NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English The Rattrap
Categories: NCERT Solutions Intermediate class
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English
The Rattrap
Q1: From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer: During one of his usual plodding, the peddler thought on the subject of rattraps. It presented him with the idea of the world being a rattrap and he grew fond of thinking this way.
Q2: Why was he amused by this idea?
Answer: The peddler was amused by the idea of the world being a giant rattrap because he was never treated kindly by the world. Therefore, he harbored hard feelings toward it and loved 'to think ill of it' by comparing it with a giant rattrap.
Q3: Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Answer: No, the peddler did not expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter. This was because usually he was greeted by 'sour' and unfriendly faces whenever he knocked on doors and requested for shelter.
Q4: Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer: The crofter was a lonely fellow who lived on his own in a little gray cottage by the roadside. He had no wife or children, and craved company and friends. So, one day when the peddler turned up at his doorstep, he was happy to find someone to talk to, to be relieved of his boredom and monotony. This is the reason he was so talkative and friendly with the peddler.
Q5: Why did he show the thirty kroner to the peddler?
Answer: The crofter was a naive and trusting man who craved company more than anything else. He wanted to share his joy of earning the money with someone. He got his chance when the peddler came along. Moreover, he thought that the peddler did not believe him, so he showed the peddler the thirty kronor bills that he kept in a leather pouch.
Q6: Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Answer: No, the peddler did not respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. In fact, he betrayed his trust by robbing the thirty kronors from him. However, later in the story, his conscience was awakened by his stay with the Willmanssons and he decided to return the money.
Q7: What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Answer: After stealing the money, the peddler tried to escape through the forest but soon got lost. Left in despair, he recollected his own thoughts on the world being a giant rattrap. A sudden realization came to him that he had finally got himself caught in the rattrap because he allowed himself to be tempted by the bait, the thirty kronor bills. Similarly, on his way to the ironmaster's home, he felt caught in the trap. He was again haunted by such thoughts when the ironmaster, on realizing the truth about the peddler, threatened to get him arrested. The rattrap seller expressed himself strongly realizing that the worldly bait had, once more, tempted and trapped him.
Q8: Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer: The ironmaster of the Ramljak Ironworks spoke kindly to the peddler because he had mistaken him for an old regimental comrade, Captain von Stahle. The ironmaster wanted to help the peddler, not only in regaining his health but also in taking up a new vocation. Moreover, the ironmaster was a lonely fellow who lived with his oldest daughter after the death of his wife and the departure of his sons. As he longed for some company on Christmas Eve, he invited the peddler to his home.