In the story The Rattrap’, the peddler goes around selling small rattraps of wine. Thinking of his rattraps, he was struck by the idea that the whole world around him with its lands and seas, its cities and villages-was nothing but a big rattrap. He thought that the world had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people.

The world offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end. This is how the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament. The more we are allured by the worldly things, the more we are entrapped by them. And then there is no way out.

Question - 22 : -
The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us ?

Answer - 22 : -

The peddler was endowed with a great sense of humour. He compares the world about him with a rattrap, which sets baits for the people. As the world had never been kind to him, so it gave him “unwai d joy” to think ill of it in this way. It was his pastime to think Of the people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare, and of others who were still circling around the bait. It shows his sense of humour. As he walked alongwith the stolen money of crofter, he felt “quite pleased with his smartness”.

When he was entrapped in the forest he recalled about the world and the rattrap. He thought that “his own turn had come”, which also shows his sense of humour. He thought that he had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught. When the blacksmith “nodded a haughty constent” without, uttering a single word, he did not mind.- He thought that he had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep.

He did not reveal his real identity to the ironmaster because he thought that thinking him as an old acquaintance, the ironmaster might perhaps “throw him a couple of kronor”. While riding up to the manor house he thought that he was sitting in the trap and will never get out of it. When the ironmaster realised that he was not his old acquaintance and threatened to call the sheriff, he told him that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap and the ironmaster began to laugh. His letter written to Edla also shows his sense of humour. His sense of humour serves in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story. It also endears him to us as it evoked our sympathy with him.

Question - 23 : -
The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so ? Is the sympathy justified ?

Answer - 23 : -

Though the rattrap peddler indulged in begging as well as petty thievery to keep body and soul together, yet from the beginning of the story he attracts our sympathy. His clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes. He was a vagabond whose life was sad and monotonous. His idea of comparing the world with a big rattrap in which human beings are entrapped looks so appealing to us. He evokes our sympathy also because the world has never been very kind to him.

The way he has to seek shelter at various places and has to meet usually “sour faces” also evokes the reader’s sympathy towards him. Perhaps that is why he wins the sympathy of the old crofter and Edla and to some extent of the ironmaster. Edla felt that she should do something for “the poor hungry wretch”, who walks and walks throughout the year. Wherever he turns, he is l chased away. That is why our sympathy is with the peddler. I think despite detesting him [ as a petty thief, our overall sympathy with the peddler is justified.

Question - 24 : -
The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.

Answer - 24 : -

The story ‘The Rattrap’ also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. The rattrap peddler himself leads a sad, monotonous and lonely life. The old crofter also lives in his cottage all alone without wife and children. He welcomes the peddler, a total stranger to him with all enthusiasm and happiness so that he can talk to somebody in his loneliness. He got out an old pack of cards and played ‘mjolis’, a game of cards, with his guest until bedtime.

The ironmaster is also leading more or less a lonely life. His wife had died and his sons abroad. He lives with his daughter. Mistaking the peddler as an old acquaintance, he insists that he must go with him to his home. The ironmaster tells the peddler that he and his daughter were feeling bad because they did not have any company for Christmas.

He asks the peddler to come along with him to help them make the Christmas food disappear a little faster. When the peddler declined his offer, he sends his daughter to him and she is successful in taking him to their home. She also requests him to stay with them over Christmas Eve. Even after the peddler’s true identity had been revealed, Edla makes her father agree to the stranger’s staying with them for Christmas. He does this so that he can enjoy a day of peace with them there – just one in the whole year. Thus the story rightly focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond others.

Question - 25 : -
Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world ?

Answer - 25 : -

For self-attempt and class-room activity. You are to discuss in group of four and then present the views of your group in the class. You may discuss in your group about an episode or a story where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world. Then one of you can speak about it in the class.

Question - 26 : -
The story is both entertaining and philosophical.

Answer - 26 : -

‘The Rattrap’ is a very interesting and entertaining story about a rattrap peddler. He went round selling small rattraps of wire, which he himself made. He got the material for it by begging in the stores or at big farms. But the story is not only entertaining, but it gives us a philosophical idea also. The idea is that the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages is nothing but a big rattrap. The world set baits for people.

The world offers riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, the world closed in on him. And then there is no escape. Thus the story conveys a very noble and philosophical idea that all the worldly things which fascinate us are just like the bait of the rattrap, which entraps us. The way Edla Willmansson treats the peddler we can draw a lesson that the essential goodness in a human being can be awakened through understanding and love.

Question - 27 : -
The man selling rattraps is referred to by many terms such as “peddler, stranger” etc. Pick out all such references to him.

Answer - 27 : -

What does each of these labels indicate of the context or the attitude of the people around him.

Answer

The man selling rattraps is referred to by many terms in the story. He is called a “vagabond’ because he wanders from place to place without a settled home. When he is with the crofter, he is called a ‘stranger’ because the crofter did not know him before. He is also called ‘the man with the rattraps’ because he sells them.

He is also called ‘the rattrap peddler’ because he is a travelling hawker who sells rattraps. He is also called a ‘tramp’ because he is a stroller. When the ironmaster saw him first he thought that he was ‘the tall ragamuffin’ because he was a tall fellow wearing shabby clothes. He is also referred to as the ironmaster is “old regimental comrade’ because the ironmaster mistook for a captain he knew.

After he tells the ironmaster about the world being a big trap, he laughed and called him “a good fellow”. The ironmaster’s daughter Edla refers to him as “the poor hungry wretch” because he was a poor and hungry. She also refers to his as “vagabond”.

Question - 28 : -
Notice the words in hold in the following sentence

Answer - 28 : -

“The fire hoy shoveled charcoal into the maw of the furnace with a great deal of clatter”. This is a phrase that is used in the specific context of an iron plant.

Pick out other such phrases and words from the story that are peculiar to the terminology of ironworks. “‘

Answer:

Phrases and words from the story that are peculiar to the terminology of ironworks are mentioned below -

A hard regular thumping.

Those are the hammer strokes from an iron mill.

with smelter, rolling mill, and forge.

Master smith and his helper sat in the dark forge near the furnace.

Waiting for the pig iron.

to be ready to put on the an vil.

to stir the glowing mass.

The big bellows groaned.

The burning cool cracked.

Question - 29 : -
“Mjolis” is a card game of Sweden.
Name a few indoor games played in your region. “Chopar” could be an example.

Answer - 29 : -

Besides cards, the indoor games played in our region are ludo, carram, table tennis etc.

Question - 30 : -
A “Crofter” is a person who rents or owns a small farm especially in Scotland. Think of other uncommon terms for “a small farmer” including those in your language.

Answer - 30 : -

The other terms for “a small farmer” are granger, rancher, planter, tiller, cultivator, peasant, ranchman, grower etc.

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