About the story: The story is set amidst the mines of Sweden, rich in iron ore, which figure large in the history and legends of that country. The story is told somewhat in the manner of a fairy tale.

About the Author: Selma Lagerlof was a Swedish writer and her stories have been translated into many languages. Their universal theme that runs through all her stories is the belief that the essential goodness in a human being can be awakened through understanding and love.

CHARACTERS:

Rattrap Seller or the Peddler or Captain Von Stahle

A Crofter (old man)

Helpers in the mill- blacksmiths

Iron mill owner

Edla Willmansson- daughter of the iron mill owner

IMPORTANCE OF THE TITLE:

“The Rattrap” is an appropriate title as it is the story of a rattrap peddler. The word Rattrap throws light on the human dilemma with respect to the functioning of the world and society. Just like a rat is fooled by the bait that and it gets trapped similarly even human beings also tend to fall into the trap of material benefits provided by the world. The story revolves around the incident of a man getting trapped due to his greed. Hence, the title is an apt one. Also, it is worth noticing and remarkable how the story ends with the note of "hope".

The Theme of Story:

The remarkable theme of the story is that man is inherently good by nature and it is the material benefits or the society and the environment he lives in makes him bad. Since the story ends on a positive note of hope, we infer that human goodness and kindness can bring about the change in the attitude of any person trapped.

CHARACTER SKETCH:

Peddler or The Rattrap or Captain Von Stahle:

1. The peddler was a poor vagabond.
2. He sold rattraps to earn his living or keep his body and soul together.
3. He also resorted to thievery when required.
4. He was struck with a dark realization that the world is itself a  rattrap and all men and women are just like rats that are vulnerable to be trapped to various types of baits.
5. He was inherently not a bad person. He had some goodness in him that was irked by Edla, the iron master’s elder daughter.
6. In the end, he transformed himself and returned the stolen money to the crofter through Edla loving caring and devoted family man

Edla Willmannsson:

1. She was the oldest daughter of the Ironmaster
2. She was not at all pretty but seemed modest and quite shy. by heart
3. Kind-hearted
4. Compassionate
5. Smart enough to understand rightly from the peddler’s eyes that he might have escaped from jail or stolen something.
6. By being a good host she actually elevated peddler’s nature to that of a Captain.
7. She was a great human being.

A Crofter:

1. He was lonely and had nobody to talk to.
2. He was happy to see the peddler and gave him shelter. This gesture made the peddler feel welcomed and comfortable because he was used to seeing sour and unwelcomed faces ordinarily.
3. He was generous.
4. He had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks.
5. Trusted the stranger easily with his confidences.                                    

Tom An Ironmaster (Ironworks owner):

1. The Ironmaster was the owner of the large iron factory Ramsjo Ironwork.
2. His greatest ambition was to ship out good iron in the market.
3. Hard-working and conscious of his duties as he used to go to the forge for nightly inspections.
4. He mistakes the rattrap seller as his old acquaintance and his basic instinct was to help him irrespective of his condition, which shows that just like his daughter even he was kind-hearted and helpful. He took him to his own house and cared for him.