The Last Lesson

Important Questions Short Answer Type Questions

Q1.What was the mood in the classroom when M. Hamel gave his last French lesson?
(Delhi 2009)

Answer: When M.Hamel was giving his last French ; lesson, the mood in the classroom was
solemn and somber. When he announced that this was their last French lesson everyone present
in the classroom suddenly developed patriotic feelings for their native language and genuinely
regretted ignoring their mother tongue.

Q 2.What had the narrator counted on to enter the school, unnoticed? (Delhi 2010)

Answer: The narrator (Franz) had counted on the hustle and bustle that was usual when the
school began in order to enter there unnoticed. He had thought he could depend on the
commotion to get to his desk without anybody noticing that he was late for the class.

Q 3. “This is your last French lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of
M.Hamel? (Delhi 2010)

Answer: When M.Hamel declared that it was their last French lesson a grim realisation dawned
on Franz that he had so much more yet to learn. He felt sorry for whiling away his time and
skipping his lessons. Now he did not want to part with his books, which he had earlier
consi¬dered a nuisance. He was also deeply pained at the thought that M.Hamel was leaving.

Q 4. “What a thunder clap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked
and surprised little Franz? (Delhi 2010)

Answer: When M.Hamel mounted on the chair and announced that he was there to teach his last
French lesson that day, Franz was shocked and surprised. He felt very guilty for deliberately
ignoring to learn his native language and he suddenly developed a strange fascination for his
language and his school.

Q 5. What changes came over little Franz after he heard M.Hamel’s announcement? (All
India 2010)

Answer: When M.Hamel announced that this was to be their last French class a grim realisation
dawned on Franz that he could hardly write his language and now he was being deprived of the
opportunity to learn it. He felt very guilty of neglecting his classes and escaping school. The
thought of losing his teacher, M. Hamel, also pained him.
 Q 6.What was tempting Franz to keep away from school That morning’? (Comptt. Delhi
2010)

Answer:Franz was very late for school ‘that morning’. M. Hamel was to question the students on
participles and Franz knew nothing and feared a scolding. The bright weather, woods, fields and
chirping of birds tempted him to spend the day outdoors.

Q 7. What was unusual about M. Hamel’s dress and behaviour on the day of his last
French lesson? (Comptt. Delhi 2010)

Answer: On the day of his last French lesson M. Hamel was unexpectantly kind. He had put on
his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and an embroidered black silk cap that he normally wore
only on inspection and prize days. In his last lesson he explains everything with unusual patience
as if he wants to teach them everything he has ever learned in their last French class.

Q 8. Why had the bulletin-board become a centre of attention during the last two years?
(Comptt. All India 2010)

Answer: The bulletin-board had become a centre of attention because for the last two years all
the bad news had come from there. It was the source of all bad news-the lost battles, the draft
and the orders of the commanding officers.

Q 9. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for the school that day? (Delhi 2011)

Answer: Franz had started very late for school that morning. He feared facing his class-teacher,
M. Hamel. Because he was expected to be prepared with his grammar lesson on participles and
he did not know even the first word about them. So he feared a scolding.

Q 10. What had been put up on the bulletin board? (Delhi 2011)

Answer: A notice had been put up on the bulletin board informing the people about the order
from Berlin which declared that only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine. They had also been informed that the new German teacher was coming on the
following day.

Q 11.Who did M.Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz?
(Delhi 2011)

Answer: Mr. Hamel blamed various people for different reasons for neglect of learning on the
part of boys like Franz. First he blamed the parents for not being anxious to have their children
learn and rather engaging them into household work. He blamed the boys themselves for
preferring to work on mills and farms. He also blamed himself for sending boys on errands for
his convenience.
Q 12.Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What does
this tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen? (All India 2011)

Answer: During his last French class Franz hears the pigeons cooing and wonders if the
Prussians would make them sing in German too. His thought reveals the Frenchmen’s fear of
complete domination by the Germans whereby they would try to enslave even their minds.

Q 13. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” – Which were the words that shocked
and surprised Franz? (All India 2011)

Answer: When M.Hamel mounted on the chair and announced that he was there to teach his last
French lesson that day, Franz was shocked and surprised. He felt very guilty for deliberately
ignoring to learn his native language and he suddenly developed a strange fascination for his
language and his school.

Q 14. “What announcement did M. Hamel make? What was the impact of this on Franz?
(All India 2011)

Answer: When M.Hamel declared that it was their last French lesson a grim realisation dawned
on Franz that he had so much more yet to learn. He felt sorry for whiling away his time and
skipping his lessons. Now he did not want to part with his books, which he had earlier
considered a nuisance. He was also deeply pained at the thought that M.Hamel was leaving.

Q 15. What did M. Hamel tell the people in the class about French language? What did he
ask them to do and why? (Comptt. Delhi 2011)

Answer: M. Hamel told the people in his class that French was the most beautiful, the clearest
and the most logical language in the world. He advised them to guard it among themselves j and
never to forget it because it would prove to be the key to their prison when they were I enslaved.

Q 16. What was the mood in the classroom when M.Hamel gave his last French lesson?
(Comptt. All India 2011)

Answer: When M.Hamel was giving his last French; lesson, the mood in the classroom was
solemn and sombre. When he announced that this was their last French lesson everyone present
in the classroom suddenly developed patriotic feelings for their native language and genuinely
regretted ignoring their mother tongue.

Q17. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school? (Delhi 2012)

Answer: The shocking order from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine saddened and hurt the pride of the French people. So as a gesture to express
their solidarity for their language the village elders also attended school for the last French
lesson. The usual hustle and bustle was missing from school and it was unusually quiet. M.
Hamel was also dressed in his formal suit which he wore only on special occasions.

Q18.How did M.Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town? (All India
2012)

Answer: To bid farewell to his students and the people of the town M.Hamel wore his formal suit
on the day he gave his last French lesson. He assumed the role of a mentor and advised the
villagers to safeguard their language, which was the most beautiful and logical language in the
world. Being rimmed up with emotions, he wrote “Vive La France” which mean Tong live
France’ in order to inculcate a feeling of patriotism within everyone.

Q 19. What were Franz’s regrets after M. Hamel’s announcement of his last lesson?
(Comptt. Delhi 2012)

Answer: When M. Hamel announced that it was their last French lesson, Franz realised he had so
much more to learn. He felt sorry for whiling away his time and skipping his lessons. He was
also deeply pained at the thought of M. Hamel leaving the school.

Q 20. What change was there in Franz’ attitude towards M. Hamel? (Comptt. All India
2012)

Answer: Franz’s attitude towards M. Hamel underwent a complete change on the day of the last
French lesson. He developed a strange fascination for his school and the French language. When
M. Hamel read out a grammar lesson to the class, Franz was amazed at how well he understood
it. All M. Hamel said seemed so easy to Franz and he genuinely regretted ignoring M. Hamel’s
classes and lessons.

Q21. Why did M. Hamel not scold Franz when the latter fumbled with the rule for the
participle? (Comptt. All India 2012)

Answer: Since it was M. Hamel’s last class in Alsace, he did not scold Franz when the latter
fumbled with the rule for the participle. He told Franz that he would not scold him as he knew
that Franz was already feeling terrible enough and reproaching himself a great deal.

Q 22.How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson? (Delhi
2013)

Answer: When M.Hamel declared that it was their last French lesson a grim realisation dawned
on Franz that he had so much more yet to learn. He felt sorry for whiling away his time and
skipping his lessons. Now he did not want to part with his books, which he had earlier
considered a nuisance. He was also deeply pained at the though that M.Hamel was leaving.
Q 23. “What a thunderclap these words were to me !” What were the words that shocked
and surprised the narrator? (Delhi, Comptt. All India 2013)

Answer: When M.Hamel mounted on the chair and announced that he was there to teach his last
French lesson that day, Franz was shocked and surprised. He felt very guilty for deliberately
ignoring to learn his native language and he suddenly developed a strange fascination for his
language and his school.

Q 24.What did M. Hamel tell them about the French language? What did he ask them to
do and why? (Delhi 2013)

Answer: M. Hamel told the people in his class that French was the most beautiful, the clearest
and the most logical language in the world. He advised them to guard it among themselves j and
never to forget it because it would prove to be the key to their prison when they were I enslaved.

Q 25.What was the order from Berlin and what changes did it cause in the school? (All
India 2013)

Answer: The shocking order from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine saddened and hurt the pride of the French people. So as a gesture to express
their solidarity for their language the village elders also attended school for the last French
lesson. The usual hustle and bustle was missing from school and it was unusually quiet. M.
Hamel was also dressed in his formal suit which he wore only on special occasions.

Q 26. Why did Franz think of running away from the school that morning? (Comptt. Delhi
2013)

Answer: Franz was tempted to run away and spend the day outside instead of attending school as
it was a warm and bright day and he wanted to watch the Prussian soldiers’ drill. Moreover he
had not done his lesson on participles from which his teacher, M. Hamel was going to question
and feared a scolding from his teacher.

Q 27.What did Franz see when he passed the town hall? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)

Answer: When Franz passed the town hall he saw there was a crowd in front of the bulletin
board. For the last two years all the bad news of lost battles, the draft etc. had come from there
and Franz thought to himself what the matter was then and what bad news awaited them.

Q 28.When Franz reached his school, what unusual situation did he observe? (Comptt.
Delhi 2013)

Answer:The usual hustle and bustle of the morning hours could not be seen on the day of the last
lesson. It was all very still and quiet as it used to be on a Sunday morning. The din of opening
and closing of desks and the rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table could not be heard. The
students had already taken their places and even the village elders had gathered there.
Q 29.After sitting down at his desk what unusual things did Franz observe about M.
Hamel? (Comptt. All India)

Answer: Franz realised that M. Hamel was not his usual cranky self and said nothing to him even
though he was late for the class. Moreover their teacher was wearing his beautiful green coat, his
frilled shirt and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he wore only on special days in
school.

Q 30. “But the thing that surprised me most was to see ” What surprised Franz most in the
class? (Comptt. All India 2013)

Answer: The thing that surprised Franz the most when he entered the classroom was to see the
village people sitting as quietly as the students on the back benches of the class that were always
empty. This included old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster and several others.

Q 31.What tempted Franz to stay away from school? (Delhi 2014)

Answer: Little Franz was tempted to run away and spend the day outside instead of attending
school as it was a warm and bright day with the birds chirping merrily. Moreover, he was
tempted to watch the Prussian soldiers’ drill. All these things appeared rather tempting
considering he did not know his participles and feared the French teacher M. Hamel’s scolding
on that day.

Q 32. Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom? (All India 2014)

Answer: The elders of the village were sitting in the classroom as a mark of respect which they
wanted to show for their language and their country. They felt sorry for not having learnt their
language and wanted to thank M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service.

Q 33. What words did M. Hamel write on the black¬board before dismissing the last
class? What did they mean? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)

Answer: Before dismissing the last French class, M. Hamel turned to the blackboard, took a
piece of chalk and wrote as large as he could -“Vive la France!” These words meant “Long Live
France”. He then made a gesture with his hand that the class was dismissed.

Q 34. Who were sitting on the back benches during M. Hamel’s last lesson? Why?
(Comptt. Delhi 2014)

Answer: The village elders were sitting on the back benches during M. Hamel’s last lesson. They
included old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster and several others. They were
there to show their respect for their language and their country.
Q 35. Why is the order from Berlin called a thunderclap by Franz? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)

Answer:The order from Berlin is called a thunderclap by Franz, because it was a complete shock
for him. He had never thought that he would be deprived of the right of learning his native
language. He realised he had so much more yet to learn and was going to lose the opportunity.

Q 36. Why does M. Hamel reproach himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in
studies? (Comptt. All India 2014)

Answer: M. Hamel reproaches himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in studies. He
had often sent them to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons. And when he wanted to
go fishing, he gave them a holiday.

Q 37. What made M. Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson? (Comptt. All India
2014)

Answer: Towards the end of his last French lesson, as the church clock struck twelve and the
trumpets of the Prussians sounded under the window, M. Hamel was completely overwhelmed
with emotions. Feeling choked, he was unable to talk further and dismissed the class by making a
gesture with his hand.

Q 38. What was unusual about M. Hamel’s dress on his last day in the school? (Comptt. All
India 2014)

Answer: In honour of his last French lesson in the school, M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday
clothes. He had on his green coat, his frilled shirt and the little black, all embroidered silk cap
that he never wore except on inspection and prize days.

Q 39. Who occupied the back benches in the classroom on the day of the last lesson? Why?
(Delhi 2015)

Answer: The village people occupied the backbenches in the classroom on the day of the last
lesson. They included the old hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster and several
others. They had come there to thank their master for his valuable service and to show their
respect for their language and country which was no longer theirs.

Q 40. Why did M. Hamel write ‘Vive La France’ on the blackboard? (Delhi 2015 )

Answer: Before dismissing the class, M. Hamel writes ‘Vive La France’ (Long Live France) on
the blackboard. He was extremely patriotic and he does this to make the Alsacians conscious that
they had to safeguard their language and identity among themselves as this was the key to their
prison.