THE RATTRAP BY SELMA LAGERLOF

GIST OF THE CHAPTER

1 Rat Trap Man

. made living by selling rattraps

. business not profitable

. had to beg and steal

. even then poor

2. His Philosophy

. whole world was a rat trap

. if offered riches, joys, shelter, food etc., as bait.

. if tempted to bait, everything came to end

3. Simplicity of old man who gave shelter to Rat trap man

. one night rat trap man stayed at old man.s house

. old man happy to have someone

. simple, generous, hospitable

. offered big slice from tobacco roll, played cards

. told about past, was a crofter, prosperous

. now, his cow supported, earned thirty kronors

. showed the rat trap man pouch having Kroner

. next day, rat trap man stole money.

4. Rat trap man loses his way

. does not continue on public highway

. goes into woods, loses way

. walks endlessly, tired, realizes

. realizes he himself has been caught in rat trap

. hears sound of hammer strokes

. walks in that direction, reaches iron mill

. finds master smith, doesn.t notice rat trap man

. later, blacksmith grants permission to sleep.

5. Iron master and his daughter Edla

. owner of Ramsjo Iron Mill

. mistakes rat trap man as old acquaintance called von Stahle

. invites him to home to spend Christmas

. rat trap man doesn.t agree

. agrees when Edla comes and requests

. overwhelmed by her compassionate and friendly manner

6. Secret revealed

. rat trap man well groomed

. iron man realizes mistake

. rat trap man makes no attempt to hide

. ready to leave wearing old rags

. Edla requests father to allow him to stay

. they had promised Christmas cheer

7. The rat trap man turns a new leaf

. quietly eats food, sleeps

. next morning, father and daughter go to church

. hear that crofter robbed by a rat trap man

. daughter sad, informed rat trap man left gift

. small rat trap with thirty kronors and a note

. wishes money to be returned to crofter

. confesses that he had made a mistake

. got caught in his own rat trap

. thanks for treating him like a real captain

8. What we learn from the story

. Life is one big rat trap

. one gets trapped by own deeds

. everyone should get a second chance to improve oneself

NCERT QUESTIONS

1.From where did the peddler get the idea of this world being a rattrap?

While plodding along the road, left to his own meditations ,the peddler was struck by the idea that this world around him with its lands and cities is a big rattrap.It had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for its people.

2 Why was he amused by this idea?

The peddler’s life was sad and monotonous. Since the world had never been kind to him, he was full of bitterness and malice against it. He peddler experienced unwonted joy at everyone else’s discomfort, pain at being ensnared by the devilish ways of the world. It gave him sadistic delight to see  others caught in the snare and still others cicling around the bait.

3 Did the peddler expect the kind  of hospitality that he received from the crofter?

The peddler was accustomed to being greeted by sour faces or better still be refused help of any kind if he approached someone. The crofter , on the contrary was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. The crofter served him with porridge for supper and tobacco. He also played a game of cards with him.

4 Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?

The crofter was an old man without a wife or child. He was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He valued the presence of the peddler so much that he shared his confidences generously with him. It was probably a way for the crofter to infuse a sense of joy in his otherwise dreary life.

5 Why did he show the thirty kronor notes to the peddler?

The crofter told the peddler that he had earned a reasonable sum of money from his extraordinary cow that gave him so much milk for creamery everyday and had earned thirty kronor last month. The peddler seemed incredulous to acknowledge this piece of information.

So, in order to assure his guest of the truth, he showed thirty kronor to him.

6 Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed  in him by the crofter?

–        crofter offered hospitability

–        shared his secrets, showed him the money

–        next morning peddler smashed window panes

–        got the pouch, stole the notes

–        hung the leather pouch at its place

–        smartly walked away with the money

7 What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?

 When the peddler realized that he had been walking around in circles in the forest, he recalled his thoughts about the world and the rattrap. He felt that now his own time had come and the forest was like an impenetrable prison, a rattrap. Since he had taken the bait, the thirty kronor, he was caught and escape may not be possible.

8.Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?

The ironmaster mistook the peddler for his old acquaintance ,the regimental comrade, Captain von Stahle. He was shocked to see that his old comrade had fallen on bad days. So ,he invited him to his own house to give him company at Christmas and to make his future secure.

9 Why did the peddler decline the invitation?

The peddler declined the invitation as he was afraid of being detected as a thief. He felt that by accepting the invitation to go to the ironmaster’s house, he was voluntarily walking into lion’s den. He only wished to sleep in the forge and sneak away as inconspicuously as possible.

10 What made the peddler accept Edla’s invitation?

Edla’s kindness, persuasive nature, friendly and compassionate manner allowed the peddler to have confidence in her. Her assurance that he would be just as free to leave as he came left him with no option but to accept the invitation.

11What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?

When Edla approached him and lifted his hat the man jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened. She noticed that the man was afraid as if he had either stolen something or escaped frm jail. Next morning she went on to express her reservations about the man and told her father that he did not seem educated at all.

12  When did the ironmaster realize his mistake?

When the stranger had been bathed, shaved and had his hair cut by the valet, he appeared truly clean and well dressed.The ironmaster looked at him with puckered brow, and it was easy for him to understand that when he had seen the strange fellow in the uncertain reflection from the furnace he might have made a mistake.

13 What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person the ironmaster had thought that he was?

The peddler insisted that it had not been his fault for he never pretended to be anything but a poor trader, and begged to be allowed to stay in the forge. He offered to put on his rags and go away.

14Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?

Edla did not think it proper to chase away a human being whom they had invited to their house and had promised him Christmas cheer. She also felt pity for the peddler, who she felt had no place to rest without the fear of being chased away. She wanted him to have a day of peace and rest with them. She wanted the peddler to enjoy the Christmas festivities with them. Hence she still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him.

15Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
-It restored her faith in the belief that all human beings are basically good
-had succeeded in bringing about the transformation in the peddler
-his basic goodness has been awakened
-pedler had not let her down

16 Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain Von Stahle?

The peddler signed the letter as Captain Von Stahle to vindicate his stand and prove that it was Edla’s kindness and compassion which enabled him to behave in a manner worthy of her trust. Signing his name as Captain Von Stahle was an acceptance of the exalted stature of the captain that the peddler had been placed at.

17 How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?

Answer:  Legerlof's first scene of compassion is from the old man's hospitality. Despite the fact that he did not know the peddler, the old man still opened his arms and acted charitable by providing food and shelter. Showing scant regard to the crofter’s generosity and violating the trust the old man reposed in him, he stole thirty kronors  from his house. Feeling no compunction about robbing him of his hard earned money, the peddler thought he had acted very smartly.

As the peddler ponders on the road of guilt, he soon receives a second action of care from the ironmaster’s hospitality which also did not touch the peddler’s heart. When the iron master mistook him as an old acquaintance he did not clear his doubt in hope of getting a couple of kronor notes. When he is invited by the ironmaster to his house to celebrate Christmas, he feels a sense of entrapment and thus , declines the invitation. On  realizing his real identity when the ironmaster shows him the door, the ungrateful vagabond gives him a piece of his mind saying that he too might be ensnared in the rattrap of this world.

 However Edla’s warmth, friendliness and hospitality touched him. When the girl treated him like a Captain, he spontaneously behaved like a real Captain. He left a rattrap as a Christmas gift for Edla and enclosed a letter of thanks and confession in it. Leaving behind the stolen money to be restored to the owner, he redeemed himself from his dishonest ways and emerged an altogether transformed person.

18 What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different from that of his daughter in many ways?

Answer: The ironmaster misunderstood the peddler for an old acquaintance,whereas his daughter could make out that the man was afraid, which was suggestive of him having stolen something. Though the father and the daughter express compassion for the vagabond both do so for different reasons .The ironmaster was sure to help the vagabond get over his tramp manners because he had mistaken the latter for his old comrade. The daughter however wishes to  feed him and welcome him inspite of knowing that he was not Captain Von Stahle. The father acts impulsively and casually and invites him without confirming the stranger’s identity. On realizing his mistake he recklessly wants to hand him over to the sheriff. Only when he is threatened to be ensnared by the rattrap of this world that he thinks otherwise. Edla on the other hand shows a strong sense of observation. She rightly judges him to be a tramp without any education. She persuades her father to let him stay because they had promised him Christmas cheer. When the blacksmith's daughter infects the protagonist with her true altruism the peddler's inner soul experiences a rapid transformation form an ugly duckling to a dazzling swan.

19 The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.

Answer: The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others.

Used to being greeted by sour faces the crofter seems taken aback at the peddler’s request for accommodation for the night. Then the peddler’s act of stealing does not match the reader’s expectations. The breach of trust comes as a bit of a shock.Then the ironmaster’s sudden invitation to the tramp comes as the next surprise. The peddler’s vehement refusal to accompany him and later on accepting the invitation at Edla’s insistence all generate surprise. Edla’s  readiness to entertain the peddler even after knowing his reality was quite unexpected.

The most unexpected of gestures is when the peddler leaves for Edla a Christmas gift, a letter of thanks and the stolen money to be returned to the old crofter. His transformation is that which completes the chain of unexpected reactions.

20 The story “The Rattrap” focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Comment.

‘The Rattrap’ tells us the story of a lonely peddler who has nothing and no one to call his own. He wanders from place to place mistreated and mistrusted by the world.

.Then we come across the old crofter who leads a solitary life and hungers for company. He accords a warm reception to the peddler as he views him as someone to talk to and pass a few lonely hours with. It is his need to bond that makes him trust the peddler and show him his money.

 Similarly, the ironmaster shows his eagerness for the peddler’s company  mistaking him for an old aquaintance. His wife is no more, his sons are abroad.and he has no one but his eldest daughter at home. He offers his hospitality to the peddler wanting some suitable company to ward off his loneliness. Even his daughter, a shy and modest girl, persuades the peddler to stay with them on Christmas Eve as she has no one to look after and make comfortable except her father. She looks forward to some company                            to make the occasion more festive. Finally the peddler is also enticed by the kindness of the ironmaster’s daughter and the proposition of peace, rest, good   food and excellent company for a change.

The theme of loneliness and the need to bond is projected strongly in all the characters in the story.

21  The story is both entertaining and philosophical. Discuss

The narrative enthralls the reader toning down its philosophical didacticism. The fast paced third person narrative together with graphic description of characters, elements of humour, drama and irony make it an interesting read(Give examples). The element of surprise with regard to the flow of events holds our interest. This is true of being accepted as a guest by the crofter, breaking his trust, getting lost in the forest, being invited by the ironmaster and subsequent refusal together with Edla’s insistence and peddler’s final submission.The final acts of transformation and redemption make the narrative quite gripping and entertaining.

The author has used the metaphor of a rattrap to highlight the human predicament. Just like the rats are trapped by cheese and food similarly men are lured by land, food, shelter, clothing etc. these are baits. Those who touch them are trapped by material benefits. The rattrap brings home the fact that human goodness is an intrinsic part of ones nature. It can be forever kept alive through love and understanding. No one is infallible and in ones weak moments is susceptible to falling to temptation. There could be some individuals with the strength of character to break through the rattrap and discover the essential human goodness.Thus the story comes across as both entertaining and philosophical.

22.The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why this is so? Is the sympathy justified?

The peddler wins the readers’ sympathy for his way of life and how the world treats him. The vagabond moves about selling small rattraps. As his business is not rewarding , he takes to begging and petty thievery to keep his body and soul together.

His life is sad and monotonous. He plods along the road lost in his own meditation. HE CONSIDERS THE WHOLE WORLD AS A BIG RATTRAP. The world has never been kind to him and it gives him unwonted joy to think ill of it . Whenever he asks shelter for a night , he meets sour faces. He is an unwelcome , unwanted and undesirable figure. The blacksmith at forge glance at him only casually and indifferently. The master smith nods a haughty consent without honouring him with a single word.

His sympathy is justified not only because he was a victim of circumstances but also because he redeems himself in the end. Edla Willmanson’s kind and compassionate behavior arouses the tramp’s goodness. He thanks her for her sympathy and returns the stolen money.

23. What made the peddler finally change his ways?

The peddler had been living a despicable life of poverty, despair and frustration without ever coming across any soul to understand, sympathize, love and guide him. Neither the crofter’s hospitality nor the ironmaster’s invitation to the manor house made any impact on him. In fact he repaid the crofter by stealing his earnings and the ironmaster by giving a piece of his mind when the latter talked of taking the matter to the sheriff.

However , the meeting with the ironmaster’s daughter was the turning point in his life. The kindness , the concern and the understanding that she showed him touched the core of his heart  and transformed his way of thinking. The ironmaster’s daughter understood that he needed security and succor and convinced her father to allow him to stay on in their house to share the Christmas  cheer. She restored his dignity and self worth. She treated him like a captain of the army though she was aware that he was a common tramp.

When the girl treated him like a Captain, he spontaneously behaved like a real Captain. He left a rattrap as a Christmas gift for Edla and enclosed a letter of thanks and confession in it. Leaving behind the stolen money to be restored to the owner, he redeemed himself from his dishonest ways and emerged an altogether transformed person.

24. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?

The author Selma Lagerlof tells a universal theme through all her stories. One can not imagine how dull and sad a vagabond might be walking slowly along the roads for his bread. The metaphor of the rattrap struck on one such occasion. He was plodding along the road, duly lost in his own meditations. The whole world about him- the whole world with its lands, seas, cities and villages was nothing but a big rattrap. The world had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people to trap them. The world offered riches, joys, food, shelter and clothing like a bait offering cheese and pork in a rattrap for the rats. As soon as anyone is tempted and he to touches the bait, it closes on him and then everything came to an end for him in life.

The peddler remembered his thoughts about the world and the rattrap when he was lost in a huge , confusing forest , with the stolen money in his pocket. He felt now his turn had come. He had let himself befooled by bait. Now he had been caught and there was no escape. Once again the metaphor of rattrap gets relevant in connection with the peddler’s encounter with the ironmaster. The ironmaster invited the peddler to his house. He refused to go there thinking that going up there would mean throwing himself into the lion’s den.

Whenever a person finds himself at the crossroads of temptation and righteousness, the mirage of materialism fools him and he gets entrapped in the world’s dangerous snare. This is where human predicament follows suit.

The metaphor of a rattrap reveals man’s helplessness in pursuit of life’s ambitions. The world thus becomes a huge rattrap. Though one can’t see the bars and wires yet one gets firmly entrenched in the quagmire of situations and circumstances. The pettiness and triviality of life’s situations pull an individual deeper into the abyss of loss with no scope for deliverance.

EXTRA QUESTIONS:

Short answer questions:

1.      *. How did the peddler earn his livelihood? (p-32 ,1^st para)

2.      Why does the peddler feel that the whole world is a rattrap?(2009)(p-33 ,1^st para)

3.        The crofter can be called as a good host. Why? (SP) (he welcomed the tramp, Offered him hot supper, gave him tobacco to smoke , played cards with him)

4.      *. What did the crofter reveal about his past? (p-33,4^th para-The old man)

5.      Why did the Peddler choose to go through the forest?

(After stealing the thirty kroners from the crofter, the Peddler knew that he would be caught and put in prison if he continued to walk by the man road. So he chose the back roads that went through the forest.)

6.      Why did the Peddler not reveal his true identity when the ironmaster mistakes him to be the Captain?

(The Peddler thought that the ironmaster might take pity on him give him some money if he thought he was an old acquaintance. So he keeps quiet and allows the iron master to presume he was the captain).

7.      What was the first impression that Edla got about the peddler? (p- 38 , 3rd para-She looked at him )

8.      .What shows that Edla was very observant, quick and sharp by nature?

9.       When the ironmaster threatened to call the Sherriff, how did the peddler react?

Ans: (The peddler defended himself that he was a poor man. He said that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All the good things that are offered to him were just baits. The baits were set out to drag a poor man into trouble. In case the Sherriff came to lock him up, the day was not far when the ironmaster would be trapped himself.)

10.  Why did the ironmaster decide not to hand over the peddler to the sheriff?

11.  What news did Edla get at the church?(p-42 ,1^st para –At Church she had learnt)

12.  GIve two instances from the story ‘Rat Trap’ to show that the peddler realized he himself was trapped.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1 ‘A simple act of mercy and kindness can bring about a change of heart’. Discuss the significance of love and kindness with reference to the story ‘The Rat Trap.’(2009)

.Q2 Attempt a character sketch of the peddler. (2008)

Q3 Comment on the title. (2008)

Q4.How did the peddler get out of the rattrap he had fallen into? (2009)

Q5Why did the ironmaster’s invitation to the peddler to spend Christmas eve with him make him think that he was going to fall into a trap? (2008)

(-thought the world to be a rattrap

-after stealing from the crofter got lost in the jungle

-it offered him the temptation of shelter just as the rattrap would offer cheese and pork as bait

-to go to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den)

Q6“Man surely has the freedom of choice to escape temptations.” Discuss with reference to the story The Rat Trap.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Rat Trap" written by Selma Lagerlof is a short story about an old disheartened beggar and thief who is taken in and shown generosity by a young woman, her kindness changes his bitter attitude about life. The peddler is a man who has fallen upon misfortune and now resorts to selling rattraps, begging, and thievery. He is very pessimistic about the world around him and sees the world as merely a "rat trap". He believes that society tempts us with riches and fine things, and when we accept, we are caught in the trap and are left with nothing.

The warmth of compassion extends its rays around the world, engraving mankind with its characteristic. Selma Legerlof supports the theory of compassion in her modern day short story "The Rat Trap" which depicts the powerful and positive impacts of such care. In the story, cynicism grips the protagonist rat trap peddler until the old man and the blacksmith's daughter infect the protagonist with their altruism. Thus, the peddler's inner soul experiences a rapid transformation form an ugly duckling to a dazzling swan.
Legerlof's first scene of compassion is from the old man's hospitality. Despite the fact that he did not know the peddler, the old man still opened his arms and acted charitable by providing food and shelter. This action is not typical in the today's world; a majority of us would turn a blind eye. However, although the old man showed a sign of compassion, it was not appreciated—the protagonist stole from the old man. As the peddler ponders on the road of guilt, he soon receives a second action of care from a little girl.
Compassion is illustrated when the blacksmith's daughter takes pity on the protagonist. Although she knew the fact that he was not Captain von Stahle, whom he claimed to be, the girl said, " I think he ought to stay with us today. I don't want him to go." The girl's compassionate words cracked the foundation of the protagonist's cynical world. Throughout the story, the protagonist only believed in the dismal side of human nature, survival of the fittest, and viewed the world as a battlefield. His whole belief system was shattered when he received the girl's pity and an opportunity to enjoy his first "true" Christmas.

Lagerlof's "The Rat Trap" strongly validates the concept that compassion revolves around humankind. She provides evidence when the old man and the blacksmith's daughter show compassion towards the protagonist. As a result, the girl acted as the North Star, guiding the protagonist out of the trap of cynicism.

Another lesson the mendicant learns throughout the course of the story is to be considerate of others. At the end of the novel, he makes amends with the old man by returning his money and writing Edla a thank you note. He understands what he did to the man was wrong and that was not returning the kindness and trust given to him. He apologized for lying to the girl and her father and leaves her a present, a rat trap and the stolen money(thirty croner bills) of the old man to be returned.

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