Character Sketch: Rattrap | English Class 12 PDF Download

Character Sketch of Peddler

• Cynical – Views the world as a cruel rattrap.
• Opportunistic – Engages in theft and begging to survive.
• Imaginative – Creates rattraps from wire.
• Desperate – Lives in rags, constantly hungry.
• Nomadic – Wanders the countryside without a home.
• Transformed – Changes after receiving kindness from Edla Wilmansson.

The unnamed rattrap peddler lives a hard, nomadic life, wandering the countryside and selling rattraps made from stolen or begged wire. Cynical and opportunistic, he views the world as a giant rattrap designed to ensnare people. His desperation is evident in his ragged appearance and constant hunger. Initially distrustful and selfish, the peddler steals from those who help him, such as the crofter.

However, after experiencing kindness from Edla Wilmansson, the peddler undergoes a transformation. He returns the stolen money and expresses a desire to be better, highlighting the potential for goodness in everyone. His story is one of redemption, showing how compassion can change even the most hardened individuals.

Character Sketch of Ironmaster

• Kind and Gentle – Welcomed the peddler into his home with hospitality.
• Impressionable – Mistook the peddler for an old army friend, Captain von Stahle.
• Generous – Provided the peddler with dinner and invited him to stay for Christmas.
• Short-Tempered – Became furious upon realizing his mistake.
• Caring Father – Listened to his daughter and allowed the peddler to stay.

The Ironmaster, owner of Ramsjö Ironworks and Edla’s father, is a kind and gentle man who mistakenly believes the peddler to be an old army friend. His inability to make accurate judgments leads to this confusion. Despite this, he shows great generosity, inviting the peddler to his home, providing him with dinner, and offering him a place to stay for Christmas. Although he becomes angry when he discovers his mistake, he is ultimately persuaded by his daughter’s kindness and allows the peddler to stay. His character reflects both his kindness and his capacity for being impressionable.

Character Sketch of Edla

• Humble and Shy – Described as modest and shy, yet kind-hearted.
• Kind and Compassionate – Convincingly invites the peddler to stay and persuades her father to keep him for Christmas.
• Perceptive – Quickly identifies the peddler’s fear and possible criminal background.
• Admirable – Her kindness leads to the peddler’s transformation.
• Generous – Extends warmth and generosity to the peddler despite his deception.

Edla, the Ironmaster’s daughter, is a humble and shy young woman known for her exceptional kindness and compassion. Despite not being conventionally attractive, she possesses an inner beauty that shines through her actions. Edla is perceptive, immediately sensing the peddler’s fear and understanding his likely criminal background. Her unwavering kindness and generosity persuade the peddler to stay for Christmas and ultimately lead to his transformation. Edla’s compassionate nature makes her the most positive and influential character in the story, demonstrating the profound impact of empathy and generosity.