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    The Rattrap

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    Zephyr 9999
    The document provides a summary and analysis of the short story "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlof. It begins with an introduction to the author and an overview of the story's theme about how human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It then discusses the plot, characters, and key events in the story, including how the peddler steals from a kind crofter, gets lost in the forest, and is mistaken for someone else at an iron mill. Through the kindness and understanding shown by the ironmaster's daughter, the peddler redeems himself and returns what he had stolen. The document analyzes the story's exploration of human nature and predicament through the

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    The Rattrap

    Uploaded by

    Zephyr 9999
    177 views26 pages
    The document provides a summary and analysis of the short story "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlof. It begins with an introduction to the author and an overview of the story's theme about how human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It then discusses the plot, characters, and key events in the story, including how the peddler steals from a kind crofter, gets lost in the forest, and is mistaken for someone else at an iron mill. Through the kindness and understanding shown by the ironmaster's daughter, the peddler redeems himself and returns what he had stolen. The document analyzes the story's exploration of human nature and predicament through the

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    The document provides a summary and analysis of the short story "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlof. It begins with an introduction to the author and an overview of the story's theme about how human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It then discusses the plot, characters, and key events in the story, including how the peddler steals from a kind crofter, gets lost in the forest, and is mistaken for someone else at an iron mill. Through the kindness and understanding shown by the ironmaster's daughter, the peddler redeems himself and returns what he had stolen. The document analyzes the story's exploration of human nature and predicament through the

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    177 views26 pages

    The Rattrap

    Uploaded by

    Zephyr 9999
    The document provides a summary and analysis of the short story "The Rattrap" by Selma Lagerlof. It begins with an introduction to the author and an overview of the story's theme about how human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It then discusses the plot, characters, and key events in the story, including how the peddler steals from a kind crofter, gets lost in the forest, and is mistaken for someone else at an iron mill. Through the kindness and understanding shown by the ironmaster's daughter, the peddler redeems himself and returns what he had stolen. The document analyzes the story's exploration of human nature and predicament through the

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 26

    The Rattrap

    - Selma Lagerlof
    (1858-1940)

    INDEX
    1. About the Author
    2. Introduction
    3. Theme, Sub-theme, Plot
    4. Characters
    5. Summary
    6. Sequence & Key-Points
    7. Vocabulary
    8. Points to Ponder
    9. Character Sketch
    10. Assignment
    The Rattrap
    - Selma Lagerlof
    (1858-1940)

    About the Author :


    Selma Lagerlof was a Swedish writer
    whose stories have been translated into
    many languages. A universal theme runs
    through all of them — a belief that the
    essential goodness in a human being can
    be awakened through understanding and
    love. This story is set amidst the mines of
    Sweden, rich in iron ore, which figure
    large in the history and legends of that
    country. The story is told somewhat in the
    manner of a fairy tale.
    Sweden
    The Rattrap
    Introduction :
    The story is about an old disheartened peddler who is shown
    generosity by a young woman. Her generosity and kindness change
    his bitter attitude towards 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 ‘rattrap’. He believes that the world tempts us
    with riches and fine things, and when we accept, we are caught in
    the trap and are left with nothing. The story conveys a universal
    message that the essential goodness in a human being can be
    awakened through love, respect, kindness and understanding. The
    story also highlights human predicament. Material benefits are the
    traps that most human beings are prone to fall into. Human beings
    do have a tendency to redeem themselves from dishonest ways as
    does the peddler at the end of the story.
    The Rattrap
    Theme : The trap of material benefit that most human beings are prone
    to fall into.

    Sub-Theme : The human tendency to redeem oneself from


    dishonest ways.

    Plot : Life of the protagonist (a peddler) – his philosophy about the


    world - at the crofter’s house – trapped in the forest - at the
    iron mill – at the Ironmaster’s house – the redemption

    The story emphasises the consequences of loneliness and


    the need for companionship
    The Rattrap
    - Selma Lagerlof

    CHARACTERS :

    The Peddler - The protagonist


    Crofter – A lonely old man
    Ironmaster – Owner of Ramjo ironworks
    Edla Williamson – Daughter of the Ironmaster
    Master Smith – A worker at the iron mill
    The Rattrap
    SUMMARY
    The Rattrap is a story about a rattrap seller who leads a very poor life as his
    earnings are very low. He resort to thievery and begging to make his living.
    He is alone in this whole world and leads a miserable life. So he starts
    knitting up various thoughts. One of these thoughts is of the whole world
    being a big rattrap. His believes that the world offers us various types of
    baits in the form of comforts of life. This in return traps us in the rattrap of the
    world and leads us to our miseries. Every night, the peddler had to search
    for shelter as he had no home. One evening he was offered shelter by an
    old crofter. The next morning he stole the crofter’s money which he had
    earned by selling his cow’s milk. To safeguard himself, the peddler chose the
    path through the forest which was secluded, but soon found himself trapped
    in the forest as he wasn’t able to find the way out of the dense forest. Later
    on, he finds a way to a forge and takes shelter there. Then something
    unusual happens. The ironmaster who comes to his mill for a nightly round
    of inspection, sees the peddler and mistakes him as an old regimental
    comrade Captain Von Stahle and invites him to his house.
    The Rattrap
    SUMMARY
    The poor peddler rejects the offer due to the fear of being caught. Soon he
    is invited by the ironmaster‘s daughter. The next morning his real identity is
    revealed and the ironmaster threatens him saying that he would report the
    matter to sheriff. The peddler tries to defend himself and leave the house at
    once. But he is somehow stopped by the ironmaster’s daughter for
    Christmas Eve. The next day after Christmas, when the iron master and his
    daughter visit the church, they come to know that the man is a thief who
    had stolen money from an old crofter. The iron master and his daughter
    repent for sheltering a thief and wonder at what all things he would have
    stolen by that time. Here comes a twist as instead of stealing, the peddler
    gifts the ironmaster’s daughter a rattrap. She finds a letter of thanks and the
    stolen money inside a rattrap left by the peddler. The peddler thanks Edla
    for her kindness and requests her to return the stolen money to the crofter. 
    This story gives us the message that goodness in a human being can be
    awakened at any time with your own good deeds.
    The Rattrap : Sequence & Key Points
    1 2
    The Rattrap : Sequence & Key Points

    3 4
    The Rattrap : Sequence & Key Points
    5

    6
    The Rattrap : Sequence & Key Points
    7

    8
    The Rattrap : Sequence & Key Points
    10
    9
    The Rattrap : Sequence & Key Points

    Vocabulary
    Vocabulary
    Vocabulary
    Vocabulary
    Vocabulary
    The Rattrap
    POINTS TO PONDER
    Life of the peddler
    The metaphor of the world being a rattrap
    Meeting with the crofter
    Life of the crofter
    Hospitality of the crofter & his confidence in the peddler
    Stealing by the peddler
    The predicament of the peddler in deep forest
    Shelter at the iron mill
    Mistaken identity of the peddler by the ironmaster at night
    Life of the ironmaster & his daughter
    The peddler’s deception
    Edla’s love and understanding, persuasion
    Drama at the ironmaster’s house
    Argument between the ironmaster and his daughter
    Redemption of the peddler
    The deep realisation
    The Rattrap
    Character Portrayal

    Peddler /Vagabond/Tramp/Rattrap seller/ signed himself as


    Captain Von Stahle:
    The peddler was a poor vagabond.
    He sold rattraps to earn his living or keep his body and soul together.
    He also resorted to thievery when required.
    He was struck with a dark realisation that the world is itself a rattrap
    and all men and women are just like rats that are vulnerable to trap
    Initially, the peddler was cynical, a victim of loneliness
    He was inherently not a bad person. He had some goodness in him
    that was awakened by Edla, the iron master’s elder daughter.
    In the end, he transformed himself
    His subtle sense of humour – e.g. to be cited
    The Rattrap
    Character Portrayal

    Edla Willmannsson:
    She was the eldest daughter of the Ironmaster
    She was not that pretty but seemed modest and quite shy
    Kind-hearted
    Compassionate
    Full of understanding
    Intuitive, smart enough to understand rightly from the peddler’s
    eyes that he might have escaped from jail or stolen something
    By being a good host she actually elevated peddler’s nature to that
    of a Captain.
    She was a great human being
    The Rattrap
    Character Portrayal
    The Ironmaster (Ironworks owner):
    The Ironmaster was the owner of the large iron factory i.e. Ramsjo Ironwork.
    His greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market.
    Hard-working and conscious of his duties as he used to go to the forge for
    nightly inspection.
    He mistakes the rattrap seller as his old acquaintance and his basic instinct
    was to help him irrespective of his condition, which shows that just like his
    daughter even he was kind-hearted and helpful. He took him to his own
    house and cared for him.
    The Crofter:
    He was lonely and had nobody to talk to.
    He was happy to see the peddler and gave him shelter. This gesture
    made the peddler feel welcomed and comfortable because he was used
    to seeing sour and unwelcomed faces.
    He was generous.
    Trusted the stranger easily/ took him into confidence.  
    The Rattrap
    ASSIGNMENT : QUESTIONS TO TEST COMPREHENSION
    Short Answer Questions (30-40 words)
    1. Why was the peddler amused by his idea of the rattrap?
    2. How did the peddler get the idea of the world?
    3. Why was the crofter so talkative?
    4. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain Von Stahle?
    5. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
    6. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth?
    7. Why did the peddler decline the invitation made by the ironmaster?
    8. Why did the peddler accept the invitation of Edla Willmansson?
    9. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
    10. Why did the ironmaster mistake the peddler as his old comrade?
    11. Why didn’t the peddler reveal the truth when he was mistaken by the
    ironmaster as his old regimental comrade?
    12. Why did the crofter show the thirty cronor to the peddler?
    13. What did the peddler say in his defence when his real identity was revealed to
    the ironmaster?
    14. Why did the peddler finally change himself?
    15. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight human predicament?
    16. Justify the title of the story.
    - Next slide for long answer questions
    The Rattrap
    ASSIGNMENT : QUESTIONS TO TEST COMPREHENSION

    Long Answer Questions (100-125 words) :


    1. Bring out the differences between the iron master and his daughter.

    2. The story exemplifies the truth that essential goodness of human


    beings can be awakened through understanding and love. Discuss.

    3. The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with
    others. Elucidate.

    4. Interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the
    ironmaster and his daughter.

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