with its narrative