e d

T s h
i
The Last Lesson

R l
Prose

Alphonse Daudet

E b
Lost Spring

u
C
Anees Jung

N re p
Deep Water
William Douglas

© e
The Rattrap
..
Selma Lagerlof

b
Indigo

o
Louis Fischer

t t Poets and Pancakes

Asokamitran

no The Interview
Christopher Silvester
Umberto Eco

Going Places
A. R. Barton
 1 The Last Lesson

d
About the author

e
Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist
and short-story writer. The Last Lesson is set in the

h
days of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) in which

T s
France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck.

i
Prussia then consisted of what now are the nations of

l
Germany, Poland and parts of Austria. In this story the

R
French districts of Alsace and Lorraine have passed

b
into Prussian hands. Read the story to find out what

E
effect this had on life at school.

C p u
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context

N re
y in great dread of y in unison
y counted on y a great bustle
y thumbed at the edges y reproach ourselves with

© e
I started for school very late that morning and was in great

b
dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said
that he would question us on participles, and I did not

o
know the first word about them. For a moment I thought of

t
running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so
warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the

t
woods; and in the open field back of the sawmill the
Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more

o
tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the
strength to resist, and hurried off to school.

n
When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in
front of the bulletin-board. For the last two years all our
bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft,
the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to
myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?”

2/Flamingo
 Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the
blacksmith, Wachter, who was there, with his apprentice,
reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast,
bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”
I thought he was making fun of me, and reached
M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath.

d
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle,

e
which could be heard out in the street, the opening and
closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with

h
our hands over our ears to understand better, and the
teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. But now it was

T i s
all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my

l
desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything

R
had to be as quiet as Sunday morning. Through the window

b
I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel

E
walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his

u
arm. I had to open the door and go in before everybody. You

C
can imagine how I blushed and how frightened I was.

p
But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said

N re
very kindly, “Go to your place quickly, little Franz. We were
beginning without you.”
I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not

© e
till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see
that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled

b
to
o t
n
The Last Lesson/3
 shirt, and the little black silk
cap, all embroidered, that he
never wore except on
inspection and prize days.
Besides, the whole school
seemed so strange and

d
solemn. But the thing that

e
surprised me most was to
see, on the back benches that

h
were always empty, the village
people sitting quietly like

T i s
ourselves; old Hauser, with

l
his three-cornered hat, the

R
for mer mayor, the former

b
postmaster, and several others besides. Everybody looked

E
sad; and Hauser had brought an old primer, thumbed at

u
the edges, and he held it open on his knees with his great

C
spectacles lying across the pages.

p
While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted

N re
his chair, and, in the same grave and gentle tone which he
had used to me, said, “My children, this is the last lesson
I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach

© e
only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The
new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French

b
lesson. I want you to be very attentive.”
What a thunderclap these words were to me!
Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put up at

o
the town-hall!

t
My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to
write! I should never learn any more! I must stop there, then!

t
Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking

o
birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had
seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my

n
grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now
that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he
was going away, that I should never see him again, made me
forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.
Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he
had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood

4/Flamingo
why the old men of the village were sitting there in the
back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that
they had not gone to school more. It was their way of
thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service
and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs
no more.

d
While I was thinking of all this, I heard my name called.

e
It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be
able to say that dreadful rule for the participle all through,

h
very loud and clear, and without one mistake? But I got
mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to

T i s
my desk, my heart beating, and not daring to look up.

l
I heard M. Hamel say to me, “I won’t scold you, little

R
Franz; you must feel bad enough. See how it is! Every day

b
we have said to ourselves, ‘Bah! I’ve plenty of time. I’ll

E
learn it tomorrow.’ And now you see where we’ve come out.

u
Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off

C
learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will

p
have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be

N re
Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your
own language?’ But you are not the worst, poor little Franz.
We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”

© e
“Your parents were not anxious enough to have you
learn. They preferred to put you to work on a farm or at

b
the mills, so as to have a little more money. And I? I’ve
been to blame also. Have I not often
sent you to water my flowers

o
instead of learning your

t
lessons? And when I
wanted to go fishing,

t
did I not just give

o
you a holiday?”
Then, from one

n
thing to another,
M. Hamel went on
to talk of the
French language,
saying that it was
the most beautiful

The Last Lesson/5

 e d
T s h
R l i
E u b
C
N re p
© e
b
to
ot
nFrance
1870-71
Sketch map not to scale

6/Flamingo
 language in the world — the
clearest, the most logical; that
we must guard it among us and
never forget it, because when a
people are enslaved, as long as
they hold fast to their language

d
it is as if they had the key to their

e
prison. Then he opened a
grammar and read us our lesson.

h
I was amazed to see how well I
understood it. All he said seemed

T i s
so easy, so easy! I think, too, that

l
I had never listened so carefully,

R
and that he had never explained

b
everything with so much patience.

E
1 . What was Franz expected to
It seemed almost as if the poor

u
be prepared with for school
man wanted to give us all he knew

C
that day?
before going away, and to put it

p
2 . What did Franz notice that was
all into our heads at one stroke.

N re
After the grammar, we had a
lesson in writing. That day M.
Hamel had new copies for us,
unusual about the school that
day?
3 . What had been put up on the
bulletin-board?

© e
written in a beautiful round hand
— France, Alsace, France, Alsace. They looked like little

b
flags floating everywhere in the school-room, hung from
the rod at the top of our desks. You ought to have seen how
every one set to work, and how quiet it was! The only sound

o
was the scratching of the pens over the paper. Once some

t
beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not
even the littlest ones, who worked right on tracing their

t
fish-hooks, as if that was French, too. On the roof the

o
pigeons cooed very low, and I thought to myself, “Will they
make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

n
Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel
sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing,
then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just how
everything looked in that little school-room. Fancy! For
forty years he had been there in the same place, with his
garden outside the window and his class in front of him,

The Last Lesson/7

 just like that. Only the desks and benches had been worn
smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and
the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the
windows to the roof. How it must have broken his heart to
leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister moving about in
the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave

d
the country next day.

e
But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the
very last. After the writing, we had a lesson in history,

h
and then the babies chanted their ba, be bi, bo, bu. Down
there at the back of the room old Hauser had put on his

T i s
spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands, spelled

l
the letters with them. You could see that he, too, was crying;

R
his voice trembled with emotion, and it was so funny to

b
hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. Ah, how

E
well I remember it, that last lesson!

u
All at once the church-clock struck twelve. Then the

C
Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of the

p
Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under our

N re
windows. M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair.
I never saw him look so tall.
“My friends,” said he, “I—I—” But something choked

© e
him. He could not go on.
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk,

b
and, bearing on with all his
might, he wrote as large as he
could —

o
“Vive La France!”

t
Then he stopped and leaned 1 . What changes did the order
his head against the wall, and, from Berlin cause in school

t
without a word, he made a that day?

o
gesture to us with his hand — 2 . How did Franz’s feelings about
M. Hamel and school change?
“School is dismissed — you

n
may go.”

8/Flamingo
Understanding the text
1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their
language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this
happen?
2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the

d
pigeons?” What could this mean?

e
(There could be more than one answer.)

h
Talking about the text

T i s
1. “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their

l
language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”

R
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people

E b
had their language taken away from them or had a language
imposed on them?

C u
2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you

p
think they can keep their language alive? For example:

N re
Punjabis in Bangalore
Tamilians in Mumbai
Kannadigas in Delhi

© e
Gujaratis in Kolkata
3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far?

b
Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?

o
Working with words

t t
1. English is a language that contains words from many other
languages. This inclusiveness is one of the reasons it is now a

o
world language, For example:
petite – French

n
kindergarten – German
capital – Latin
democracy – Greek
bazaar – Hindi

The Last Lesson/9

 Find out the origins of the following words.
tycoon barbecue zero
tulip veranda ski
logo robot trek
bandicoot

d
2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the
option that best explains their meaning.

e
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”

h
The words were
(i) loud and clear.

T i s
(ii) startling and unexpected.

R l
(iii) pleasant and welcome.
(b) “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to

E b
their language it is as if they had the key to their prison”

u
It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they

C
(i) do not lose their language.

p
(ii) are attached to their language.

N re
(iii) quickly learn the conqueror’s language.
(c) Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time.
You will get to your school

© e
(i) very late.
(ii) too early.

b
(iii) early enough.
(d) I never saw him look so tall.

o
M. Hamel (a) had grown physically taller

t
(b) seemed very confident
(c) stood on the chair

ot
Noticing form

n
Read this sentence
M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles.
In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first
part is used to indicate an “earlier past”. The whole story is
narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier

10/Flamingo
 than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the
past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb
and say why this form has been used.

Writing

d
1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could

e
be an announcement of a forthcoming event, or a requirement
to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.

h
2. Write a paragraph of about 100 wor ds arguing for or against

T s
having to study three languages at school.

i
3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or

R l
something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what
led you to change your mind.

Things to do

E u b
C p
1. Find out about the following (You may go to the internet, interview
people, consult reference books or visit a library.)

N re
(a) Linguistic human rights
(b) Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.

© e
2. Given below is a survey form. Talk to at least five of your
classmates and fill in the information you get in the form.

b
S.No. Languages Home Neighbourhood City/Town School
you know language language language language

o
1.

t
2.
3.

t
4.

o
5.

n
ABOUT THE UNIT
T HEME
The pain that is inflicted on the people of a territory by its
conquerors by taking away the right to study or speak their
own language.

The Last Lesson/11

 SUB- THEME
Student and teacher attitudes to learning and teaching.

R EADING COMPREHENSION
The comprehension check at the end of each section in the
unit helps pupils make sure that they have understood the

d
facts before they move on to the next section. One session of
forty minutes is likely to be enough for one section of the unit.

e
Pupils can read each section silently and discuss the answers
in pairs.

h
The questions at the end of the unit are inferential. These help

T s
pupils make sense of the writer’s intention in focussing on a

i
local episode and to comment on an issue of universal

l
significance. There could be a follow-up discussion on parts

R
for which students need explanation.

b
T ALKING

E
ABOUT THE TEXT
Topics to be discussed in small groups or pairs. This shall help

u
pupils think of issues that relate to the realities of the society

C
they live in. Gives scope for developing speaking skills in the

p
English language on varied issues. Fluency development.

N re
W ORKING WITH WORDS
To make pupils aware of

© e
• the enrichment of the English language through borrowings
from the other languages.
• idiomatic expressions and figurative use of language.

b
NOTICING FORM

o
To make pupils notice tense form and understand the context

t
of its use.

W RITING

t
• Practice in a functional genre, e.g., bulletin.

o
• Argumentative writing on a topic related to their life at school.
• Narrating subjective experience discussing personal likes and

n
dislikes.

T HINGS TO DO
Extension activity that will help pupils understand language
rights of citizens and the problems of linguistic minorities. Social
and political awareness.

12/Flamingo
 The Last Lesson

by

Alphonse Daudet

About the Author

Alphonse Daudet (13 May 1840 – 16 December 1897) was a French short story writer and novelist. He is
remembered chiefly as the author of sentimental tales of provincial life in the south of France. All his life
he recorded his observations of other people in little notebooks, which he used as a reservoir of
inspiration.

Daudet represents a synthesis of conflicting elements and his actual experience of life, at every social
level and in the course of travels, helped to develop his natural gifts. His major works include ‘Tastain’,
‘Le Petit Chose’, ‘In the land of Pain’ and ‘The Last Lesson’.

Author Name Alphonse Daudet

Born 13 May 1840, Nimes, France

Died 16 December 1897, Paris, France

Movies Letters from My Windmill, L’Arlésienne

Nationality French

The Last Lesson Theme

‘The Last Lesson’ revolves around the language and its importance to the citizens of a country. It is the
duty of every citizen to safeguard the language of the country as it is the identity of that country. The
lesson depicts how after defeating France in the war, the Prussians wanted to rule over not only the
territory of France but also over the minds and hearts of the people.

The story reinforces the fact that we value something more when it is lost. The pain and anguish of the
students and the teacher is evident as everyone realizes how things were taken for granted. The lesson
emphasizes the importance of the mother tongue for everyone and the need to realize the fact that it is
our language that gives us our identity, respect and freedom.

Sub Theme of the Lesson – The Last Lesson

The attitude of teachers and students towards learning and teaching.

Justification of Title of the Lesson – The Last Lesson

The story ‘The Last Lesson’ highlights the human tendency that there is plenty of time to do things;
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 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 school and look for birds’ nests or go sliding on the banks of the river Saar. 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 the people of Alsace realise that they would be
deprived of what they had not been valuing all this while. The story is aptly titled as it evokes the
consciousness in the reader not to put off things and do what one can do that day. M. Hamel’s bold
‘Long live France’ on the blackboard becomes substantial evidence of his sadness, patriotism and
finality.

The introduction of the last lesson

‘The last lesson ‘ written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about 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 Last Lesson Summary

Franz started for school very late that morning. He was afraid of being scolded because M. Hamel was to
question them on participles, and he did not know the first word about them. He thought of running
away and spending the day out of doors. The warm bright day, the chirping birds, and the Prussian
soldiers drilling in the open field back of the sawmill were tempting. But he resisted the temptation and
hurried off to school.

There was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board near the town-hall. Wachter, the blacksmith asked
Franz not to go so fast. He assured the boy that he would get to his school in plenty of time. Usually
there was a great bustle when the school began but that day everything was as quiet as Sunday
morning.

Through the window Franz saw his classmates, already in their places and M. Hamel walking up and
down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. Franz opened the door and went in. He blushed and was
frightened. M. Hamel very kindly asked him to go to his place.

Franz noticed that their teacher had put on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black
silk cap, all embroidered. He wore these only on inspection and prize days. The village people were
sitting quietly on the usually empty back benches. Everybody looked sad; and Hauser had brought an old
primer.
M. Hamel said that it was the last lesson he would give them. Henceforth, only German was to be taught
in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the next day. This was their last
lesson of French. He wanted them to be very attentive.

Franz felt sorry that he had not learnt his lessons properly. The idea that M. Hamel was going away
made the narrator forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. Now Franz understood why M.
Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes and why the old men of the village were sitting there. They
had come to thank the master for his forty years’ faithful service and to show their respect for the
country that was theirs no more.

M. Hamel asked Franz to recite, but he stood there silent. The teacher did not scold him. He confessed
that his parents and he (the teacher) were at fault. Then he talked of the French language-the most
beautiful language in the world—the clearest, the most logical. He asked them to guard it among them
and never forget it. Their language was the key to their prison.

Then they had lesson in grammar and writing. The pigeons cooed very low on the roof. Franz thought if
they would make even the pigeons sing in German. All the while M. Hamel was sitting motionless in his
chair and gazing at one thing or the other. His sister was packing their trunks in the room above as they
had to leave the country next day.

After writing, they had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Even old
Hauser was crying. All at once the church-clock struck twelve and then the midday prayers. At the same
moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under the windows. M. Hamel
stood up. He wanted to speak but something choked him.

Then he took a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard as large as he could “Vive La France!” After
this he stopped and leaned his head against the wall. Without a word, he made a gesture with his hand
to indicate that the school was dismissed and they might go.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Ans. That particular day Franz was expected to be prepared with participles as Mr Hamel, the French
teacher was going to question the students in school and Franz didn’t know it at all.

Q2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?

Ans. There was no commotion and on that day everything was as quiet as a Sunday morning. Even Mr
Hamel was not annoyed when. Franz walked into the classroom late. M. Hamel was in his Sunday best.
There was village folk sitting on the back benches.

Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?

 Ans. The crowd in front of the bulletin board indicated the presence of an important news item. Later,
Franz realized that the news was that the order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the
schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Mr Hamel announced that he would be teaching his last French lesson
that day.

Q4. Why were Mr. 1101? Hamel’s words like a thunderclap to Franz?

Ans. Franz was shocked when Mr Hamel announced that it would be the last French lesson that day. He
realized that he hardly knew how to write and would not get a chance to learn any more French. He felt
sorry for not having learnt his lessons and for having wasted his precious time. The thought that Mr
Hamel would go away made him feel uneasy.

Q5. What was Franz’s reaction when he learnt that he was attending his French lesson for the last time?

Ans. He felt sorry that he had not learnt his lessons and wasted his time in seeking birds’ eggs and going
sliding on the Saar. He felt that his books which were such a nuisance a while ago and heavy to carry
were now like old friends that he didn’t want to give up at all. The teacher whom he thought to be so
cranky now appeared to be a friend.

Q6. Why were the old men of the village present in the classroom?

Ans. The old men of the village were sitting in the classroom. Franz felt that they too, like him, we’re
sorry for not having gone to school often. It was their way of thanking the master for his forty years of
faithful service and showing their respect for the country that was no longer theirs.

Q7. What was Hamel’s reaction when Franz could not answer his question in class, correctly?

Ans. Franz was scared of Mr Hamel’s reaction when he was unable to answer the question. His heart
started beating and he dared not look up. Mr Hamel, instead, told Franz that he would not scold him. He
blamed all Frenchmen for not knowing how to speak or write their own mother tongue.

Q8. Who did Hamel blame for not knowing French?

Ans. Hamel not only blamed Franz and other Frenchmen for not loving their mother tongue but held
himself responsible for sending his students often to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons.
He also fell guilty of having given them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.

Q9. How had the teacher dressed on the day of the last lesson?

Ans. He was dressed in his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and little black silk cap-all embroidered,
something he never wore except on special days like prize days and inspection days.

Q10.Why was Franz afraid of being scolded?

Ans. Franz was afraid of being scolded because his teacher M. Hamel was to question the students on
participles. Franz was not prepared and he had started for school very late that morning.

Q11.What did Franz find much more tempting than the rule of participles? What did Franz do?

Ans. It was a warm and bright day. The birds were chirping at the edge of woods. The Prussian soldiers
were drilling in the open field at the back of sawmill. He could spend life out of doors. He resisted the
temptation and hurried off to school

Q12.What was the usual scene when Franz’s school began in the morning?

Ans. Usually, there was a great bustle. The noise could be heard out in the school. Students opened and
closed their desks. They repeated the lessons together very loudly. They kept their hands over their ears
to understand better. The teacher would go on rapping the table with his great iron ruler.

Q13.What did Wachter tell Franz? What was the latter’s response?

Ans. Wachter, the blacksmith on reading the latest bulletin about the teaching of German told Franz not
to go so fast. He added that he would get to school in plenty of time. Franz thought Wachter was making
fun of him so he rushed to school.

Q14.What did M. Hamel tell the class about French language?

Ans. M. Hamel said that French was the most beautiful language in the world. It was the clearest and the
most logical language. The French should guard it among them and never forget. He added that when
people are enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language, they had the key to their prison.

Q15.How was M. Hamel behaviour contrary to how he would usually behave?

Ans. M. Hamel was solemn and gentle. He was no longer the ruler-wielding teacher. M. Hamel was
wearing clothes he wore on special occasion. What he taught seemed so easy to Franz. He explained
everything with a lot of patience. It seemed that he wanted to put into their heads at one stroke all that
he knew.

Q16.How did Franz enjoy their lesson in writing?

Ans. M. Hamel had made copies for the class. The words ‘France, Alsace, France, Alsace’ were written
on them in a beautiful round hand. The pupils set to work quietly.

Q17.Why did Franz not want to go to a school that day?

Ans. Franz was reluctant to go to a school that day as he was unprepared with his homework—the rules
of participles. M. Hamel was to question the class on the topic and he was scared of the teacher.

Q18.Why was Franz not scolded for reaching the school late that day?
Ans. Franz was late for school. Usually, there was always a great hustle and bustle in the morning. He
had hoped to take advantage of that noise and commotion. He wanted to get to his desk without being
noticed. But that day he had to go in before everybody. M. Hamel only asked him very politely to take
up his seat without scolding him as it was Hamel’s last lesson of French in that school.

Q19.What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?

Ans. M. Hamel was to question the students on participles. Franz knew nothing about them and feared
a scolding. He also wondered about a big crowd he had seen around the notice board at the Town Hall.
For a moment he was tempted to run away but he overcame his temptation and hurried off to school.

Q20.Why were some elderly persons occupying the back benches that day? [All India 2017]

Ans. Some elderly persons occupied the last benches on the day as it was the last day of the teaching of
French. They wanted to pay homage to their country and respect to M. Hamel for his dedicated service
of forty years. They regretted having lost the opportunity to learn their own language.

Q21.”What a thunderclap these words were to me!” (Franz). What were those words and what was
their effect on Franz?

Ans. Franz reached the school late on the day of the ‘ant lesson. M. Hamel mounted on his chair. He
spoke in a grave and gentle tone and made it clear that it was his last French lesson as an order had
come from Berlin. All the schools of Alsace and Lorraine would teach only German from the next day
when a German teacher would replace him. The news left Franz shocked and aggrieved as he was going
to lose his teacher, and the opportunity to learn his language.

Q22. How were the parents and M. Hamel responsible for the children’s neglect of the French
language?

Ans. M. Hamel didn’t scold Franz for neglecting the learning of French. Most of the people of Alsace
could neither speak nor write their own language. Their parents preferred to put them to work on a
farm or at the mills. Mr Hamel didn’t even spare himself from blame. He had often sent his students to
water his flowers instead of learning their lessons.

23. What shows M. Hamel’s love for the French language?

Ans.As a mark of his love for the French language. M. Hamel gave a tribute to his mother tongue in his
Ian lesson. He called it ‘the most beautiful language’ in the world, which is the clearest and most logical.
He appealed to the children and the people of the village to keep their mother-tongue close to their
heart.

24. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Ans. Franz was already late for school. He had not even prepared the topic of participles for which he
was going to be tested that day. Moreover, it was a warm day and he was tempted by the chirping of
birds and sounds of Prussian soldiers exercising at the back of the sawmill.
25. What changes came over little Franz after M. Hamel’s announcement?

Ans. Franz was shocked at M. Hamel’s announcement that it was their last lesson in French. Suddenly he
felt his love for his mother tongue and realised that he could hardly write well enough in French. He was
full of remorse and regret being so careless and unattentive in his class. Moreover, he also developed a
liking for his teacher M. Hamel.

26. What was the mood in the classroom when M. Hamel gave the last French lesson?

Ans. There was complete silence in the class. Everyone was full of regret and remorse. Children as well
the village elderly were gloomy and repentant for not giving importance to their mother tongue. The
order from Berlin had caused a sea-change in the attitude of the people of Alsace and Lorraine to their
language.

27. What had Franz counted on to enter class unnoticed?

Ans. Franz was late for school that day. But he was quite confident to enter the class unnoticed because
usually there was a lot of confusion and noise at the beginning of the school. Every day there was a
sound of opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison and teacher’s great ruler rapping on
the table. So Franz thought that the word take advantage of the situation and enter the class unnoticed.

28. Why was M. Hamel kind to Franz even though he was late for school?

Ans. It was the last lesson of M. Hamel in the school as the new German teacher was arriving the
following day. M. Hamel was sad and sentimental as he was to leave the school after forty years of
service as a teacher in French. He was very emotional, kind and understanding. So, He did not scold
Franz even though he was late.

29. How had the teacher dressed on the day of the last lesson?

Ans. He was dressed in his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and little black silk cap-all embroidered,
something he never wore except on special days like prize days and inspection days.

30. Why was Franz afraid of being scolded?

Ans. Franz was afraid of being scolded because his teacher M. Hamel was to question the students on
participles. Franz was not prepared and he had started for school very late that morning.

31. What did Franz find much more tempting than the rule of participles? What did Franz do?

Ans. It was a warm and bright day. The birds were chirping at the edge of woods. The Prussian soldiers
were drilling in the open field at the back of sawmill. He could spend life out of doors. He resisted the
temptation and hurried off to school.

32. What was the usual scene when Franz’s school began in the morning?
 Ans. Usually, there was a great bustle. The noise could be heard out in the school. Students opened and
closed their desks. They repeated the lessons together very loudly. They kept their hands over their ears
to understand better. The teacher would go on rapping the table with his great iron ruler.

33. What did Wachter tell Franz? What was the latter’s response?

Ans. Wachter, the blacksmith on reading the latest bulletin about the teaching of German told Franz not
to go so fast. He added that he would get to school in plenty of time. Franz thought Wachter was making
fun of him so he rushed to school.

34. What did M. Hamel tell the class about French language?

Ans. M. Hamel said that French was the most beautiful language in the world. It was the clearest and the
most logical language. The French should guard it among them and never forget. He added that when
people are enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language, they had the key to their prison.

35. How was M. Hamel behaviour contrary to how he would usually be

Ans. M. Hamel was solemn and gentle. He was no longer the ruler-wielding teacher. M. Hamel was
wearing clothes he wore on special occasion. What he taught seemed so easy to Franz. He explained
everything with a lot of patience. It seemed that he wanted to put into their heads at one stroke all that
he knew.

36. How did Franz enjoy their lesson in writing?

Ans. M. Hamel had made copies for the class. The words ‘France, Alsace, France, Alsace’ were written
on them in a beautiful round hand. The pupils set to work quietly.

37. Why did Franz not want to go to a school that day?

Ans. Franz was reluctant to go to a school that day as he was unprepared with his homework—the rules
of participles. M. Hamel was to question the class on the topic and he was scared of the teacher.

38. Why was Franz not scolded for reaching the school late that day?

Ans. Franz was late for school. Usually, there was always a great hustle and bustle in the morning. He
had hoped to take advantage of that noise and commotion. He wanted to get to his desk without being
noticed. But that day he had to go in before everybody. M. Hamel only asked him very politely to take
up his seat without scolding him as it was Hamel’s last lesson of French in that school.

39. What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?

Ans. M. Hamel was to question the students on participles. Franz knew nothing about them and feared
a scolding. He also wondered about a big crowd he had seen around the notice board at the Town Hall.
For a moment he was tempted to run away but he overcame his temptation and hurried off to school.
40. Why were some elderly persons occupying the back benches that day? [All India 2017]

Ans. Some elderly persons occupied the last benches on the day as it was the last day of the teaching of
French. They wanted to pay homage to their country and respect to M. Hamel for his dedicated service
of forty years. They regretted having lost the opportunity to learn their own language.

41.”What a thunderclap these words were to me!” (Franz). What were those words and what was their
effect on Franz?

Ans. Franz reached the school late on the day of the ‘ant lesson. M. Hamel mounted on his chair. He
spoke in a grave and gentle tone and made it clear that it was his last French lesson as an order had
come from Berlin. All the schools of Alsace and Lorraine would teach only German from the next day
when a German teacher would replace him. The news left Franz shocked and aggrieved as he was going
to lose his teacher, and the opportunity to learn his language.

42. How were the parents and M. Hamel responsible for the children’s neglect of the French language?

Ans. M. Hamel didn’t scold Franz for neglecting the learning of French. Most of the people of Alsace
could neither speak nor write their own language. Their parents preferred to put them to work on a
farm or at the mills. Mr Hamel didn’t even spare himself from blame. He had often sent his students to
water his flowers instead of learning their lessons.

Long Answer-type Questions

1. The ban on teaching French strengthened the resolve of the French to learn their language. Give
evidence from the text to prove/disapprove the above statement.

Ans. The Last Lesson’ clearly brings out the resolve of the French to hold fast to their language. The
order from Berlin imposing German language on them made them more determined to respect and
learn their language. This was evident in the last lesson of M. Hamel. All the back benches were
occupied by villagers that day, including old Hauser, former mayor, former postmaster, etc. Students in
the class were quiet and were eager to make the best of the last opportunity to learn their mother
tongue.

Hammel taught the last lesson with immense patience and told his students to safeguard their language.
lie reminded them that they would be able to liberate themselves only if they would keep their language
with them. Even the students realised the importance of their language and listened to their teacher
very carefully. They could not be distracted by beetles or the cooing of the pigeons that day.

2. How was the last lesson different from earlier lessons?

Ans. The last lesson was different from earlier lessons in many ways. It revealed the love and respect of
the teacher and students for their mother tongue. M. Hamel spoke very kindly and taught very patiently.
He did not scold anybody that day. It seemed as if he wanted to give all that he knew before going away.
He was in his best attire and his ‘iron ruler’ was no more in use. This lesson was attended by villagers to
show their love and respect for their mother tongue and M. Hamel. The students listened very carefully
and everybody was absolutely quiet. Franz was sorry for not learning his lesson. The last lesson was an
emotional time which stirred patriotic feelings and awakened the villagers to the importance of their
mother tongue.

3. Justify the title ‘The Last Lesson’.

Ans. The title The Last Lesson’ is significant and conveys the central theme of the story. The title
highlights the fact that sometimes even the most precious things in our lives are taken for granted by us.
The people of Alsace never gave much thought or importance to their mother tongue. They did not
insist that their children should give it wholehearted attention. They did not encourage regular
attendance of their children in French classes. They thought there was plenty of time to learn it. They
preferred their children to work and earn rather than learn. They received a severe jolt when orders
came from Berlin to ban French and make German compulsory. This brutal order from Prussians made
them realise the importance of their mother tongue. So they came in full force to attend M. Hamel’s last
lesson. In fact, the story shows the awakening of the turn to the importance of their mother tongue.
This was displayed by them by attending the last person of the French. Thus, the title The Last Lesson’
reveals the theme of the story and is fully justified.

4. Write a character sketch of little Franz.

Ans. Franz was a typical schoolboy. He was carefree and hated to go to school. He was afraid of his
French Teacher M. Hamel’s ‘iron ruler’. He was more interested in spending his time outside the school.
Many times, he missed the school and went in search of ‘bird’s eggs’ or watching the Prussian soldiers
drilling at the sawmill. He did not realise the importance of learning his mother tongue till the time his
country passed into Prussian hands and teaching French was banned. This came as a thunderbolt to him
when he came to school and found it to be his last French lesson. At this point, he lamented the loss of
his language. His entire perspective towards the language and the teacher changed. He was surprised to
learn and understand everything on the last day and did not find M. Hamel strict during the lesson. He
was not able to understand the severity of war and wondered whether “the Pigeons would be made to
coo in German”.

5. How did the order from Berlin change

Or

The day of the last lesson was full of regret and sadness. Describe the events of the day in the classroom
in light of the above remark.

Or

“Order from Berlin aroused a particular zeal in the school.” Comment.

Or

“Everybody in the last lesson is filled with regret.” Comment.

Ans. The order from Berlin brought a sense of shock and surprise in the class. As per the order, this was
the last French class. Alsace and Lorraine had been captured by the Prussians. So only German was to be
taught in the schools. This made all the distinguished village elders feel guilty of ignoring theft mother
tongue. So, they all came to the class to showcase their love and respect for their mother tongue and
French teacher M. Hamel. The entire school was filled with an air of remorse and regret. There was
complete silence. The teacher, M. Hamel, was in his best dress and was full of emotions. Even the
students in the class, including little Franz, felt remorse for their indifference to their mother tongue.
There was an atmosphere of stillness and quietness in the class.

6. Give a character sketch of M. Hamel.

Ans.M. Hamel was a teacher at a school in a village in the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine. He
used to teach the French language. He had been teaching his mother tongue for the last forty years. He
loved his profession from the core of his heart and had a deep sense of respect for the mother tongue.
He had always been very particular and strict in imparting the knowledge of the language to his pupils.
The news, that French would no more be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine and that this was
going to be his last lesson, completely shattered a calm and composed man like M. Hamel. He tried his
level best to remain calm and composed but broke down at the end. He felt tormented at the fact that
people had become indifferent to learning French and appealed to them to keep their language alive.

Hamel was a patriot in the real sense. He regarded the mother tongue to be a means of holding one’s
identity and self-respect. He blamed not only the parents and children but himself also for neglecting
French.

His concern and love for his country are evident when, at the end of his last lesson, he writes on the
blackboard ‘Viva La France!’ in bold letters.

Value Based Questions and Answers of (The Last Lesson )

Q1. My Last French Lesson! Why! I hardly know how to write! The problem is that students don’t take
school seriously and parents are not keen to make them study. Write an article on the role of society
and the government in solving the problem.

Ans. M. Hamel blames himself and the parents for the neglect of learning by the students. The parents
would rather send their children to work on farms and in mills (for extra money, rather than attend
school. M. Hamel, the teacher would give students a holiday when he wanted to go fishing or wanted
them to water the flowers thus neglecting studies. India has a poor literacy rate. The problem of
illiteracy and school dropouts persists. This problem can be solved with the efforts of the society and the
government. The NGOs and the government can make education need-based and incorporate
vocational training into the curriculum. The government can give incentives so that children go to
school. Midday meals, free uniform and books can be an incentive. Media can create awareness about
the importance of education for removing backwardness and illiteracy.

Q2. What message does the story ‘The Last Lesson’ carry? How relevant is it today?

Ans. The story carries the message of the importance of holding on to one’s identity and culture and not
losing it or taking it for granted. It emphasizes the importance of holding onto one’s language as the key
to our identity. It highlights the importance of one’s language in preserving our heritage and history. In
the story, the oppressors were using the ultimate weapon of imposing their language on their captives
in a bid to wipe out their national identity and pride. It, therefore, has a strong message for us to take
pride in our own language because it gives us our identity which once lost cannot be regained.

3.Bah! I have plenty of time. I’ll learn it tomorrow.

Franz was shocked when he heard that it was the last lesson in French and he hardly knew his mother
tongue.

Many of us find ourselves in similar situations and regret when all is over. What qualities should we
inculcate in our life so that we are able to achieve our goals?

Ans. Opportunity knocks the door only once. In fact, everyone gets only one chance in life and if it’s lost
there. is no way to redeem it. It is said that hard work can turn the impossible into possible. But along
that, value for time is very essential. Most of us are in a habit of delaying things. Unless and until we are
consistent and regular in our efforts, we cannot achieve our goals. Setting a goal is an easy a task but the
journey to reach that goal is a tedious task and demands perseverance, grit and determination. One has
to be focused and consistent in one’s efforts.

To achieve our goal in life, we need to understand the importance of time. Like Franz, we should not
delay the efforts and sit comfortably thinking that there is enough time. As we know that time and tide
wait for no man. So in order to achieve our goals, we need to be vigilant, consistent, punctual, regular
hardworking and a determined person who greatly values time.

4. The people of Alsace and Lorraine did not understand the importance of learning their language
French. Emphasising the importance and need for learning one’s native language, discuss what values
are revealed when one sets upon learning one’s native language.

Ans. One of the major effects of Westernization is that people have started losing interest in learning
their native language. One’s native language is the repository of one’s culture, identity and way of living.
As long as one speaks and communicates in one’s language, one can be proud of oneself. Many Indians
who live abroad make it compulsory for their family to speak in their native language at home so as to
have a sense of belongingness to their country. In fact, the native language binds us with our roots.
Every language has its own speciality and the people who speak that language imbibe that speciality.
Above all, native language inculcates a sense of pride. A person who doesn’t know his native language is
like a slave who has no freedom.