Here is a summary of “The Rattrap” and answers to the questions from the sources, explained to be easy to understand with emojis 😊:
Summary of “The Rattrap” 🐀💸🌲🏡❤️
The story, written by Selma Lagerlöf, is set in Sweden amidst iron ore mines. Its main theme is the belief that the essential goodness in people can be awakened through understanding and love.
The central character is a poor man who sells small wire rattraps he makes himself. His business isn’t profitable, so he also begs and steals just to survive (“keep body and soul together”). He is dressed in rags, looks thin, and has hunger in his eyes.
He views the whole world as a giant rattrap. He believes that things like riches, joy, shelter, food, heat, and clothing are just baits. As soon as someone is tempted by the bait and touches it, the trap closes, and they are caught, ending everything. He enjoys thinking this way about the world.
One evening, he seeks shelter for the night and is unexpectedly welcomed by an old crofter. The crofter is lonely and generous, sharing his porridge and tobacco and talking openly. He tells the peddler about his cow and proudly shows him the thirty kronor he earned from selling her milk, keeping the money in a leather pouch hanging near the window.
The next morning, the peddler leaves but returns soon after. He breaks a window pane, takes the thirty kronor, and puts it in his pocket. He hangs the pouch back and goes away.
Feeling pleased with his cleverness, he avoids the main road and goes into the woods. However, the forest is large and confusing, and he gets lost, realising he’s just walking in circles. He suddenly remembers his own idea about the world being a rattrap. He feels he has been caught by the bait (the stolen money) and that the forest is like an “impenetrable prison” from which he cannot escape.
Lost and exhausted, he eventually hears the sound of hammering from a forge and finds the Ramsjö Ironworks. He asks for permission to stay the night and is allowed by the master blacksmith.
The prominent ironmaster, inspecting his works at night, notices the ragged peddler. He mistakes the peddler for an old regimental comrade, Captain von Stahle. Believing his comrade has fallen on hard times, the ironmaster kindly invites him home for Christmas Eve.
The peddler is alarmed, thinking of the stolen money. Going to the manor house feels like walking into a “lion’s den”. He declines the invitation, wanting only to sleep in the forge and sneak away unnoticed. The ironmaster thinks he is just embarrassed about his poor clothes.
Later, the ironmaster sends his daughter, Edla Willmansson, hoping she can persuade the ‘Captain’. Edla is modest and shy, but compassionate. She notices the peddler’s fear and suspects he might be a thief or an escaped prisoner. Despite this, she speaks to him kindly, introduces herself, and renews the invitation to their home for Christmas Eve, assuring him he is free to leave whenever he wishes. The peddler feels confidence in her and accepts.
On the way to the manor, he feels uneasy (“had evil forebodings”) about taking the crofter’s money.
The next morning, Christmas Eve, the peddler is given a bath and dressed in the ironmaster’s fine clothes. When he appears, the ironmaster immediately sees he is not Captain von Stahle and realises his mistake. The ironmaster is angry and threatens to call the sheriff.
The peddler defends himself using his rattrap metaphor, arguing the world is a trap with baits, and the ironmaster himself could get caught. Edla intervenes, asking her father to let him stay for the day, feeling they shouldn’t turn away someone they invited and promised Christmas cheer. Her father reluctantly agrees.
The peddler spends a peaceful Christmas Eve at the manor, eating and sleeping safely, something he hadn’t experienced for years.
On Christmas morning, the ironmaster and Edla go to church. There, they hear that an old crofter was robbed by a man selling rattraps. The ironmaster is concerned about his silver spoons.
When they return home, the valet informs them the guest has left but didn’t take anything. Instead, he left a small package for Miss Willmansson. Edla opens it and finds a small rattrap containing the thirty kronor notes and a letter.
The letter is addressed to the “Honoured and noble Miss”. He writes that because she treated him kindly “as if I was a real captain”, he wants to be nice to her in return. He doesn’t want her to be embarrassed by a thief. He asks her to return the money to the old crofter. He explains the rattrap is from a “rat” who would have been caught in the world’s trap if she hadn’t “raised” him to a captain, giving him the strength (“power to clear himself”) to change. He signs it “Captain von Stahle”.
Edla’s kindness and belief in him helped the peddler redeem himself and escape the “rattrap” of his dishonest life.
Here are the answers to the questions based on the sources:
Understanding the text
- How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter? 🤔 The peddler initially interprets the crofter’s kindness as an opportunity to steal his money. He interprets the ironmaster’s kindness as a case of mistaken identity, hoping he might receive a few kronor. However, he interprets Edla’s kindness as genuine compassion and understanding, even after she suspects he is not who he claims to be. This genuine kindness is what ultimately leads to his change.
- 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? 👇
- Initial Reaction to Stranger: The ironmaster is haughty when the tramp first asks for shelter. His daughter is modest, shy, and shows compassion.
- Reason for Hospitality: The ironmaster offers hospitality because he mistakes the peddler for an old comrade. Edla offers hospitality out of genuine kindness and compassion, even sensing the peddler’s fear and possible dishonesty.
- Reaction to Revelation: When the truth is revealed, the ironmaster becomes angry and wants to call the sheriff. Edla, however, feels they should still show him kindness and allow him to stay, arguing against her father.
- View of the Peddler: The ironmaster sees the peddler as a thief and a deception once the mistake is clear. Edla continues to see him as a “human being” and believes in his potential for good.
- The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises. ✨
- The old crofter’s unexpected hospitality to the peddler, sharing food, shelter, and confidences, including showing him his money.
- The ironmaster’s unexpected mistake in identifying the peddler as Captain von Stahle and inviting him home.
- The peddler’s unexpected refusal of the ironmaster’s generous invitation, due to his fear of being caught with the stolen money.
- Edla’s unexpected compassion and trust towards the peddler, inviting him home even after sensing his fear and possible dishonesty.
- The ironmaster’s unexpected anger and threat to call the sheriff upon seeing the cleaned peddler and realising his mistake.
- Edla’s unexpected intervention to let the peddler stay for Christmas Eve despite knowing he is a thief.
- The peddler’s unexpected return of the stolen money and leaving a gift for Edla, along with the letter explaining his change.
- What made the peddler finally change his ways? ❤️ The peddler finally changed his ways due to Edla Willmansson’s kindness, compassion, and belief in him. She treated him with dignity and respect, “as if I was a real captain”. This awakened his inherent goodness and gave him the strength, or “power to clear himself”, from his dishonest lifestyle.
- How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament? 🤔🌍 The metaphor highlights the human predicament by suggesting that the world itself is full of temptations (“cheese rinds and bits of pork”) that act as bait to lure people into trouble and dishonesty. It shows how easily humans can be trapped by material desires or deceit, just like a rat is caught in a rattrap. The peddler’s experience of getting lost in the forest after stealing the money physically manifests this feeling of being caught in a trap. The story suggests that escaping this trap requires more than just avoiding physical confinement; it requires an inner change, which can be inspired by genuine kindness and understanding.
- 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? 😂 The peddler’s subtle humour is seen in his philosophical musings about the world being a rattrap and his ability to use this metaphor to defend himself against the ironmaster. In his letter to Edla, he refers to himself as a “rat” who was saved by being “raised to captain”. This dark, self-aware humour prevents him from being seen as just a pathetic thief. It makes him seem like a cynical, intelligent observer of human nature who is also capable of reflection. This adds depth to his character, makes the serious theme of human temptation and redemption more engaging, and endears him to us as someone capable of both wit and eventual goodness.
Talking about the text
- Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? 😊🎁 Edla was happy because the gift and the letter were proof that her compassion and kindness had worked. It showed that the peddler was not beyond redemption and that the essential goodness she believed in was awakened. It was a testament to the positive influence of her non-judgmental attitude and trust.
- Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? ✒️🚢 He signed as Captain von Stahle because Edla had treated him with the respect and honour due to a captain. This elevated treatment, despite his true state, empowered him (“gave him power to clear himself”) to act like the person she believed him to be. Signing as Captain von Stahle was a way of acknowledging her influence and indicating that he had risen above his previous “rat” self to become someone worthy of that title through his actions (returning the money).
Working with words
- The man selling rattraps is referred to by many terms such as “peddler, stranger” etc. Pick out all such references to him. What does each of these labels indicate of the context or the attitude of the people around him. 🏷️
Here are the references from the story and what they indicate:
- man who went around selling small rattraps of wire: Describes his occupation.
- stranger: Emphasises that he is unknown to the people he encounters.
- guest: Indicates his temporary status as someone receiving hospitality.
- man with the rattraps: Identifies him directly by his trade.
- rattrap peddler: Another term identifying him by his trade.
- tramp: Refers to him as a homeless wanderer, often implies a lower social status or even disdain from others (like the blacksmith initially).
- ragamuffin: Highlights his ragged appearance, indicating poverty.
- fellow: A casual term, can be neutral or slightly dismissive depending on who uses it and in what context (used by ironmaster, valet).
- Captain von Stahle / Captain: The mistaken identity given by the ironmaster and accepted by Edla. Represents the identity that inspired his transformation when used by him in the letter.
- poor hungry wretch: Edla’s initial compassionate view, highlighting his state of need.
- vagabond: Another term for a wanderer, used by Edla, highlighting his itinerant lifestyle.
- poor trader: The peddler’s own description, referring to his unsuccessful business.
- human being: Edla’s term, showing she sees him with inherent dignity, regardless of his actions or status.
- rat: The peddler’s metaphorical self-description in the letter, acknowledging his past dishonest nature and the trap he was in.
- fine fellow: The ironmaster’s sarcastic remark after hearing about the robbery.
Noticing form
The source explains how reflexive pronouns (pronoun + self) like “himself” or “yourself” are used for emphasis or to show an action is directed back to the subject.
Here are other examples from the story where reflexive pronouns are used:
- “let himself be tempted”: Used to show that the action of being tempted is directed back at the subject (‘anyone’). Similar to example 3 described in the source.
- “told himself”: Used to show the action of telling is directed back at the subject (‘he’). Similar to example 2 described in the source.
- “throw himself voluntarily into the lion’s den”: Used to show the action of throwing is directed back at the subject (‘he’). Similar to example 2/3 described in the source.
- “helped himself to the food”: Used to show the action of helping is directed back at the subject (‘he’). Similar to example 2 described in the source.
- “clear himself”: Used to show the action of clearing is directed back at the subject (‘he’). Similar to example 2 described in the source.
- “You yourself may want” is also given in the source as example 4, used for emphasis.
Thinking about language
Pick out other such phrases and words from the story that are peculiar to the terminology of ironworks. 🏭⛏️ Words and phrases related to ironworks found in the story include:
- smelter
- rolling mill
- forge
- charcoal crates
- master blacksmith
- ironmaster
- iron mill
- furnace
- pig iron
- fire boy
- shovelled charcoal
- maw of the furnace
- clatter
Mjolis is a card game of Sweden. Name a few indoor games played in your region. 🃏🎲 The provided sources do not contain information about indoor games played in any specific region. Therefore, I cannot answer this question based on the sources.
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. 🌱🧑🌾 The provided sources define ‘crofter’ but do not offer other terms for a small farmer or terms from other languages. Therefore, I cannot answer this question based on the sources.
I hope this summary and these detailed answers are helpful! 😊