CBSE Class 12 English The Rattrap Notes

The Rattrap Class 12 English Summary of the Story

SUMMARY OF THE STORY

“The Rattrap” is a short story about an old disheartened peddler and thief who is taken in and shown generosity by a young woman whose kindness changes his bitter attitude to life. The peddler is a man who has fallen upon misfortune and now resorts to selling rattraps, begging, and thievery.
The story begins like a fairytale. The central character is a beggar and petty thief who goes about selling rattraps of wire to make a small living. The peddler led a lonely life. One day while he was thinking about his rattraps, an idea struck him. He thought that the world itself was a rattrap. As soon as anybody touched it, the trap closed on them. He was amused to think of some people who were already trapped, and some others who were trying to reach the bait in the trap. The story unfolds gradually with the various baits being offered to the beggar. One evening, the rattrap peddler took shelter in an old man’s cottage who had been a crofter at Ramsjö Ironworks. The amiable and generous man offered him dinner and tobacco. He even showed him the thirty kronor bills, earned by selling his cow’s milk, kept in a leather pouch that hung near the window. However, the next morning, the rattrap peddler stole the money and made his escape through the forest. But as he got lost in the woods, he realised that the thirty kronor bills had been a bait to trap him in the huge rattrap that the world is Next at the Ramsjö ironworks, while seeking shelter for the night, the tramp bites the bait offered to him by the owner (though he initially refuses it), the ironmaster. Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter offers yet another bait for the tramp by asking him to stay over Christmas even after his truth dawns on the hosts. At the church, the ironmaster and Edla were shocked to know that a certain rattrap seller had robbed one of their old crofters. As they returned, the father wondered what the rattrap peddler would have robbed them of. The daughter, however, felt dejected. On returning home, they were informed, by the valet, that the man had left empty-handed. On the contrary, he had left a package, as a Christmas present, for Edla.The peddler left a package containing a small rattrap with the three ten kronor bills that he had stolen from the crofter. Along with that he left a letter thanking Edla for her generosity and asking her to return the bills to the crofter. He wrote, “The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat that would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself.” It was signed as “Caption von Stahle”.
Thus, ‘The Rattrap’ is a story that gives us a psychological insight into human nature. The author highlights how greed for material things entrap human beings. The story upholds the belief that the essential goodness of a human being can be awakened through love and understanding. It brings into focus the idea that the world is a rattrap.

The Rattrap Class 12 English Character Sketch

CHARACTER SKETCH: The Peddler

Selma Lagerlöf draws the character of the peddler with all sympathy and understanding. The rattrap peddler was a tall man who had his own imagination and meditation. He lived by making and selling rattraps from scrap materials he got by begging. His life was sad and monotonous. Since the world had never been kind to him, he was full of bitterness and malice against it. The peddler experienced unwanted joy at everyone else’s discomfort, pain at being ensnared by the devilish ways of the world. He was also philosophical and thoughtful. 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. On the other hand, begging and petty thievery occasionally were his means of livelihood.
He is not morally upright. He does not even spare his host, the old crofter and steals his 30 kronors. He is an opportunist; takes advantage of situations. But the essential goodness in him is awakened through love and understanding of Miss Elda Willmansson.

CHARACTER SKETCH: The Crofter

The crofter was an old man without a wife or a child. He was lonely but trusting. He was hospitable and gullible.
He was a man of liberal beliefs, so he gladly allowed the peddler to stay in his cottage for the night. Not only that, he served him with supper and tobacco for his pipe and amused him with the game of cards also. He showed him the thirty kronor from his pouch which he received as a payment. 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.

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer : The crofter was a lonely fellow who lived alone in a little gray cottage by the roadside. He had no wife or children, and longed for a company and friends. So, when the peddler reached at his doorstep, he was happy to find someone to talk to and felt happy to be relieved of his boredom and monotony. This is the reason he was so talkative and friendly with the peddler.

Question. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler ?
Answer : Edla had shown great trust in the peddler by letting him to stay at their manor on the Christmas Eve. But the news about the robbery of thirty kroner at the crofter's cottage had left her dejected. So she was overjoyed when she reached home to find the package and the letter left by the peddler. This gesture of appreciation from the peddler made her happy.

Question. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Answer : After stealing the money from the crofter, the peddler tried to escape through the forest but soon lost his way. He was left in despair and he recollected his own thoughts on the world being a giant rattrap. A sudden realization came upon him and he felt as if he had finally got himself caught in the rattrap because he had allowed himself to be tempted by the bait, the thirty kronor bills. Similarly, on his way to the ironmaster's home, he felt himself caught in the trap. He was again haunted by such thoughts when the ironmaster after coming to know about the truth of the peddler, threatened to get him arrested. The rattrap seller strongly realized that the worldly bait had, once more, tempted and trapped him.

Question. Why did he show the thirty kroner to the peddler?
Answer : The crofter was a simple and trusting man who craved for a company more than anything else. He wanted to share his joy of earning the money with someone. He got this chance when the peddler turned up to his house one day. Moreover, thinking that the peddler did not believe him, he showed the peddler the thirty kronor bills that he kept in a leather pouch.

Question. Why did Edla entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him ?
Answer : Edla was a lady with a king and sympathetic heart and was moved by the plight of the peddler. She had requested her father to allow him to spend one day in peace as a respite from the struggle he had endured round the year. Her principles did not allow her to throw the man out of her house especially when they had promised him a Christmas cheer. Moreover, she had been in high spirits that moring thinking of the ways to help the tramp. Therfore she entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him.

Question. Why did the Peddler not reveal his true identity when the ironmaster mistook him to be the Captain?
Answer : 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 kept quiet and allowed the iron master to presume that he was the captain.

Question. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer : The ironmaster of the Ramsjo Ironworks spoke kindly to the peddler because he had mistaken him for an old regimental comrade, Captain Von Stahle. So, the ironmaster wanted to help the peddler, not only in regaining his health but also in taking up a new vocation. Moreover, the ironmaster was a lonely fellow who lived with his oldest daughter after the death of his wife and the departure of his sons. As he longed for some company on the Christmas Eve, he invited the peddler to his home.

Question. Why did the Peddler choose to go through the forest?
Answer : After stealing the thirty kroner from the crofter, the Peddler knew that he would be caught and put in prison if he continued to walk by the main road. So he chose the back roads that went through the forest.

Question. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Answer : No, the peddler did not respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. In fact, he betrayed his trust by robbing the thirty kroner. But somehow later in the story, his conscience was awakened by his stay with the Willmanssons and he decided to return the money.

Question. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Answer : The peddler was alarmed at the idea and request of the ironmaster of spending the night at the manor of the ironmaster, of the Ramsjo Ironworks, who also happened to be an ex-army man. He did not make any attempt to correct the ironmaster when he was mistaken for an old acquaintance. Moreover, he was more worried about the fact that, he had the stolen thirty kronor bills with him, and accepting the invitation would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion's den. Therefore, the peddler thought it better to decline the invitation.

Question. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain Van Stahle ?
Answer : The peddler had never known respect throughout his life. He was always treated coldly by the world. For the first time in his life, he was being honored and respected. Even after the truth was exposed, the daughter treated him as before. The behavior he received encouraged him to behave in the similar manner. He signed as Captain Van Stahle so as to underline the impact of Edla's goodness to him.

Question. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson's invitation?
Answer : Looking at the frightened expressions on the peddler's face, Edla guessed that the peddler had either stolen something or had escaped prison. So she hinted an assurance that he would be free to leave whenever he wanted. Reassured, by what Edla had spoken he accepted the invitation.

Question. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer : During one of his usual plodding, the peddler thought on the subject of rattraps. It presented him with the idea of the world being a rattrap and he grew fond of dunking this way.

Question. Why was he amused by this idea?
Answer : The peddler was amused by the idea of the world being a giant rattrap as he was never treated very kindly by the world. Therefore, he developed hard feelings for this harsh world and loved 'to think ill of it' by comparing it with a giant rattrap.

Question. When did the ironmaster realize his mistake?
Answer : The iromaster realized his mistake the next day when the peddler turned up for breakfast. The valet had bathed the peddler, cut his hair, shaved him and given him clothes. The ironmaster thought that he had been deceived in recognizing the person because of the shade of the furnace the previous night.

Question. Why did the tramp sign the letter as Captain Von Stahle?
Answer : The tramp, though illiterate and a thief, found himself raised to the level of a captain through Edla’s kindness and compassion, he got a chance to redeem himself, hence he signed the letter as Captain Von Stahle.

Question. How did the peddler defend himself when it was clear that he was not the person the ironmaster had thought he was?
Answer : The peddler defended himself by arguing time and again that he had never told that he was a captain or the old comrade of the iromaster. In fact he had repeatedly declined the ironmaster's invitation to the peddler to spend the Christmas night at his manor.

Question. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Answer : No, the peddler did not expect the kind of hospitality that he had received from the crofter. This was because he was generally greeted by harsh, sour and unfriendly faces whenever he knocked on doors and requested for shelter.

Question. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Answer : When Edla went to the iron mill to fetch the peddler, she noticed that he was frightened. She had doubts that either the peddler had stolen something or had escaped prison. His appearance and behavior also left her in doubts whether he was actually an educated man, as claimed by her father.

Question. Why did it please the tramp to compare the world to a rattrap?
Answer : The world was not very kind to the tramp so it gave him unwonted pleasure to think of it as a rattrap.

Extract Based Question :

Once upon a time there was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He made them himself at odd moments, from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. Even so, his clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes. No one can imagine how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a vagabond, who plods along the road, left to his own meditations. But one day this man had fallen into a line of thought, which really seemed to him entertaining. He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world about him - the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages - was nothing but a big rattrap.

Question. The peddler's rattraps were made of
(A) plastic
(B) wire
(C) aluminium
(D) wood 
Answer : B

Question. The peddler often thought about people who
(A) were priests
(B) were thieves
(C) who had been tempted to touch the bait
(D) had caught rats
Answer : C

Question. The rattrap peddler used to resort to
(A) preaching
(B) counselling
(C) teaching
(D) thievery and begging 
Answer : D

Question. The vagabond compared the whole world to a
(A) rattrap
(B) space
(C) universe
(D) planet 
Answer : A

Important Points for Chapter 4 The Rattrap Class 12 English

About the Author
♦ Swedish author and teacher
♦ 1st woman to win Nobel Prize in Literature.
♦ Her stories were translated into many languages.
♦ Story is narrated in the manner of a fairy tale.

The Rattrap Peddler.
♦ Sells small rattraps; unprofitable business.
♦ Used to beg and even steal to survive.
♦ Clothes were in rags (torn piece of cloth)
♦ Sunken cheeks & poor
♦ The world is a big rattrap. Just like rattrap traps a rat with cheese and pork as a bait, the world offers comfort and joy as a bait and traps us.

Robbery at The Crofter’s house
♦ Seeked The Crofter’s shelter for one dark night.
♦ Happy crofter to receive a guest, since he had no family.
♦ Talkative Crofter shared all information about him - being an ex-worker at Ironwork, only cow supports him & earned 30 kronor by selling milk
♦ Next morning, 30 kronor were stolen by peddler by smashing the window pane.
♦ The vagabond (homeless person) realised himself being trapped by the bait (30 kronor).

Met The Iron Master
♦ The peddler was lost in the woods with no energy left.
♦ Found an iron mill and entered there to get some warmth.
♦ The Iron master mistook him from an old Regimental comrade and addressed him as Nils Olof and invited him to his house.
♦ The peddler declined the invitation, neither tried to clear his doubt.

Met Ironmaster’s daughter – Edla
♦ The ironmaster asked his daughter Edla to persuade the Peddler.
♦ Edla sensed him to be either a thief on run or an escaped prisoner.
♦ Despite knowing, Edla convinced the peddler to come to their home for Christmas.

Christmas Eve
♦ Iron master was happy to spend time with his old friend.
♦ Fed the Rattrap seller and gave him time to groom himself
♦ Exposed face made the Ironmaster realise the reality of the Peddler.
♦ The iron master accused the peddler for hiding his reality & said he would call the cops
♦ Agitated peddler, said that the world was like a big rattrap & someday iron master would also be doomed.
♦ The iron master asked peddler to leave but Edla convinced him to stay at least for Christmas
♦ The peddler had sound sleep & received the suit as a gift

Changed Heart of the Peddler
♦ The ironmaster along with his daughter went to the Church, leaving the peddler at home.
♦ Heard robbery news of 30 kronor at church and learned that the rattrap peddler was the thief.
♦ Asked valet about the thief escaping the house
♦ The peddler escaped the house but left a package in a rattrap.
♦ Package had 30 kronor notes & a letter.
♦ Signed the letter as ‘Captain von Stahle’ and a Thankyou note for Edla who treated him really nice.

Summary

This story is about a person, who see the world as a rattrap. His condition is very poor as he is dressed in rags. He lives alone & his life is a misery. To keep the pot boiling, he started stealing and begging. The world is rattrap which offers baits to trap the people. Those baits are materialistic things. So one day he was looking for a shelter and found cottage owned by an old crofter. The crofter lived alone, so he allowed the peddler to let in. The old man welcomed him with porridge for supper and gave him tobacco for his pipe, while playing games. He got taken into account to get into talking and showed his guest, the 30 kronor, that he had earned last month. Next morning the old man left his house to tend his cow. The peddler made hay while the sun shined and stole those 30 kronor. He escaped the house and reached to an iron mill. It was cold, so he sat near the furnace to get some warmth. In the meantime, the owner of the mill arrived and mistook him for his old friend Nils Olof. Peddler had beard & untangled hair. The peddler initially denied but was later allured for more money, if he went with. Also the ironmaster’s daughter invited him home for Christmas eve even after knowing that her father has mistaken him for someone else. The ironmaster assumed that the peddler felt embarrassed because of his untidy condition, but his daughter noticed that the man was afraid either he had stolen something or he escaped from prison.
Next day was Christmas Eve, the ironmaster came into dining room for breakfast they asked him to get clean & dressed up and then right after that came a good-looking man, all groomed. They both got shocked because now they realised, that the father mistook him for being an old comrade of his. The peddler was not at fault but was accused of hiding his own identity. He requested the ironmaster to let him stay in the forge.
The ironmaster wanted to call cops, but the peddler started explaining his theory about the world being a rattrap. The daughter had her father allow him to stay and have rest.
In the evening, the family found out the news of stolen money in his absence. On returning the manor, the rattrap seller already left the place and left behind 30 kronor to ironmaster’s daughter as a gesture. The heart of the peddler changed & instead of stealing he gifted the stolen money in a rattrap to ironmaster’s daughter. Also, she found a letter of thanks with the gift. The kindness and generous behaviour of ironmaster’s daughter changed the heart of the peddler.

Question. Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the cottage?
Answer: The peddler did not expect this hospitality from the crofter. People always chased him away. He was surprised the way he got welcomed by the crofter.

Question. Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage. How did he feel? 
Answer: He was scared of being caught and getting identified by the people. So he chose to pass from the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage. But he lost his way and was haunted by the thoughts that the forest was a big rattrap in which he had fallen. Thirty kronor which he stole were like a bait and he got fallen for the bait.

Question. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him? 
Answer: Edla wanted to keep the spirit of Christmas eve. They invited the peddler without his ill. Edla still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth.

Question. Why did the crofter show the thirty kronor to the peddler? 
Answer: To share his joy, the crofter showed his thirty kronor to the peddler.

Question. Why did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof? 
Answer: The stranger did not tell the ironmaster because he might take pity on him and might help him by giving him some money.

Question. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? (All India 2009)
Answer: Because the peddler received the honour by Edla. He was mistaken for the identity of a captain. But his heart changed and he got the opportunity of being treated as a captain that's why he signed himself as Captain Von Stahle.

Question. Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills? Why did he visit the mills at night?
Answer: The ironmaster was the owner of the Ramsjo iron mills. He came to inspect the place and know about the quality of work.

Question. How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace?
Answer: Iron master mistook him for an old comrade. The lights were not so bright which led to this huge mistake by ironmaster.

Question. What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the crofter had been robbed by the peddler? 
Answer: When the ironmaster heard that the crofter had been robbed by a man who went around selling rat-traps, he was wondering as to how many silver spoons were left in their cupboard by that time.

Question. What brought about a change in the life of the peddler?
Answer: Edla’s warmth, sympathy, compassion and modest behaviour changed the life of the peddler. He is touched by the kind treatment Edla gave him, despite knowing his real identity. His heart Changed and he behaved like a true Captain.