CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4: The Rattrap NCERT Solutions

Here are the meanings of the expressions as inferred from the context of 'The Rattrap':

• keep body and soul together: This phrase means to manage to survive or to continue to live, especially in spite of difficulties. It refers to the basic struggle for existence.
• hunger gleamed in his eyes: This expression describes a look in someone's eyes that clearly shows they are extremely hungry.
• plods along the road: This describes walking slowly and heavily, often with effort, suggesting a tiring and monotonous journey.
• unwonted joy: This refers to a feeling of happiness or pleasure that is unusual or uncommon for the person experiencing it.
• impenetrable prison: This metaphor describes a situation or state that is impossible to escape from, like a prison that cannot be broken into or out of. It highlights the feeling of being trapped.
• nodded a haughty consent: This means to agree to something in a way that shows arrogance or a sense of superiority, often with indifference.
• eased his way: This describes moving slowly, carefully, and with some difficulty, often to avoid causing disturbance or attracting attention.
• Fallen into a line of thought: This phrase means to become absorbed in thinking about something, often leading to a particular conclusion or perspective. (Note: The source text had 'agreement of thoughts' which is less accurate contextually; the rewritten solution clarifies it as becoming absorbed in thought.)
• things have gone downhill: This idiom means that a situation has deteriorated, declined, or become worse over time.

The peddler conceived the idea of the world being a rattrap during one of his monotonous journeys. As he was walking along the road, his mind wandered, and he began to ponder the concept of rattraps. This contemplation led him to associate the world and its enticements with a giant rattrap, a comparison he found increasingly appealing.

The peddler found the idea of the world being a giant rattrap amusing because he had personally experienced the harshness and unkindness of the world throughout his life. Since the world had never offered him any genuine comfort or goodwill, he harbored bitter feelings towards it. This allowed him to take pleasure in thinking negatively about the world by likening it to a trap designed to ensnare unsuspecting creatures.

No, the peddler did not anticipate receiving such warm and generous hospitality from the crofter. His life experiences had conditioned him to expect suspicion, indifference, or outright rejection from people. Therefore, the crofter's willingness to share his food, tobacco, and conversation was an unexpected and unusual kindness that went against his usual encounters with the world.