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The Rattrap

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The Rattrap

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Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • Identify and analyze the portrayal of characters in fiction.
  • Discuss human emotional needs and behaviors as depicted in the story.
  • Infer motives behind human actions in the narrative.
  • Recognize and reflect on real-life incidents that mirror the themes of kindness and redemption.
  • Examine the narrative style and its impact on the story's message.
  • Explore the use of reflexive pronouns and their emphasis in the text.
  • Analyze vocabulary specific to the themes and settings of the story.
  • Engage in discussions about culture-specific games and their significance.

Detailed Notes

Notes on 'The Rattrap'

About the Author

  • Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940): A Swedish writer known for her belief in the essential goodness of human beings, which can be awakened through understanding and love.

Theme

  • Main Theme: The trap of material benefit that most human beings are prone to.
  • Sub-Theme: The human tendency to redeem oneself from dishonest ways.

Comprehension

  • Factual Understanding: Focus on the portrayal of characters, human emotional needs, and behavior.
  • Narrative Style: The story is told in a fairy tale manner.

Vocabulary and Language

  • Peculiar Terms: Identify terms specific to ironworks and culture-specific games.
  • Reflexive Pronouns: Used for emphasis and to indicate the same subject in sentences.

Characters and Their Portrayal

  • Peddler: Initially viewed with sympathy; represents human loneliness and the need for connection.
  • Crofter: A generous character who shares his food and stories with the peddler.
  • Ironmaster: A prominent figure who initially mistakes the peddler for an old acquaintance, showing kindness but later doubts him.
  • Edla Willmansson: The ironmaster's daughter, who shows compassion and understanding towards the peddler.

Key Events

  • The peddler's realization that the world is a rattrap, offering temptations that ensnare people.
  • The peddler's act of theft and subsequent feelings of guilt and entrapment.
  • The unexpected kindness shown by the crofter and the ironmaster's family, leading to the peddler's transformation.

Important Quotes

  • “The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in this world's rattrap if he had not been raised to captain.”
  • “You may be sure, Captain, that you will be allowed to leave us just as freely as you came.”

Discussion Points

  • The impact of kindness on the peddler's character development.
  • Instances of unexpected reactions from characters.
  • The metaphor of the rattrap and its significance in highlighting human predicaments.

Practice & Assessment