Girl, Woman, Other & Goblin Market

In Girl, Woman, Other, Evaristo presents identity as fluid, interconnected, and constantly shifting. The novel’s structure, moving between characters and generations, emphasizes how individual experiences are shaped by larger systems like race, gender, and class. I was struck by how the characters’ personal struggles are rarely isolated yet always tied to family histories, friendships, or cultural expectations. There’s a sense that identity is not something fixed but something negotiated in relation to others.

“Goblin Market,” though much older, also deals with temptation, bodily desire, and the consequences of consumption. Personally, I believe Laura’s decision to taste the goblin fruit can be read as a metaphor for forbidden desire, and the aftermath shows how society punishes women for giving in to that desire. What’s interesting, though, is that the poem ultimately centers on female solidarity.