Step 1: Understanding the peddler’s life and mindset.
The peddler was a poor man who wandered from place to place selling rattraps. His poverty, loneliness, and constant struggle for survival made him bitter towards the world. He often reflected upon his situation and developed a philosophy of life based on his experiences.
Step 2: Comparison of the world with a rattrap.
The peddler felt that the entire world was nothing but a giant rattrap. Just like a rat is tempted by bait such as cheese or food and ultimately gets trapped, in the same way, human beings are tempted by material comforts, money, luxuries, and worldly joys. These temptations act as bait that lures people into misery and suffering.
Step 3: The moral significance of his belief.
He believed that once a person gave in to greed or desire for wealth, he or she was caught in a trap from which it was difficult to escape. This metaphor reflected not only his personal experiences but also the theme of human weakness and temptation.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Thus, the peddler considered the world as a rattrap because it symbolized deception, temptation, and eventual suffering. His belief was a reflection of his own hardships and his way of justifying the difficulties of life.