The Rattrap Notes and Assignments

G. D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SILIGURI

ON-LINE LEARNING PORTAL

CLASS: XII SUBJECT: ENGLISH LITERATURE
THE RATTRAP by SELMA LAGERLOF
THEME
The theme of the story is that most human beings are prone to fall into the trap of
material benefit. However, every human being has an essential goodness that can be awakened
through understanding and love. A human being has the tendency to redeem himself from
dishonest ways. The author has used the metaphor of a Rattrap to highlight the human
predicament. It also highlights the themes like human loneliness, status and treatment meted out
to have-nots and callous attitude of society and government towards such people. Man is
inherently good by nature. Society and environment make them bad. Human goodness and
kindness can bring about the change in their attitude.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS;
Q1.Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away?
Answer. Edla had always thought the peddler to be a poor, homeless tramp. Therefore, she didn’t feel
cheated when his true identity was revealed. Instead, her heart melted seeing him and his miserable
condition, and pleaded on his behalf. She and her father had promised him Christmas cheer, and she felt
that it would be wrong to send him away.
Q2.What made the peddler finally change his ways?

Answer. The peddler believed in giving back to the world what he received from it. He was always
treated with contempt and hostility and so he never did anything good. However, Edla’s kind and
caring behaviour finally changed him. She had treated him with love and respect befitting a captain,
even after realising that he was a poor vagabond. The trust that Edla showed in him made him change
his ways and he decided to live with dignity and respect.
Q3.Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?

Answer. The peddler owed his transformation to the kind treatment meted out to him by Edla. In spite
of knowing the truth about him, she had honoured and treated him like a captain. She had awakened the
latent goodness in his heart. He wanted to repay Edla for her kindness. His signing himself as Captain
von Stahle shows that he wanted to retain the dignity and respect accorded to him.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1.The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Explain.
Answer. All the characters in the story suffer from loneliness and are dreary souls. First of all, the
tramp appears to lead a sad, monotonous existence, left to his own musings. He is always greeted by
sour faces and cold words.
The old crofter’s fate has been somewhat kinder to him. Bereft of his wife and children, he lives all
alone in a cottage by the roadside, and is rather happy to have visitors around. We also have the
ironmaster and his daughter, Edla, who have no company for Christmas. The ironmaster’s wife is dead
and his sons are settled abroad. So, the father daughter duo is happy to play hosts for his friend.
Thus, all of them have a strong desire for bonding and comradeship. The crofter is happy to be friends
with the peddler, although only for a night. It is the bonding with the ironmaster’s daughter that
transforms the peddler. The love, understanding and dignity that he gets from the girl makes him leave
his dishonest ways and redeem himself.
Q2.The story, The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical. Do you agree with
this statement? Why/ Why not?
Answer. The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and philosophical. The fast-paced
narrative in the third person, generous use of dialogue by the author and different characters belonging
to different mindsets and locales make the story interesting and entertaining. Besides, the author has
managed to keep up the suspense till the end.
The incidents in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our attention. The peddler’s
incessant refusals to the ironmaster to accompany him, but his accepting Edla’s invitation in one go; the
ironmaster’s realisation of his mistake, and Edla’s sympathy and generosity; all make the story quite
gripping. While all the above events make the story interesting, there is also an element of philosophy
in the story.
Somewhere, the peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One feels caught up like a rat in
the trap of the world. Some people fall into this trap never to come out of it again. The story teaches us
that, as human beings, we are not above temptations.
HOMEWORK QUESTIONS:
Q1.What did Edla conclude after observing the peddler closely? (2 marks)
Q2.Why was the crofter so generous with the peddler? (2 marks)
Q3. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? What course did he adopt and how did
he react to the new situation? What does his reaction reveal? (5 marks)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Home-work questions must be done in the notebook and pictures/pdf of the same uploaded to
ASSIGNMENTS on MS TEAMS by 22.09.2020 (Tuesday).

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G. D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SILIGURI

ON-LINE LEARNING PORTAL

CLASS: XII SUBJECT: ENGLISH LITERATURE

THE RATTRAP by SELMA LAGERLOF

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS;

Q2.What made the peddler finally change his ways?

Q3.Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?

Q2.Why was the crofter so generous with the peddler? (2 marks)

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