The Character Sketch of Peddler ('The Rattrap' Selma Lagerlof))

'The Rattrap' is one of the finest stories of Selma Lagerlof which represents global theme before the world about human nature. The peddler is central character in the story who roams like a vagabond in his own meditation keeping ill-opinion about the world and its people by selling rattraps. He thinks, this whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages is nothing but a big rattrap.

It has never existed for any other purpose than to sets baits for people. It offers riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offers cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone tempts to touch the bait, it closes in on that one, and then everything comes to an end forever. His life is quite monotonous beyond happiness who makes rattraps in his odd moments by begging in the stores or sometimes picking wire from heaps of garbage. He doesn't earn enough even to his food to mouth and that is why he sometimes thieves for his survival. In fact, he thinks so because he has never been respected or loved by anyone. He robs thirty kronor of a crofter who shelters him with the best hospitality having fed porridge and some slice of tobacco. The crofter also entertains by playing cards with him. But after stealing those thirty kronor peddler feels guilty himself and he traps in a dense forest not to be caught where he recalls his own statement. He regrets having stolen those thirty kronor that had caused him two troubles together. One he had trapped in a forest and second he was not the friend of Iron-master even he had to visit his house. But his meeting with Edla Willmanson totally changes the concept of peddler, she hosts him like her father's real friend even after being an stranger. She celebrates Christmas with him with relish food cloths and promises him to join the Christmas the next year if he wants. This love and affection of Edla changes peddler's ill-opinion for ever about the world and its people and he returns those thirty kronor of the crofter by writing a beautiful letter to Edla with a Christmas gift.