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    M. Hamel taught his last French lesson in an Alsatian village school in 1870 after Prussia captured the region of Alsace from France. One of M. Hamel's students, Franz, had avoided French lessons before but attended M. Hamel's final class where he saw the teacher dressed formally and the whole village present. Franz realized the importance of French, which he would no longer be able to learn after this "last lesson." The story highlights how people often procrastinate on important lessons until it's too late, as the villagers had not prioritized French until the language was being banned by Prussian rule. M. Hamel's emotional farewell symbolized the loss of French language and culture for the

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    M. Hamel taught his last French lesson in an Alsatian village school in 1870 after Prussia captured the region of Alsace from France. One of M. Hamel's students, Franz, had avoided French lessons before but attended M. Hamel's final class where he saw the teacher dressed formally and the whole village present. Franz realized the importance of French, which he would no longer be able to learn after this "last lesson." The story highlights how people often procrastinate on important lessons until it's too late, as the villagers had not prioritized French until the language was being banned by Prussian rule. M. Hamel's emotional farewell symbolized the loss of French language and culture for the

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    3 views9 pages

    Current Class Xii

    Uploaded by

    Shakshi Jha
    M. Hamel taught his last French lesson in an Alsatian village school in 1870 after Prussia captured the region of Alsace from France. One of M. Hamel's students, Franz, had avoided French lessons before but attended M. Hamel's final class where he saw the teacher dressed formally and the whole village present. Franz realized the importance of French, which he would no longer be able to learn after this "last lesson." The story highlights how people often procrastinate on important lessons until it's too late, as the villagers had not prioritized French until the language was being banned by Prussian rule. M. Hamel's emotional farewell symbolized the loss of French language and culture for the

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 9

    CLASS: XII SUBJECT: ENGLISH

    Dear Student and Parent

    Due to the prevailing Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic, is happy to launch


    CAOL - Central Academy Online Learning program to help your child continue the quest for
    knowledge.

    Read the chapter and answer the questions given below. The questions may be solved in your
    rough notebook.
    1
    CLASS: XII SUBJECT: ENGLISH CORE

    THE LAST LESSON – SUMMARY


    The prose ‘The Last Lesson’, written by Alphonse Daudet describes the year 1870 when the Prussian
    forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went
    into Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of French in the schools of these
    two districts. The French teachers were asked to leave. The story describes the last day of one such
    French class under M. Hamel. M. Hamel could no longer remain in his old school. He gave his last lesson
    with utmost devotion.

    One of his students, Franz, who played truant with French class and feared M. Hamel’s iron rod, came to
    the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson on participles. On
    reaching school, he found M. Hamel dressed in Sunday clothes and all the old people of the village
    sitting there. (He later learned that it was due to an order on the bulletin board.) That was when he
    realized for the first time how important French was for him, that it was his Last Lesson in French.

    The story ‘The Last Lesson’ highlights the human tendency to procrastinate and put away things for
    tomorrow, hence, the man keeps postponing the lessons of life, oblivious to the fact that life is subject
    to change. The people of Alsace always thought they had plenty of time to learn the lessons. Therefore,
    they did not give much importance to the school. They preferred sending their children to work on the
    farms and mills instead of having them learn the lessons. Even Franz, the narrator, always looked for
    opportunities to skip the school and collect birds’ eggs. However, the unexpected happens and an order
    is received from Berlin regarding the compulsory teaching of German in the schools of Alsace and
    Lorraine. It is then that they realize that they would be deprived of what they had been evading all this
    while.

    The last French lesson taught by M Hamel symbolizes the loss of language and the loss of freedom for
    France. It becomes an emotional lesson rendered by M Hamel to the villagers, signifying the changing
    order of life and its impact on the sensibilities and emotions of people. The marching soldiers under the
    windows represent the dawn of Prussia in France, the defeat of the French people and the resultant
    threat to their language and culture.

    ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS-

    1. What had been put up on the bulletin- board?


    2. Who were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel’s last lesson? Why?
    3. How had the teacher dressed on the day of the last lesson?
    4. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
    5. How were the parents responsible for the children’s neglect of the French language?

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