What, according to the peddlar, is a 'Rattrap' ?

Question

Accepted Answer

According to the peddler, the world is a rattrap.

Here's why Option 2 is correct and the others are incorrect:

*   **Option 2: The world** - This is correct because the peddler's central philosophy, which he develops and repeats throughout the story, is that the world exists only to set baits for people. He believes that all the joys, riches, shelters, food, and heat are merely "cheese rinds" set out to tempt people into touching the "bait" and getting caught in the "rattrap" of the world. This is a core theme of the story.

*   **Option 1: Cheese** - While cheese is mentioned in the story, it's used as a metaphor for the temptations the world offers. The peddler doesn't define the rattrap *as* cheese, but rather uses cheese as an example of the bait within the rattrap (the world).

*   **Option 3: The riches** - Similar to cheese, riches are another example of the bait the world uses to trap people. The peddler sees riches as part of the larger trap, not the trap itself.

*   **Option 4: None of the above** - Since Option 2 is demonstrably correct based on the peddler's own words and the story's central theme, this option is incorrect.