Question

Who was the new guest at the forge? Why had that person come there and how did he/she look? Who accompanied her and why?

Answer 1

Hint: The above question is from the chapter ‘Rattrap’ written by Selma Lagerlof. The theme of the story is that most human beings are vulnerable to fall into the trap of luxuries. However, every human being has vital goodwill that can be awakened through understanding and love.

Complete answer:
 The story ‘Rattrap’ is about a man who is a peddler having a negative attitude towards the world.
There are various examples in the story that show that the attitude of the ironmaster is different from his daughter in many ways. The ironmaster, mistaking the peddler as an old acquaintance, demands to invite him to his house to spend Christmas evening. The peddler again declined his invitation.

The new guest to the peddler was the ironmaster’s daughter. She drove in there in a carriage along with a valet who carried a big fur coat on his arm. She had been sent there by her father hoping that she had better persuasion power than him. She was not pretty, but compassionate and friendly behaviour. She was able to win the confidence of the peddler, who agreed to go to her home.

But when the valet had bathed the peddler, cut his hair and shaved him and got him dressed in a good-looking suit, the ironmaster realized that he was not his old regimental comrade. Thus, he threatened to call the sheriff and asked him to leave his house immediately.

But his daughter said that he should stay with them today. She was more sympathetic to “the poor hungry wretch” than her father. She was convinced of herself that he should enjoy a day of peace with them just one in the whole year. She asked the peddler to keep his father’s suit as a Christmas gift. Thus, her behaviour changed the peddler.

Note: The moral of this lesson is that a human being always has the tendency to redeem himself from dishonest ways. The metaphor of the rattrap means that the world exists only to trap people by setting baits for them. Whenever someone is tempted by the material benefits, he ends up being caught in a dangerous trap. Here, the peddler meets a kind-hearted woman who treats him with generosity and her kind act helps him realize that it is good in this world and he should also spread such goodness. The story also conveys the message of spending time together with other people happily instead of depriving ourselves of social connections.