The Rattrap By Selma Lagerlof - ( English - XII)

Summary

The Red Trap tells the tale of a man who makes a living selling rat traps and stealing, viewing life as a trap that lures people to their downfall. After stealing from a kind craftsman, he finds himself lost in a forest and later mistaken for an acquaintance by an iron master. Despite his initial intentions to deceive for profit, he is touched by the kindness of the iron master's daughter, Edla, and decides to return the stolen money as a Christmas gift, realizing he has escaped life's trap.

Takeaways

• 🐭 The protagonist makes and sells small wire red traps but also steals to survive.
• 💡 He contemplates that the world is a trap, luring people to their downfall.
• 🏡 He visits a lonely crafter, who offers him food and shelter.
• 🃏 They play cards and the crafter reveals his source of income and where he keeps his money.
• 💸 The protagonist steals the crafter's money after leaving the house.
• 🌲 He gets lost in the forest and realizes he too has been lured by bait.
• 🔨 He finds an iron mill and asks for shelter, where he's mistaken for an old acquaintance.
• 👨‍🔧 The iron master initially wants to give him money but later realizes his mistake.
• 🎅 He spends Christmas with the iron master's family, eating and sleeping.
• 💌 He leaves a rat trap and a letter for Edla, asking her to return the stolen money to the crafter.
• 🎁 The rat trap is a Christmas present for Edla, symbolizing his gratitude for her kindness.

Q & A

What was the primary occupation of the protagonist known as 'the Red'?

The Red made and sold small wire red traps.

Why did the Red also engage in stealing?

Selling rat traps was not profitable enough, so he stole to have enough to eat and stay alive.

What did the Red realize about the world one evening?

The Red realized that the world was little more than a bait to draw people to their own destruction.

What did the crafter offer the Red when he knocked on his door?

The crafter offered the Red a hot meal and tobacco, and they spent the evening talking and playing a card game.

How did the Red betray the crafter's trust?

The Red smashed a window pane and stole the crafter's money after learning where he kept it.

What happened to the Red when he decided to walk to the forest?

The Red got lost in the forest and realized he too had allowed himself to be fooled by bait.

Where did the Red find shelter after getting lost in the forest?

The Red found shelter at Ramsey's Iron Works after hearing the sound of hammer strokes.

Why did the Iron Master initially mistake the Red for an old acquaintance?

The Iron Master mistook the Red for an old acquaintance from the army.

What did the Red do to convince the Iron Master not to call the sheriff?

The Red convinced the Iron Master that the world is a rat trap and that he himself might get snared one day.

How did Edla, the Iron Master's daughter, influence the Red's stay at their house?

Edla's friendly manner caused the Red to change his mind and go with her to their house, and later she convinced her father to let the Red spend Christmas with them.

What did the Red leave behind for Edla after he left the Iron Master's house?

The Red left a rat trap and a letter for Edla, expressing his desire to reciprocate her kindness and asking her to return the money to the poor crafter.

Outlines

00:00

🐭 The Rat Trap Maker's Realization

The story revolves around a man known as the Red Trap, who makes and sells small wire rat traps but finds the business unprofitable. To survive, he resorts to stealing. One day, he contemplates the idea that life is like a rat trap, designed to lure people to their downfall. He has always felt mistreated by the world and finds humor in this grim thought. One evening, he seeks shelter at a craftsman's cottage, where he is warmly welcomed. They spend the night talking and playing cards. The craftsman unwittingly reveals how he earns money and where he keeps it. The next morning, the Red Trap leaves but returns to steal the craftsman's money. With his pockets full, he heads to the forest to avoid capture but gets lost. As night falls, he despairs, hearing the sound of a hammer from an iron mill. He seeks shelter there and is granted it by the master's mate.

Keywords

💡Red Trap

A 'red trap' refers to a small wire trap used for catching rats. In the context of the video, it symbolizes the protagonist's occupation and his view of the world as a place where people are lured into traps, much like rats. The red trap is a metaphor for the snares and temptations that lead people to their downfall, as seen when the protagonist steals from the crafter.

💡Profitable

Profitable means yielding a profit or financial gain. The script mentions that selling rat traps is not profitable for the protagonist, which leads him to steal to survive. This keyword highlights the protagonist's struggle and the moral dilemma he faces due to his lack of income.

💡Bait

Bait is anything used to lure someone or something into a trap or into doing something. In the video, the protagonist views the world as a bait, suggesting that people are drawn to their own destruction. This concept is central to the theme of temptation and the idea that people are often led astray by their desires.

💡Crafter

A crafter is someone who makes things by hand. In the story, the crafter is a lonely person who welcomes the protagonist into his home, offering him a meal and company. The crafter represents kindness and generosity, which contrasts with the protagonist's initial deceitful behavior.

💡Despair

Despair is a feeling of utter hopelessness and defeat. The protagonist experiences despair when he gets lost in the forest and realizes that he too has been lured by the bait of the world. This keyword is pivotal in illustrating the protagonist's emotional journey and his eventual realization of his own vulnerability.

💡Iron Works

Iron works refers to a place where iron is processed or worked upon. In the script, the protagonist seeks shelter at an iron works after getting lost. It symbolizes a place of refuge and a turning point in the story where the protagonist's fate changes.

💡Mistaken Identity

Mistaken identity occurs when one person is incorrectly identified as another. The iron master mistakes the protagonist for an old acquaintance, leading to a series of events that change the protagonist's life. This keyword is crucial to the plot development and the unfolding of the story's message about deception and truth.

💡Edla

Edla is the daughter of the iron master, who plays a pivotal role in the story by showing kindness to the protagonist. Her character represents compassion and the potential for redemption, as she influences the protagonist to change his ways and return the stolen money.

💡Christmas

Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. In the script, the protagonist is allowed to spend Christmas with the iron master's family, symbolizing a time of forgiveness, charity, and new beginnings. This keyword is integral to the story's theme of transformation and the power of kindness.

💡Reciprocity

Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges that are granted and received. The protagonist's desire to reciprocate Edla's kindness by returning the stolen money shows his transformation from a thief to someone who values moral integrity.

💡World's Rat Trap

The 'world's rat trap' is a metaphor used by the protagonist to describe the world as a place full of traps and deceit. By escaping the world's rat trap, the protagonist symbolizes overcoming the temptations and pitfalls that once controlled his life, illustrating the theme of personal growth and redemption.

Highlights

The protagonist makes and sells small wire red traps.

Profits from selling rat traps are insufficient, leading the protagonist to steal for survival.

The protagonist views the world as a bait designed to lure people to their destruction.

The protagonist, often mistreated, finds amusement in the world's cruel nature.

The protagonist is welcomed by a lonely crafter who offers him food and shelter.

The crafter confides in the protagonist about his earnings and where he keeps his money.

The protagonist steals the crafter's money after leaving the house.

The protagonist gets lost in the forest while trying to avoid being caught.

He hears the sound of hammer strokes from an iron mill and seeks shelter there.

The blacksmith agrees to provide shelter after a casual glance at the protagonist.

The iron master mistakes the protagonist for an old acquaintance from the army.

The protagonist decides not to reveal his true identity to the iron master.

The iron master's daughter, Edla, is sent to persuade the protagonist to stay.

Edla's friendly manner leads the protagonist to change his mind and stay with them.

The iron master realizes his mistake upon seeing the protagonist cleaned up.

The protagonist convinces the iron master not to call the sheriff by discussing the world's rat trap.

Edla convinces her father to let the protagonist spend Christmas with them.

The protagonist spends Christmas Eve eating and sleeping.

At church, the iron master and Edla learn that the protagonist stole from a poor crafter.

The protagonist leaves a rat trap and a letter for Edla, expressing his desire to repay her kindness.

The protagonist asks Edla to return the money to the poor crafter.

The protagonist views the rat trap as a Christmas present for Edla for treating him well.

The protagonist reflects on escaping the world's rat trap.

Transcripts

here is the summary of the story

the red trap once there was a

who made and sold small wire red traps

selling rat traps however was not

profitable

and so he also stole to have enough to

eat

and stay alive one day a thought crossed

his mind

that the world was little more than a

bait said to draw people to their own

destruction

the who had always been ill

treated by the world

found great amusement in this thought

one evening the knocked on the

door of a little cottage

hoping for a chance to rest for the

night

the lonely crafter who lived there

welcomed the

offering him a hot meal and

tobacco

they spent the evening talking and

playing

misliss a card game the crafter confided

in the about how he earned money

and where he kept it the next morning

the

and the crafter left the house together

the beat farewell and went his way

only to return half an hour later he

smashed a window pane

and stole the crafter's money smug

and with his pocket full of money the

tram decided to walk to the forest

to avoid being caught his joy however

was short-lived as he got lost in the

forest

as he wandered in the forest looking for

a way out

he realized that he too had allowed

himself

to be fooled by bait darkness fell

and the sang to the ground in

despair

just then he heard the sound of hammer

strokes from a nearby

iron mill and stumbled in the direction

of the

sound he reached ramsay's iron works

and asked the masters mate for a night

shelter

the blacksmith used to such request

nodded his agreement after a casual

and indifferent glance at the

later that night the owner of damil the

iron master

arrived at the factory for his nightly

inspection

he mistook the tram for an old

acquaintance from the army

the hoping to extract some cash

from the iron master

taught it wise not to reveal his true

identity

things though got somewhat unpleasant

for the

as the iron master insisted on taking

him home

who is the flatly refused tyrant

master

gave in then but sent his daughter edla

to persuade the

adla's friendly manner caused a to

change his mind

and he went with her at the house

the was given a haircut shape bath

and the pair of freshly pressed clothes

the iron monster looked at the clean

tram and realized his mistake

he wanted to call the sheriff but

finally refrain from it

after the tram convinced him that the

world is a rat trap

and the iron master himself might get

one day and snared in the trap the iron

master

though amused asked the to leave

at once

however edla convinced her father to let

the poor spend christmas

with them the

spent christmas eve doing little else

other than eating and sleeping the next

day

at church the iron master and edla came

to know

that the had stolen 30 kronor from

the poor

crafter fearing the worst father and

daughter returned home

only to find the gun he had left a

rat trap

and the letter for the girl in the red

trap

where the tree tank runner node center

crafter

in the note the tram expressed his

desire

to reciprocate edla's kindness and asked

her

to return the money to the poor crafter

he also said that the rat trap was a

christmas

present for her because she treated him

as if he were a real captain he was able

to escape the world's rat trap

[Music]

you