Question

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 highlight?

Answer 1

Hint: The protagonist of the Rattrap story is a hawker. He has a pessimistic attitude toward life. The peddler wasn't always like the way, and he used to be a kind guy. Due to misfortune, he now has to rely on selling rat traps, begging, and even stealing to make ends meet.

Complete answer:
The basic assumption of the narrative is that most individuals are prone to falling prey to financial gain. On the other hand, every human being has innate goodness that may be awakened through understanding and love. Humans have a natural urge to make amends for their mistakes.

The peddler was delighted with his deception after robbing his kind host. He had no qualms about abusing the trust that the crofter had placed in him. The self-centred wretch was solely concerned with his own safety. He realised he was at risk of getting apprehended by the cops while carrying the stolen thirty kronor. As a result, he decided to stop strolling on the public roadway and head into the woods.

The woods were not a problem for him for the first several hours. It got worse later since it was a large and complex forest. The pathways twisted and turned. He continued going but did not reach the wood's end. He realised he'd been strolling about in the same area of the forested area for quite some time. The jungle encircled him like an impenetrable cage from which he would never be able to free himself.

The peddler's reply exemplifies human nature's problem. Temptations are the source of evil. The fruits of wickedness appear nice at first, but they rob the man of his virtue and force him into the maze of the world, which grips him like a vice.

Note: The story's core message is that most people are vulnerable to financial gain. Every human person, on the other hand, possesses intrinsic goodness that may be awakened through understanding and love. Humans have an inherent desire to atone for their transgressions.