Q.1. How can we
transform and clean an evil doing person? Give examples from the story
‘Rattrap’. Or
“The Rattrap” Express
the universal theme highlighted by the author in the story. Or
How did the line of
thought bring a change in the life of the rattrap peddler?
Ans: The author, Selma Lagerlof has highlighted a universal theme
in this story. It is that we can arouse the goodness in the life of a man by
love, understanding, sympathy and respect. Once upon a time there was a man who
went around selling self-made small rattraps of wire. His condition was too
miserable to beg and do petty
things. One day he thought that the whole world around him was a big trap. It
offered riches, joys , food, shelter and clothing like a bait offering cheese
and pork in a rattrap for the rats. Those who were tempted to touch the bait,
it closed on them bringing an end to everything. One dark evening he stayed at
crofter’s cottage, he was given food and shelter. But the next morning he stole
thirty kronor from there. The he kept on walking all day long on the same path
in the forest. On hearing the sound of hammer strokes, he reached the iron mill
and lay near the surface. The ironmaster mistook him to be his old acquaintance
and invited him for Christmas cheer but he refused. He sent his daughter, Edla
who persuaded him to their house. After him well dressed, the from master found
that he mistook him. So he ordered him to get out at once. The young girl
wanted him to stay as they promised him Christmas cheer. He was treated like
real captain with food. In their absence when they were at the church he left
at the church they learnt the rattrap seller had robbed the old crofter. So
they became worried. When they returned they found that the stranger had taken
nothing with him and left behind a Christmas gift for Edla. She found a small
rattrap thirty kronor and a letter in it. The letter stated that she had taken
him as if he were a captain, so he would be nice to her as a captain. It had
given him power to cleanse himself.
Q.2. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human
predicament.
Ans: 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. Like the poor rattrap seller, people get tempted to the pouch baits
hung on the window frame, break the window pane and steal the kronor. For
self-temptation people like the peddler don’t want to undeceive others about
themselves. The touching of the bait always makes people realize that they are
caught in the world rattrap now. It is their turn now, they must stop cherish
it as their pastime of thinking about the known who get trapped and others who
are circling around the trap. They must rise above the baits and shun evil
doings like Captain Von Stahle.
Short-answer questions:
Q.1.What idea suddenly struck in the
mind of the rattrap peddler?
Ans: One day the peddler was moving along the road
suddenly an idea struck to his mind. He viewed that the whole world was a big
rattrap to trap the people in. It offered, riches, joys, shelter, food, heat
and clothing like the rattrap offered cheese and pork to tempt to the rats. The
world existed only to set baits for the people. Anyone who was tempted to touch
the bait, the rattrap was closed in on him.
Q.2. Who was Crofter and how did he
welcome the peddler?
Ans:
The Crofter was an old man, who lived alone in his house. One dark evening when
the peddler knocked at the door of the Crofter. He was very hospitable person
and offered him supper and bed to sleep He amused him with the game of
‘mjolis’. He told the fact that he earned thirty kronor by selling the milk of
his cow.
Q.3. How did the peddler rob the
crofter?
Ans:
The Crofter was living alone in his house. So, he needed someone to talk in his
loneliness. That time the peddler reached at his house. He welcomed him. The
crofter had taken out and stuffed thirty kronor in the presence of the peddler.
Both left in the morning. After half an hour, the peddler returned, smashed the
window pane and stole thirty kronor from the pouch and hung it on its usual
place.
Q.4.Why did the peddler accept Edla’s
invitation?
Ans:
Earlier the ironmaster had tried his best to invite the peddler to his house
for Christmas. He wanted his company but he declined his offer. So the
ironmaster sent his daughter to invite him as she had better power of
persuasion. She looked at the peddler compassionately. Her friendly manners
aroused confidence in him. So he accepted her invitation.
Q.5. When the ironmaster threatened to
call the Sherriff. How did the peddler conduct?
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 him.
Q.6. The Rattrap is a
story where a good deed or an act of kindness changes a person’s view of the
world. Discuss with reference to the theme.
Ans. ‘The Rattrap’ is an entertaining and philosophical story that
reveals the theme of the human tendency to redeem oneself from dishonest ways.
The tramp proves the idea that the essential goodness of human beings can be
awakened through understanding and love. Circumstances had forced the peddler
to indulge in petty crimes. Even though he used to sell made from scrap metal,
his poverty had brought out the worst in him, making him bitter and killing his
conscience. The tramp’s view of the world was a cynical one: he envied those
who were better off than him. He believed the world to be like a rattrap that
offered temptations like shelter and food for entrapping victims. The peddler
does not hesitate to steal the money from the crofter even though he enjoys his
hospitality and warm welcome. Pangs of guilt trouble him when he loses his way
in the forest. His bitter and hardened temperament receives a chance for
repentance when he encounters the iron master and his daughter. The author
brings an effective twist in the story to show that innate goodness exists in
all human beings. It takes a little love, understanding and an act of
friendship to bring it to the fore. The iron master’s daughter showed him
sympathy, honour and respect and gave him a sense of dignity. This touched a
chord in the heart of the peddler who at once felt that he was no longer the
nameless tramp that he had been all his life but somebody with an identity. He
redeemed himself by returning the stolen money as he had felt motivated by
Edla’s kindness.
Q.7.How has the author of
‘The Rattrap’ developed the theme of the story?
Ans. The author, Selma Lagerlof has beautifully dwelt on the theme
of ‘The Rattrap’ and used the rattrap as a metaphor to develop the theme.
Almost all human beings find it hard to resist the temptation of material goods
or benefits and consciously fall into the trap. The world is a rattrap where
human beings constantly fall prey to various baits kept for them. However, the
author has brought across the idea that all human beings possess an essential
goodness which can be tapped through love, compassion and understanding. An
individual can redeem himself from dishonest ways if he makes an effort. The
peddler of rattraps calls the world a big rattrap. The material benefits like
riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing are temptations that
allure a person to fall into the rattrap. Once a person accepts the bait, he or
she is trapped forever. The peddler gets tempted to steal the crofter’s money.
He is too afraid to move about in the open, hence moves through the woods.
Later, it is the kind, sympathetic and generous treatment given to him by Edla
and her father that helps him get transformed and free him from the feelings of
guilt and get rid of the rattrap forever. The rattrap becomes a symbol of
worldly temptations and the peddler symbolizes man’s efforts to escape them.
Q.8. From where did the
peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Ans. The tramp went around selling small rattraps made of scrap
wire. One day he was struck by the idea that the whole world was nothing but a
big rattrap. It existed only to set baits for people. It offered riches and
joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing in the same manner as the rattrap
offered cheese. As soon as someone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it
closed in on him and then everything came to an end.
Q.9. Why was he amused at
this idea?
Ans. His own life was sad and monotonous. He was a vagabond,
lonely and isolated from any family life. The world had treated him harshly. So
it gave him some joy to think of the world this way. It becomes a pastime for
him to think of people letting themselves being caught in the dangerous trap of
others who are still circling around the bait.
Q.10. Did the rattrap maker
expects the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans. The peddler was surprised at the kind of hospitality that he
received at the crofter’s home. He was invited inside with a smile and he was
made to feel quite welcome instead of the usual hostile and sour faces that he
met. He was served hot porridge for supper and the crofter shared his pipe
tobacco with him. They also played a game of cards. Thus the tramp was treated
well by the crofter who was unexpected.
Q.11. What made the man think
that he had fallen into a rattrap?
Ans. After stealing the money from the crofter, the tramp turned
into the forest. He wanted to avoid walking on the road. Confused and
disoriented by the trees in the forest and the narrow twisting paths made him realize
that he was lost. Tired and cold, he lay down in despair feeling that the
forest had transformed into a rattrap. He felt guilty as if he was caught by
the bait. (Q.) Did the peddler respect
the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Ans. The peddler betrayed the trust that the crofter had on him by
breaking the window pane and removing the thirty kronors from the leather
pouch, he had seen the crofter keeping the money in the pouch and hanging it on
a nail near the window frame.
(Q.) What made the peddler
think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Ans. After having stolen thirty kronors from the crofter, the
peddler realized that he could not walk on the public highway and so he turned
off the road into the woods. It was a big and confusing forest and the paths
twisted back and forth, he walked without coming to the end of the wood and finally
realized that he had been walking around in the same part of the forest.
Recalling his thought about the world, and the rattrap he realized that he had
let himself to be fooled by a bait and had been caught.
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