THE LAST

LESSON
 KEYWORDS
- Great Bustle: Loud Noise.

- Apprentice: Trainee / student

- Nuisance: Problem

- Thumbed: Damaged

- To reproach: Criticize / blame

- Wretches: Poor/ bad / unpleasant

 SUMMARY- THE LAST LESSON
- The Last Lesson" is a short story set in a small French village in Alsace and Lorraine during the
Franco-Prussian War. The story is narrated by a young boy named Franz who is a lazy student
and dislikes his French lessons and teacher, M. Hamel.

- Following Germany's takeover of Alsace and Lorraine, Berlin has mandated that schools teach
German instead of French.

- M. Hamel expresses regret for not teaching the students more effectively while stressing the
importance of French as the most beautiful and logical language in the world, and the key to
escaping the "prison of slavery" and the Germans.

- On the last day of school, M. Hamel is particularly sad, and Franz and his classmates are
surprised to learn that it is his last day of teaching after 40 years of service.
 SUMMARY- THE LAST LESSON
- M. Hamel proceeds with his lesson & stresses the importance of the French language and the
responsibility of the French people to preserve their cultural heritage.

- He explains that language is an essential part of a nation's identity and that losing it means
losing one's freedom.

- surprisingly, Franz suddenly becomes interested in the language and understands everything that
is being taught.

- Franz regrets not paying attention in previous lessons and not having learned more of the French
language.

- Franz realizes the importance of learning his mother tongue and how illiteracy contributed to
their defeat by the Germans. He believes that one's language is inherent and cannot be taken
away, like the "coo" of pigeons or French to Frenchmen.
 SUMMARY- THE LAST LESSON
- At the end of the lesson, M. Hamel dismisses the students, and they all leave the classroom in
silence. As they leave, Franz looks back at the classroom and realizes that he will never again
have the chance to learn French. The story ends with Franz reflecting on the importance of
language and cultural heritage and the role it plays in shaping one's identity.

- Overall, "The Last Lesson" is a touching story that highlights the significance of language as a
cultural identity and symbol of freedom. It urges readers to appreciate and preserve their cultural
heritage, including their language, before it is too late.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
● Who did M. Hamel blamed when Franz was unable to answer a
question on French participles?

● Describe the atmosphere in the class on the day of the last

lesson?

● Our language is part of our culture and we are proud of it.

Describe how regretful M.Hamel and the village elders are for
having neglected their native language, French.

● What was M.Hamel’s regret on the day of the last lesson?

LOST SPRING
 Keywords
❏ Scrounging: Look Around / Searching
❏ Desolation: Empty state / alone
❏ Squatters: Unlawful acquiring of barren land
❏ Furnace: A closed structure that is very hot, used to melt metals.
❏ Impoverished: Poor
❏ Renovate: Make something new
❏ Vicious: Brutal / harsh
❏ Apathy: Unconcern
❏ Stigma: Disgrace/ shame
❏ Appaling: Shocking/horrific
 Summary
The story is about the slums of Firozabad, India, where children of migrant workers live and work in appalling
conditions to support their families. The story follows the lives of two characters, Saheb and Mukesh, and
their struggle to escape from the cycle of poverty.

‘Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage’

❏ The story is about a boy named Saheb (a young boy) who works as a ragpicker. He came to the city
with his family because his house was destroyed by storms in Dhaka.

❏ He dreams of escaping his life of poverty and one day going to school. He has never been to school and
has no knowledge of anything outside of his community. He spends most of his days working long
hours in the factory and has no time for play or education.
 Summary
❏ The narrator suggests that Saheb should go to school, but he says there is no school in his area. The
narrator promises to start a school, but Saheb realizes that people like him are often promised things
that are not kept.

❏ Children living in extreme poverty walk barefoot on the streets, and how this may be due to lack of
resources rather than tradition.

❏ Incident where a man from Udipi prayed for shoes as a child, and his prayers were eventually answered.

❏ Saheb and his family are from a place called Seemapuri near Delhi, where the ragpickers who came
from Bangladesh in 1971 live. They are not given any official identity or permits except for ration cards
that only help them to eat and vote.
 Summary

❏ The story ends by saying that Saheb had found a new job at a tea stall where he is
paid a little more and is given meals, but he is no longer carefree and misses his
freedom. The steel canister he now carries seems heavier than the plastic bag he used
for ragpicking.

❏ The story highlights how ragpicking has become an art form for them, and for children
like Saheb, finding even a small amount of money is a big deal. Saheb is later seen
wearing a pair of tennis shoes that he was very happy about
 Summary
I want to Drive a Car
❏ Mukesh is a young boy who has given up on his dreams (dreams of being a motor mechanic) of going
to school and has given up himself to a life of working in the same bangle factory as his father. He
believes that there is no way out of poverty.

❏ He takes the author to his house, where she sees the working conditions as grim, with high
temperatures around the furnaces and inadequate air and light.

❏ The bangle-making trade has been passed down through generations of a particular caste, but the
families remain poor despite the whole family working.

❏ The bangle makers have lost their craft to machines, and their art is now reduced to cheap and
low-quality products.
❏ The use of child labor is illegal, but the bangle makers are unaware of this, and the fear of being
beaten away by the police makes it difficult for them to form a cooperative to improve their living
conditions.

❏ The story also touches on the lives of the bangle makers, who have been in the trade for generations
but are now struggling to make a living.

❏ The narrator asks Mukesh if he would like to be a pilot someday, but he seems embarrassed and replies
that he is content dreaming about being a motor mechanic.

❏ He feels that flying a plane is beyond his reach, given his current situation.

The author, through the story, comments on the tragic effects of poverty on the lives of children and their families. Poverty
strips the children of their innocence, deprives them of basic education, and forces them to engage in child labor. They are
unable to realize their dreams and are resigned to a life of struggle.

"Lost Spring" is a powerful commentary on the dehumanizing effects of poverty and the need for education and social change.
The story urges readers to recognize the plight of the poor and to work towards a world where children like Saheb and Mukesh
can realize their dreams and escape the cycle of poverty.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
● ‘Garbage to them is gold’. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri
survive?

● Describe the living conditions prevailing in Firozabad. Mention

why the bangle making business does not give bangle makers a
comfortable life.

● How is Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation different from that

of Saheb? Why?

● In 1971 Bangladeshi migrants came to Delhi ‘looking for gold in

the big city’. What kind of life are they living in Seemapuri now?
DEEP
WATER
 Keywords
❏ Treacherous: dangerous

❏ Aversion: Resistance

❏ Throbbed: Beat

❏ Drowsy: Sleepy

❏ Miniature: Small

❏ Oblivion: Blackout
 SUMMARY- DEEP WATER

The author had a fear of water due to a previous incident when he was three or four years old.
He begins by sharing an unpleasant event that occurred when he was around ten or eleven
years old.

While at the California beach with his father, he was knocked down by the waves and buried in
the water, leading to his fear of water. However, he decided to learn swimming at the Y.M.C.A
pool with newfound confidence.

He started by paddling around in the water with his water wings. He tried copying the other
boys who had come to swim in the pool.

One day he arrived at the pool to find himself early and alone. He was scared of going into the
water alone and waited for some other people to show up.
 SUMMARY- DEEP WATER

A big muscular boy, 18 years old, showed up, started bullying him and tossed him into the pool. He fell
into the water in a sitting position and swallowed a lot of water.

As he was drowning, he planned his comeback out of the water. He imagined he would kick off the floor
of the pool as soon as he hit it.

When he finally touched the bottom of the pool, the author kicked hard with great force, and tried to
reach the surface. However, he failed.

He tried to scream, but no sound came out. Eventually, he was able to reach the surface and take a
breath, but he quickly started drowning again.

Despite trying to fight it, he was unable to move his legs and started sinking back towards the bottom
of the pool. He screamed in terror, but it was of no help.
 SUMMARY- DEEP WATER
He eventually lost consciousness. The next thing he remembered was hearing people talking. The boy
who pushed him into the pool claimed it was all a joke, while someone else stated that he was close to
death. After going home, he felt weak and emotionally disturbed, unable to handle even the slightest
physical exertion.

A few years after his traumatic experience at the Y.M.C.A pool, the author continued to struggle with a
fear of water.
He felt paralyzed and unable to move his legs,and was not able to enjoy swimming and boating. His fear
remained as it was.

In October, the author decided to take a step-by-step approach to learning to swim with the help of
an instructor. Over the course of 3 months, he practiced swimming dedicatedly, with a rope tied around
him, guided by his instructor.

He gradually overcame his fear of water and learned to breathe underwater. Eventually, the instructor
declared that the author was ready to swim on his own.
 SUMMARY- DEEP WATER
Although he received approval from the instructor, the author was still unsure of his abilities. He
continued practicing in the pool until July, still experiencing moments of fear.

To overcome his fear, he swam two miles across Lake Wentworth, only facing fear once when he put his
face underwater in the middle of the lake.

However, to his surprise, when he went swimming in Warm Lake, he was able to swim across the lake
and back without any trouble. He was finally rid of his fear of water and felt immense joy.

The author considered this a significant experience, only understood by those who have faced severe
fear and conquered it. He cited a quote from Roosevelt, stating that the only thing to fear is fear
itself, and that there is peace in death.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
● We always admire those as heroes who face challenges bravely
in different phases of life and emerge successfully. Elaborate on
this statement with reference to William Douglas.

● With the help of courage one can achieve a lot. How did Douglas
overcome his fear of water?

● How did Douglas’s experience at the YMCA pool affect him and
how did he overcome his fear of water?

● What misadventure did Douglas experience at the YMCA

swimming pool?
 THE
RATTRAP
 Keywords
❏ Monotonous: Boring

❏ Vagabond: Traveler

❏ Bait: Food to entice prey

❏ Snare: trap
❏ Crofter:owner of a small farm
❏ Fore bonding: Predict
 SUMMARY- THE RATTRAP
"The Rattrap" is a short story written by Selma Lagerlöf. It is about a poor, homeless man who earns his
living by selling rat traps. A poor rattrap seller is a- thief/beggar/alone. He thinks the whole world is a
giant rat trap, with different baits in the form of the comfort of life trapping us into the rat trap of the
world and leading us to miseries.

One evening the peddler asked for shelter from an old crofter. The crofter offered him shelter. But the
peddler stole the crofter’s money which he earned from selling cow’s milk. After stealing he ran into the
forest. There he found shelter at the forge of an ironmaster. Ironmaster mistook him for an old friend and
invites him to a Christmas celebration. Peddler rejects the iron master’s offer but accepts his daughter’s
offer.

Both eventually came to know that the peddler is a thief. They regretted and thought he would have stolen
all the things.
 SUMMARY- THE RATTRAP
But to their surprise peddler didn’t steal anything. However, he has a change of heart, he left the gift for
Edla, with a letter of thanks.

Not just this he also left a letter asking the ironmaster and daughter to return the money he stole from the
crofter.

He realised that the kindness he received from the ironmaster was genuine and not just a trap. and returns
the money, realizing that the kindness he received from the ironmaster was genuine and not just a trap.

The story highlights the theme of human compassion and the power of kindness to transform people.
Goodness can be awakened at any time.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
● The iron master accuses the peddler of not being honest. What
does the peddler say to justify the situation?

● What made the peddler finally change his ways?

● What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as a

Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson?

● Describe how the story, ‘The Rattrap’ shows that basic human
goodness can be brought out by understanding and love.

● How are the attitudes of the ironmaster and his daughter

different? Support your answer from the text.