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There was a poor man who sold rat-traps and earned his livelihood. His income from the traps was not enough. So he also begged and stole petty things at times. He was not a born thief as no man is. Necessity compelled him in the petty thieving. He used to sleep at night in the houses of people if someone allowed him or some places like factories like Ramsjo Iron-Works. Once an idea struck him that the world is like a rat-trap full of temptations to trap men. If a man is tempted by the baits of wealth, power, etc. he is trapped like a rat in a rat trap. The man selling rat-traps lived a poor life without enough food or shelter. So he looked upon the world in the light of his own sufferings. Once he took shelter in the house of a man who was the crofter in Ramsjo Iron-Works. The man was lonely without any family. He welcomed the rat-trap man as he would get rid of his loneliness at least for a night.
The crofter told him about his life and showed him the thirty kronor that the crofter had kept near the window. Initially he was happy to get the money but very soon the rat trap began to work. He feared detection and avoided the highway. He walked through the forest and lost his way there. He then saw the forge of the Ramsjo Iron-Works and went there to spend the night near the forge. At that time, the iron-master, the owner of the factory, came in. The iron-master by mistake thought him to be his old friend, Nils Olof, with whom he had served in the regiment. To help his friend fallen on bad days, he invited the peddler to his house. The rat-trap man or peddler realized that the iron-master was making a mistake but he did not correct him in the hope that he might help him a little.
But he did not like to go into his house as he feared that he might be exposed and detected. But the kind-hearted daughter of the iron-master Edla Willmansson was too compassionate and loving to be resisted. She suspected even that the man might have committed some crime. But she ignored that and thought that the man, always haunted by fear and security, must have lived a miserable life. She wanted to give him at least a night's peace and security. She assured the peddler that in her house, he would be safe from ant interference and he would be free to leave anytime. She persuaded him to be her guest on the Christmas Eve. The genuine compassion of Edla gave the man a sense of peace and security. He slept all the while as if he wanted to make up for the sleepless nights he had spent throughout his life.
He ate the Christmas delicacies. The daughter gave him the suit that he was given to wear and she invited him to the next Christmas and assured him of secrecy and security. The rat-trap man was overwhelmed. The next morning, he left the manor house. But before leaving, he left the packet containing the thirty kronor of the crofter. He wrote a letter to Edla asking her to return the money to the crofter. He wrote that she had treated him with respect as if he was a real captain. She had treated him as a man and not as a thief. That genuine regard had induced him to be a better man and giving up stealing. Thus, the genuine compassion and kindness of Edla changed the life of a thief and turned him to a better man.
What else can I help you with?
When was Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof born?
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof was born on 20 November 1858.
What Nobel Prize did Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof win and when was it awarded?
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof won The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909.
What is the main character in the rat trap by selma lagerlof?
The main character in the rattrap is the peddlar.The story tells us how the peddlar is trapped by temptations of wordly riches and comforts and how he comes out of it because of the goodness,compassion and christian love shown by Edla
Why did Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof win The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909?
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1909 was awarded to Selma Lagerlof in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings.
The kingdom is better served with man than with money?
The King said this from the story "The Silver Mine" by Selma Lagerlof
What is the main symbol in the rattrap by selma?
In Selma Lagerlöf's "The Rattrap," the main symbol is the rattrap itself, which represents the struggles and entrapments of life. It serves as a metaphor for how people can become ensnared in their own circumstances and desires, much like a rat caught in a trap. The rattrap also reflects the theme of redemption, as the protagonist, who initially sees life as a series of traps, ultimately finds compassion and connection that leads him to freedom. Thus, the rattrap encapsulates both the despair of isolation and the possibility of liberation through human kindness.
Who won The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909?
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof won The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909.
How did taking the thirty kronor change the peddlers outlook in the rat trap by Selma Lagerlof?
the taking of the money made him very shame full so he again changed
Why peddler is referred to nils olof first and then captain von stahle in the rattrap by selma lagerof?
Nils Olof Von Stahle is the full name of the person whom the ironmaster mistook for.
Which woman won the 11th nobel prize for literature?
A man actually won the 11th Nobel Prize in Literature. It was given to Maurice Maeterlinck, a Belgian author, in 1911. Two years previous, it was given to a woman named Selma Lagerlof, a Swedish children's book writer.
Where is the Selma Branch Library in Selma located?
The address of the Selma Branch Library is: 2200 Selma St., Selma, 93662 3151
How does the metaphor of The Rat trap serve to highlight the human predicament?
The author Selma Lagerlof tells a universal theme through all her stories. One can not imagine how dull and sad a vagabond might be walking slowly along the roads for his bread. The metaphor of the rattrap struck on one such occasion. He was plodding along the road, duly lost in his own meditations. The whole world about him- the whole world with its lands, seas, cities and villages was nothing but a big rattrap. The world had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people to trap them. The world offered riches, joys, food, shelter and clothing like a bait offering cheese and pork in a rattrap for the rats. As soon as anyone is tempted and he to touches the bait, it closes on him and then everything came to an end for him in life. Like the poor rattrap seller, people get tempted to the pouch baits hung on the window frame, break the window pane and steal the kronor. For self-temptation people like the peddler don't want to undeceive others about themselves. The touching of the bait always makes people realize that they are caught in the world rattrap now. It is their turn now, they must stop cherish it as their pastime of thinking about the known who get trapped and others who ware circling around the trap. They must rise above the baits and shun evil doings like Captain Von Stahle.
