Literatus

 

The Rattrap is a beautiful story that deals with the themes of love, compassion, the importance of human dignity , and the transformative power of love . Make sure you’ve read the summary of the story before you read this analysis. With its compassionate approach toward the characters, the story acknowledges that one’s actions result from one’s belief system and one’s belief system is largely determined by one’s material condition . This empathic approach is seen at the beginning of the story where we are introduced to the peddler. The inclusion of the peddler’s philosophical thoughts about the rattrap at the beginning of the story is important as it helps us understand his behavior at various points in the story. The narrator is quick to point out that the peddler’s pessimistic view about the world as a rattrap arose from the fact that the “world had never been kind to him” and it gave him some pleasure to think of it in this way. Perhaps this is the reason why he steals the old man...

The Rattrap - Selma Lagerlof Characters   A tramp with rattraps. A crofter Master Smith in the Ramsjo Iron Mill in Sweden Helpers in the Mill – blacksmiths Iron mill owner Edla Willmansson – daughter of the Iron Mill owner. Justification of Title “The Rattrap” is an appropriate title as it is the story of a rattrap peddler. The author has used the metaphor of a Rattrap to highlight the human predicament. Just as a rat is fooled by the bait and gets trapped, most human beings also fall into the trap of material benefits. The story revolves around the incident of a man getting trapped due to his greed. Hence, the title is an apt one. THEME Human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It is the human tendency to redeem oneself from dishonest ways. Hence, the whole world is called a big rattrap which tempts the people towards its materialistic benefits and brings about their doom and never-ending predicament. It also highlights the themes like human loneliness, st...