THE RATTRAP

The chapter "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlöf from the book "Flamingo" (Class 12 English) is a
heartwarming story that revolves around the themes of human kindness, compassion, and the essential
goodness in people. It highlights how love and understanding can bring out the innate goodness in
individuals.

Detailed Summary of "The Rattrap"

1. Introduction of the Rattrap Seller
The story begins with the introduction of a poor, homeless vagabond who sells rattraps made of wire to
survive. He is described as a man with no permanent home or stable income, wandering from place to
place. To support himself, he resorts to begging and petty theft when sales are low.
• The narrator highlights the man’s cynical view of the world:
o He thinks the world is like a rattrap, where riches and comforts act as bait to trap
people.
o People, like rats, are lured by materialistic things but eventually get trapped.
The peddler's philosophy reflects his bitterness and disappointment with life.

2. The Crofter’s Hospitality

One evening, the rattrap seller knocked on the door of a small cottage. The owner, a lonely old crofter (a
tenant farmer), welcomed him warmly. Despite his own modest means, the crofter treated the stranger
with kindness and generosity:
• He offered the peddler food, company, and a place to sleep.
• The crofter shared personal details about his life, including how he had worked on a ram-
ironworks and now lived alone.
• Proud of his savings, the crofter showed the peddler a leather pouch where he had kept thirty
kronor (money) hanging on a window frame.
The crofter’s genuine hospitality touched the peddler, but it also tempted him.

3. The Peddler Steals the Money

The next morning, after leaving the crofter’s cottage, the peddler returned when the crofter was away. He
stole the thirty kronor from the leather pouch and fled.
• After committing the theft, the peddler felt a sense of guilt and unease.
 • As he wandered through the forest to avoid detection, he realized that he himself had been caught
in the rattrap of the world.
o The stolen money had become the bait that trapped him in a cycle of fear and guilt.
o The dense forest symbolized the metaphorical "trap" he was stuck in.
The peddler struggled to find his way out of the forest, growing tired, lost, and overwhelmed with fear.

4. Arrival at the Iron Mill

By evening, the peddler stumbled upon an iron mill, where he sought shelter. The blacksmiths were busy
with work, and the owner, the ironmaster, noticed the peddler sitting near the furnace.
• Mistaking the peddler for his old regimental comrade, the ironmaster invited him to his home to
spend Christmas.
• The peddler, who feared being caught for his theft, refused initially.
• The ironmaster’s daughter, Edla Willmansson, intervened. Her kind and persuasive nature
convinced the peddler to accompany them.

5. Edla’s Compassion and Generosity

At the ironmaster’s house, the peddler was treated with warmth and care:
• Edla ensured he was well-fed, clean, and comfortable.
• Unlike the ironmaster, who saw him as a former acquaintance, Edla treated him as a guest and
human being.
On realizing the peddler’s true identity the next morning (not his old friend), the ironmaster grew angry
and wanted to turn him out.
• However, Edla, out of compassion, convinced her father to let the peddler stay for Christmas.
• She believed everyone deserved kindness and a chance to change, especially during the festive
season.
Edla’s genuine concern and empathy deeply impacted the peddler.

6. The Peddler’s Transformation

The next morning, Edla and her father discovered that the peddler had left the house. However, to their
surprise:
• The peddler did not steal anything.
• Instead, he left a small gift for Edla—a tiny rattrap with three ten-kronor notes (the stolen
money) and a letter.
In the letter, the peddler expressed gratitude to Edla for treating him like a human being:
• He admitted he had been caught in the "world's rattrap" but Edla’s kindness had freed him.
• He returned the stolen money, asking her to return it to the crofter.
The letter was signed as: “Captain von Stahle”.
• This shows that the peddler had assumed a noble identity, symbolic of his moral transformation.

Themes in the Chapter

1. Human Kindness and Compassion
o The story highlights the power of kindness in bringing out the goodness in others.
o Edla’s compassion transforms the peddler from a thief to a self-respecting person.
2. The World as a Rattrap
o The rattrap serves as a metaphor for life, where materialistic temptations act as bait,
trapping people in a cycle of greed and misery.
3. The Essential Goodness of Human Beings
o Despite his actions, the peddler was not inherently bad. Given love and understanding, he
was able to reform and act honorably.
4. Redemption and Transformation
o The peddler’s journey shows that no one is beyond redemption. A small act of kindness
can lead to profound moral change.
5. Generosity vs. Materialism
o The crofter’s open-hearted hospitality contrasts with the peddler’s initial greed, showing
the moral choices humans face.

Character Sketches
1. The Peddler
o A poor, homeless vagabond who sells rattraps.
o Initially cynical and opportunistic, but transforms into a kind and grateful man.
2. The Crofter
o A lonely and generous old man who treats the peddler with kindness but becomes a
victim of theft.
3. The Ironmaster
 o A strict and practical man who initially judges the peddler harshly but later follows his
daughter’s advice.
4. Edla Willmansson
o The ironmaster’s daughter, compassionate, kind, and understanding.
o She sees the potential for good in the peddler and helps him transform.

Conclusion
"The Rattrap" is a beautiful story about the transformative power of kindness and compassion. It
teaches that every individual has the potential for goodness, and sometimes, all it takes is a little
understanding to bring it out. Edla’s selfless actions restore the peddler’s faith in humanity, leading him to
redemption. The story also reinforces the idea that materialism and greed can trap people, but love and
empathy can set them free.

Here is a list of literary devices used in the chapter "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlöf:

1. Metaphor
• The central metaphor in the story is the rattrap, which symbolizes the world with its
temptations.
o Example: “The whole world about him—the whole world with its lands and seas, its
cities and villages—was nothing but a big rattrap.”
o Effect: This metaphor highlights the idea that the world lures people with materialistic
attractions (bait), trapping them in greed, suffering, and misery.

2. Symbolism
• The rattrap: Symbolizes life’s temptations and how they ensnare individuals.
• Forest: Represents confusion, moral dilemmas, and being “trapped” in life.
• Christmas: Symbolizes redemption, generosity, and the spirit of giving.
• The name “Captain von Stahle”: Symbolizes the transformation and rebirth of the peddler into
a noble and honorable person.

3. Irony
• Situational irony occurs throughout the story:
o The peddler, who initially views the world as a rattrap, eventually finds himself “trapped”
by his own greed when he steals the crofter’s money.
 o Example: The peddler steals the money but later redeems himself by returning it.
o The ironmaster mistakes the peddler for his former comrade, Captain von Stahle.
• Effect: Irony emphasizes the contrast between appearances and reality and highlights the story’s
moral message.

4. Imagery
• Vivid descriptions help readers visualize scenes and feel the emotions of the characters.
o Example: “It was a big and mighty forge, whose roaring fire could be heard a long
distance away, and the tall, dark forge, lit up by the fire, made the scene look dramatic.”
o Effect: Creates strong visual and sensory impressions of the iron mill and forest,
enhancing the setting.

5. Alliteration
• The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words for rhythm and emphasis.
o Example: “...he walked and walked.”
o Example: “He warmed himself by the forge.”
o Effect: Adds a musical quality to the writing and highlights key actions or emotions.

6. Personification
• The rattrap and the world are personified as entities that trap people.
o Example: “The world had, of course, never been kind to him.”
o Effect: Adds depth to the rattrap metaphor and makes abstract ideas more relatable.

7. Simile
• Comparisons using “like” or “as” to make descriptions more vivid.
o Example: “It was as if the forest had closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison.”
o Effect: The simile conveys the peddler’s sense of hopelessness and entrapment.

8. Tone
• The tone of the story shifts from cynical and dark to hopeful and uplifting.
o Effect: Reflects the peddler’s transformation and the story’s optimistic conclusion.
Conclusion
The chapter “The Rattrap” masterfully uses literary devices like metaphor, symbolism, irony, and
imagery to convey its themes of compassion, redemption, and the goodness inherent in all humans. These
devices enrich the story and enhance its emotional and moral impact.

Here are quotations related to "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlöf, both from the chapter and
thematically relevant external quotes that align with the story's messages:

Quotations from the Chapter

1. "The whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages — was nothing but a big
rattrap."
o Context: The peddler’s cynical view of the world as a trap for people.
o Significance: This line introduces the central metaphor of the story, highlighting the
peddler’s bitterness and disillusionment.
2. "The world had never been kind to him, so it gave him unusual joy to think ill of it."
o Context: The peddler’s reflection on his difficult life.
o Significance: It shows the peddler’s justification for his cynical attitude toward life and
the world.
3. "It is not so strange, sir. The whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All the good things
that are offered to you are nothing but cheese rind for the rats."
o Context: The peddler explains his worldview to the ironmaster.
o Significance: Reinforces the metaphor of the world as a rattrap, where material things act
as bait.
4. "She was not at all pretty, but she seemed modest and quite shy."
o Context: Describing Edla Willmansson’s appearance and demeanor.
o Significance: Highlights Edla’s genuine kindness and simplicity, which later transform
the peddler.
5. "The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in this world’s
rattrap if he had not been raised to captain."
o Context: The letter left by the peddler for Edla.
o Significance: Marks the peddler’s moral transformation and redemption, showing
gratitude for Edla’s kindness.
6. "I am a rat in this world’s rattrap, and now I have been saved by your generosity."
 o Context: The peddler expresses how Edla’s compassion freed him from the metaphorical
“trap.”
o Significance: Shows the transformative power of love, kindness, and understanding.

Thematically Relevant External Quotations

On Kindness and Compassion
7. "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
o Aesop
o Relevance: Edla’s small act of kindness transforms the peddler’s life.
8. "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
o Mark Twain
o Relevance: Edla’s compassion speaks directly to the peddler’s heart and changes him.
9. "To err is human, to forgive divine."
o Alexander Pope
o Relevance: The story reflects the idea that forgiveness and understanding can bring
redemption.
10. "A good heart is worth gold."
o William Shakespeare
o Relevance: Edla’s good heart restores the peddler’s faith in humanity.

On Temptation and Redemption

11. "The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken."
o Samuel Johnson
o Relevance: The peddler initially falls into temptation but breaks free through Edla’s
kindness.
12. "Materialism coarsens the soul, but love refines it."
o Albert Schweitzer
o Relevance: The peddler’s journey shows that love and understanding can overcome
greed.
13. "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future."
o Oscar Wilde
 o Relevance: The peddler, despite his actions, finds redemption and transforms into a noble
man.

On Life’s Traps
14. "Life is a trap. In the trap, you either find yourself or lose yourself."
o Anonymous
o Relevance: The peddler realizes the metaphorical “trap” of life but ultimately finds
himself through kindness.
15. "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless pursuit of more."
o Erich Fromm
o Relevance: The peddler is initially trapped by greed but escapes it through Edla’s
generosity.
16. "The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection."
o Henri Nouwen
o Relevance: The peddler’s cynical view of himself changes when Edla treats him with
respect and dignity.

On Christmas and Transformation

17. "Christmas is not as much about opening presents as opening our hearts."
o Janice Maeditere
o Relevance: Edla’s kindness during Christmas opens the peddler’s heart to goodness.
18. "Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference."
o Barbara De Angelis
o Relevance: Edla’s love and understanding make a difference in the peddler’s life.
19. "The true spirit of Christmas is love and transformation."
o Unknown
o Relevance: Christmas in the story becomes a moment of redemption and moral
transformation.

These quotations—both from the story and external sources—reflect the key themes of kindness,
redemption, temptation, and transformation in "The Rattrap". They can be used effectively to support
essays, discussions, or exam answers.