THE RATTRAP

GRADE XII

The short story "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlöf explores the themes of
redemption, human kindness, and the potential for goodness within everyone,
even those seemingly lost in a life of crime. The tone is initially cynical and
pessimistic, reflecting the peddler's harsh life, but shifts to a more hopeful and
compassionate one as the story progresses, largely due to the influence of Edla
Willmansson. The rattrap itself serves as a powerful symbol of the world, with its
temptations and the potential for individuals to become trapped by greed and
material desires.
Themes:
 Redemption and Transformation:
The story emphasizes that no one is beyond redemption. The peddler, initially a
cynical thief, is transformed by the kindness and understanding shown to him by
Edla.
 Human Kindness and Compassion:
The story highlights the transformative power of compassion. Edla's genuine care
and empathy for the peddler awaken the goodness within him, leading him to
return the stolen money and even leave a note for her.
 The World as a Rattrap:
The central metaphor of the story is the world as a giant rattrap, with material
temptations like riches and comforts acting as bait. The peddler's initial
perspective and his later reflection on this idea underscore the theme.
 Essential Goodness of Human Beings:
The story suggests that despite circumstances, everyone possesses an inherent
goodness that can be awakened through love and understanding.
Tone:
 Initial Cynicism and Pessimism:
The story begins with a focus on the harsh realities of the peddler's life,
highlighting his loneliness, poverty, and struggle for survival.
 Growing Hope and Compassion:
As the story progresses, the tone shifts to one of hope and compassion, driven by
the kindness and understanding of Edla and the ironmaster.
 Resolution and Redemption:
The ending, with the peddler's act of returning the money and leaving a note,
creates a tone of resolution and a sense of redemption for the protagonist.
Symbolism:
 The Rattrap:
The most prominent symbol, representing the world and its material temptations
that can trap individuals.
 The Peddler's Journey:
Represents the journey of human life, with its ups and downs, and the possibility
of finding redemption through kindness and understanding.
 Edla's Compassion:
Symbolizes the transformative power of human kindness and empathy.
 The Stolen Money:
Represents the temptations of material gain and the potential for one to be
ensnared by them.
 The Manor House:
Symbolizes a place of refuge, warmth, and compassion, contrasting with the harsh
realities of the outside world.
Human Kindness
“The Rattrap” is a short, almost fairy-tale story that centers around the
transforming power of human kindness. An unnamed peddler of rattraps goes
from seeing the world as “one big rattrap” and engaging in robbery to returning
his stolen money and proclaiming himself free—all as a result of experiencing true
kindness and generosity from Edla Willmansson on Christmas Eve.
Trust vs. Cynicism
As “The Rattrap” begins, the homeless peddler is defined by his “rattrap”
philosophy of life: that the world is nothing but a big rattrap that offers “bait” in
the form of luxuries and pleasures, and then ensnares and ruins anyone who
reaches for this bait. This is a fundamentally cynical worldview, and one that the
story ultimately undercuts by showing its limitations and offering an alternate
philosophy.
Loneliness and Companionship
Connected to the themes of kindness and trust, “The Rattrap” also explores the
basic human need for companionship and community, and shows the negative
effects of loneliness, whether as a result of poverty, cynicism, or unkindness.
Identity and Naming
While it is primarily focused on the potential for goodness within people and the
interactions between them, “The Rattrap” also concerns itself with issues of
identity, especially the construction of identity through actions and choices, and
the role that names can play in this process. Ultimately, the story suggests that
identity is a fluid thing, and people can change or be changed to inhabit different
identities based on their choices and the actions of others

Setting and Context

Swedish Countryside, late 19th century
Question.1. In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler?
or
Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap?
Answer. The peddler was an impoverished individual who made his living by
crafting and selling rattraps, using materials he acquired through begging. His
constant struggle for survival left his thoughts dominated by the concept of
rattraps. One day, a profound realization struck him: he perceived the entire
world as an enormous rattrap. In his view, the various comforts and pleasures
that life offered—such as shelter, food, clothing, wealth, and happiness—were
merely enticing bait designed to ensnare humanity, much like the cheese or meat
used to lure unsuspecting rats. He believed that once a person fell into this trap,
their freedom and potential were effectively extinguished, leading to a bleak
conclusion where all aspirations and joys came to a sudden halt.
Question.2. Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a
rattrap?
Answer. The world had consistently shown little compassion for the unfortunate
peddler. Each place he visited met him with disdainful expressions, often resulting
in his being shunned or driven away. Consequently, he found a certain satisfaction
in harboring negative thoughts about society. Additionally, he likely felt a twinge
of envy towards those more fortunate than himself, taking a grim amusement in
the notion that one day, they too might fall prey to life's traps.
Question.3. Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How
was he treated by the Owner Of the cottage?
Answer. The peddler knocked on the cottage by the roadside to seek shelter for
the night. The owner of the cottage was a crofter who lived there alone. He
regarded the peddler as welcome company and treated him quite hospitably. He
not only put him up for the night, but also offered him food and played cards with
him.
Question.4. Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away?
or
Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about
him?
Answer. Edla had always thought the peddler to be a poor, homeless tramp.
Therefore, she didn’t feel cheated when his true identity was revealed. Instead,
she felt very bad for him and his miserable condition, and pleaded on his behalf.
She and her father had promised him Christmas cheer, and she felt that it would
be wrong to send him away.
Question.5. What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the
crofter had been robbed by the peddler?
Answer. It was at the church that the ironmaster and his daughter heard that the
crofter had been robbed by a peddler, who, no doubt, was the one they had
sheltered at the manor house. The ironmaster at once concluded that the peddler
would probably have stolen all his silverware in their absence, and run away.
Question.6. Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster?
Answer. The ironmaster has mistaken the peddler for an old regimental comrade
and invited him home. The peddler declined the invitation because he was
carrying the money he had stolen from the crofter. He knew that if the ironmaster
discovered his identity, he would hand him over to the police. Therefore, for him,
going to the manor house was like walking into a lion’s den.
Question.7. Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills? Why did he visit the mills
at night?

Answer. The owner of the Ramsjo iron mills was an ex-army man and an
ambitious and prominent ironmaster. He was very particular about the quality of
his products, and visited the mills even at night to make sure that good iron was
shipped out from his mills.
Question.8How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to
the furnace?
Answer. When the ironmaster saw a stranger in rags lying close to the furnace, he
went near him and removed his slouch hat to get a better view of his face. Due to
dim light in the forge and the peddler’s dirty appearance, he mistook him to be
Nils Olof, an old acquaintance of his regiment. He was delighted to see him and
invited him home for Christmas.
[Link] did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils
Olof?
Answer. The stranger did not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof because
he thought that if the gentleman believed that he was an old friend or
acquaintance of his, then he might take pity on him and help him with some
money.
[Link] did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s
cottage? How did he feel?
Answer. After stealing the money from the crofter’s, the peddler was cautious to.
avoid the public, highway lest he be identified and caught. He got into the woods
but finally realised that it was a big and confusing forest. The end of the forest
was nowhere in sight and he felt lost. That’s when he recalled his thoughts about
the world being a rattrap and he realised that he had indeed become a victim of a
rattrap.
[Link] made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer. The peddler believed in giving back to the world what he received from
it. He was always treated with contempt and hostility and so he never did
anything good. However, Edla’s kind and caring behaviour finally changed him.
She had treated him with love and respect befitting a captain, even after realising
that he was a poor vagabond. The trust that Edla showed in him made him
change his ways and he decided to live with dignity and respect.
Question.13.”Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.”
Which two reasons forced her to behave in that manner?
Answer. Edla had shown kindness to the peddler even after knowing that he was
not a captain. This was the reason why she felt all the more dejected when she
came to know that the peddler whom she had sheltered was actually a thief, who
had recently robbed a crofter. Secondly, she also felt bad because the peddler
had disproved the faith which she had shown in him.
Question.14. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Answer. The peddler owed his transformation to the kind treatment meted out to
him by Edla. In spite of knowing the truth about him, she had honoured and
treated him like a captain. She had awakened the latent goodness in his heart. He
wanted to repay Edla for her kindness. His signing himself as Captain von Stahle
shows that he wanted to retain the dignity and respect accorded to him.
Question.15. The story, The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical. Do
you agree with this statement? Why/Why not?
Answer. The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and philosophical.
The fast-paced narrative in the third person, generous use of dialogue by the
author and different characters belonging to different mind-sets and locales make
the story interesting and entertaining. Besides, the author has managed to keep
up the suspense till the end.
The incidents in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our
attention. The peddler’s incessant refusals to the ironmaster to accompany him,
but his accepting Edla’s invitation in one go, the ironmaster’s realisation of his
mistake, and Edla’s sympathy and generosity, all make the story quite gripping.
While all the above events make the story interesting, there is also an element of
philosophy in the story.
Somewhere, the peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One feels
caught up like a rat in the entrapping’s of the world. Some people fall into this
trap never to come out of it again. The story teaches us that, as human beings, we
are not above temptations.
Question.16. The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with
others. Explain.
Answer. All the characters in the story suffer from loneliness and are dreary souls.
First of all, the tramp appears to lead a sad, monotonous existence, left to his own
musings. He is always greeted by sour faces and cold words.
The old crofter’s fate has been somewhat kinder to him. Bereft of his wife and
children, he lives all alone in a cottage by the roadside, and is rather happy to
have visitors around. We also have the ironmaster and his daughter, Edla, who
have no company for Christmas. The ironmaster’s wife is dead and his sons are
settled abroad.
He, with his daughter, are happy to play hosts for his friend. Thus, all of them
have a strong desire for bonding and comradeship. The crofter is happy to be
friends with the peddler, although only for a night. It is the bonding with the
ironmaster’s daughter that transforms the peddler. The love, understanding and
dignity that he gets from the girl makes him leave his dishonest ways and redeem
himself.
Question.17. Give examples from the story, The Rattrap’ to show how the
ironmaster is different from his daughter.
Answer. The character of the ironmaster was very different from that of his
daughter. He was an ambitious and arrogant man. When he saw the peddler, he
mistook him for his old regimental comrade, and invited him home, but this was
more out of his sense of pride than out of sympathy or generosity.
When the ironmaster realised that he had been mistaken, he called the peddler
dishonest and threatened to call the Sheriff. When he learnt that the peddler was
a thief, he was ‘ worried about his own silverware.
On the other hand, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, was a kind and
compassionate lady who was really sympathetic and considerate towards the
peddler right from the beginning. She treated him with respect and dignity even
after knowing that he was not a captain. It was her generous attitude which finally
changed the peddler, bringing out the essential goodness of his nature.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Question.18 How does the story, 'Rattrap' highlight the importance of community
over isolation? Support your rationale with textual evidence.