Ballerinas who performed at the Paris Opera Ballet in the 19th century were performers on stage and backstage. On stage, they performed two beautiful dances and were watched by a large crowd. Some of the crowd were season ticket holders, most of them being men, who got more than just a performance by watching the ballerinas on stage. Once their recital is complete, the men then go backstage where some of the most wealthy men have paid for the ballerinas to then be exploited by choosing which ballerina they enjoyed watching most on stage. This relates to The Goblin Market because the goblins would harass Lizzie for not taking their fruit. This would infuriate the goblins causing them to force themselves upon Lizzie to eat their fruit. Like the ballerinas could not fight back, Lizzie was overpowered and eventually became unclean. 

Blakemore, E. (2018, January 5). Sexual exploitation was the norm for 19th century ballerinas. History.com. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/sexual-exploitation-was-the-norm-for-19th-c....