The Last Lesson Questions & Answers

1. How did Franz resist his momentary thoughts of running away and spend the day outdoors?

The short story The Last Lesson is written by Alphonse Daudet, a French novelist and short story writer. It
is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.

Franz did not wish to go to school that morning because his teacher M. Hamel was to question then on
participles. He did not know a word about participles. He was frightened and was to get a scolding for not
learning his lesson. This was the reason of his starting very late for school that morning.

While Franz was on his way to school for a moment he thought of running away and spending the day out of
doors. It was so pleasant, so warm and so bright that day. He thought of enjoying the chirping birds of the
nearby edge of the forest. He thought of enjoying the drill of the Prussian soldiers at the back of the saw mill. All
these were a great allurement in comparison to the rule of Participles. But he was a child of good basic
qualities so he resisted that temptation and hurried off to school.

At the town-hall bulletin-board a blacksmith from the crowd called after him and told him not to go so fast
as he would get to his school in plenty of time. But Franz thought the blacksmith was making fun of him so
hurried off to his school.

2. Franz thinks, Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons? What could this means?

Alphonse Daudets The Last Lesson very prominently rises the question of linguistic and cultural hegemony of
the colonial and imperial powers and their lust for controlling the world and influencing their cultures and
identities. Prussians acquired the district if Alsace and Lorrain in Franco-Prussian War, but they were not
satisfied with mere political domination, they desired to enforce their own language on the people of the
defeated nation. They released the order that from then German would be taught in schools rather than French.

Franz wondered whether they would make even pigeons sing in German. It means that they had grown up using
French as their language and now snatching away their language from them as cooing is to the pigeon. So,
compulsion to speak another language is like dominating the force of nature and enslaving it. As it is next to
impossible to alter the way pigeons sing, in the same way it is difficult for people to accept a language which is
forcibly imposed on them. Adopting a new language causes pain and discomfort.

In other words the sentence could also mean that however hard the authorities try to embed German language
in the culture of Alsace and Lorrain, the natural status of French, for them, will remain unchanged. French flows
in the air and the entire place is imbued with its effect. Even though they train students in German, the basic
mode of communication would remain unchanged like the cooing of the pigeons.

3. Describe the feelings, emotions and behavior of M. Hamel on the day of The Last Lesson.

It was one of the greatest days for M. Hamel. So he wore his fine Sunday dress the beautiful green coat,
frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap-all embroidered; which he wore at the school only on ceremonial
occasions like the Inspection Day or the Prize Distribution Day.

That morning the whole school was so still, so calm, so quiet that it seemed very strange and solemn inspite
of the presence of the distinguished village people besides several others. The teacher M. Hamel addressed all
present in the school room by saying:
 My children! This is the last lesson I shall give to you This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very
attentive. M. Hamel in his agony calls the Prussians the wretches. And after it he taught every lesson to the
very last. Then from one thing to another, he went on to talk of the French language like a very proud
Frenchman. He explained everything with so much patience as if he wanted to give them all he knew before
going away. After grammar the lesson in writing, a lesson in History and finally, the babnies chanted their
alphabet learning.

During the writing period he sat motionless in his chair looking very carefully first at one then at the others
in the schoolroom as if he wanted to fix in his mind just the way everything looked. Think! For forty years there
at the same place, with his garden outside his window and his class; his walnut-trees and the hopvine. It must
have broken his heart greatly to leave it all; while teaching hearing his sister moving about in the room above,
packing their trunks.

The very thought of leaving the next day might have turned him pale and choked his throat as to bid adieu,
he could not speak beyond:

My friends, I ___ I _____

So took a piece of chalk and, mustering up all his courage, wrote in very large letters:

Vive La France!

Then leaning his head against the wall, without a word, with his hand made a gesture to mean to all present:

School is dismissed you may go.

4. sd