The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet

 

As Franz started very late for his school that morning, he was in great fear, especially because his teacher Mr. Hamel had said that he would put up questions on participles and Franz did not know anything about it. For a moment, he thought of running away and spend the day out. It was a warm and bright day. Birds were twittering outside and soldiers were practicing. All these things were more attractive than the rules of participles, but anyhow, he forced himself to move hurriedly towards the school.

When he was passing the town hall, there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board. For the last two years, all the bad news like the lost battles and the orders of the commanding officers, had been displayed on that notice-board. He What could be the matter then ? he thought without stopping.

The blacksmith, who had read the bulletin, told Franz not to hurry. There was plenty of time he had told him. But Franz did not slow down. He thought that the blacksmith was poking fun at him. Franz wanted to reach his desk unnoticed. He hoped that there would be noise and commotion as usual. He depended on this noise and bustle to reach his desk unnoticed. But, he was surprised. Instead, he found the school quiet. Students were sitting quietly in their seats. Mr. Hamel was not rapping his ruler on the table. He was moving up and down with the ruler under his arm. He too looked grave and quiet.

There was no chance of Franz entering the room unnoticed. He had to open the door and enter before everybody else. Unexpectedly, Mr. Hamel did not rebuke him. Instead, he spoke kindly to him and told him to go to his desk. When Franz had settled down, he looked at Mr. Hamel. There was another surprise for him. Mr. Hamel had put on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and his embroidered black silk cap. He used to put on these clothes only on special occasions. But it was no special day. Franz could not understand why Mr. Hamel had put on those Sunday clothes.

There was still another surprise in store for Franz. There were village people on the back benches that had always been empty. The former Mayor, the former Post Master, the old Hauser with his triangular cap and some other village people occupied those back benches.

Mr. Hamel climbed up his chair and spoke to his pupils in a gentle and serious tone. He told them that an order had come from Berlin. French would not be taught to them any more. Instead, German was going to be taught and the new teacher was expected to arrive the very next day. The students were going to have their last lesson in French that day. Now, he knew, what order was there on the bulletin board, and why the blacksmith had told him not to hurry. He could also see why Mr. Hamel had put on his best clothes.

Mr. Hamel’s words struck Franz like a thunderbolt. He was lost in thoughts. He had hardly learnt how to read and write, he felt that he would have to stop forever. He was sorry to have wasted his time. He had always been enjoying himself outdoors. He had hated his books. He had dreaded Mr. Hamel and his iron ruler. But his attitude suddenly changed. He felt that his books were good companions. He did not mind Mr. Hamel’s ruler and rebukes.

Now, he also understood why the people of the village were there. They were also sorry that they had not been to school for much time. Now, they had come to thank the teacher for his faithful service.

Mr. Hamel asked Franz to tell the rule for the participle. Franz wished he could tell the rule. But he failed miserably.Mr. Hamel did not scold Franz. He said Franz was not the only person to blame. The people of Alsace had never been interested in learning. The people always put it off till the next day. Franz’s parents wanted Franz to earn some money instead of going to school. Mr. Hamel said they were strange Frenchmen who could not write or read their own language. He also blamed himself. He said sometimes he had closed the school when he had wanted to go fishing.

Mr. Hamel, then, praised his mother tongue. He said that French is the most beautiful, most logical and clearest language in the world. He exhorted the people to stick to it. He assured them that if they held fast to their language, they would be able to get rid of the Prussian rulers. Their language was the key to their freedom from slavery.It was Mr. Hamel’s last day at school. But he had the courage and devotion to do his teaching work as usual. He taught grammar. He gave writing exercises. He asked little children to trace their fishhooks. Franz listened to his lesson attentively. He felt Hamel had explained the lesson so clearly which he had never done before. It appeared to him that on that last day, he wanted to give his pupils all the knowledge he had.The church clock struck twelve. It was the time for the school to close. Mr. Hamel wanted to say something, but he was overwhelmed with emotions. He wrote “Vive La France” on the blackboard and with a wave of his hand, dismissed the class.

Question- Answer

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

Ans. Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day for school, as Mr. Hamel had said that he would ask question on participles.

Q2. Why was Franz tempted to play truant from school?

Ans. The French teacher M Hamel was going to ask questions on participles which Franz had not prepared. To avoid being scolded he was tempted to play truant from school and spend the day outdoors joyfully.

Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board? (Or)                                                       

“What can be the matter now?” says Franz. Why, do you think, did he make this comment?                                                                     

Ans. Franz thought negatively about the bulletin-board because only bad news had come from it. That day was no exception as Germans had put up an order passed from Berlin on the bulletin-board that only German would be taught in the school of Alsace and Lorraine and the news that French had lost the battle. 

Q4. What was unusual about the school that Franz noticed when he entered the school.                       (Or)How had Franz hoped to get to his desk? What had he to do and why?(Or)What three things in school surprised Franz most that day?    

                                                                                            Ans.  Franz had hoped to get to his desk unseen during the commotion.But when Franz entered  the school, he noticed that there was an unusual silence. There was no noise of opening and closing of desks. He opened the door and went in before everybody. As he was late, he was frightened that the teacher might scold him. The village elders were sitting on the last benches that were always empty. M Hamel was dressed in a very fine Sunday clothes. Everybody looked sad. M. Hamel, the teacher had put on his fine Sunday clothes—his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and the little black silk cap, all embroidered.

Q5. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

Ans. The order from Berlin caused some changes in the school that day. The entire school seemed strange, sad and solemn. The old villagers were sitting on the last benches of the cla7ssroom quietly to thank M. Hamel for his forty years of his dedicated and faithful service and for displaying their respect for the country. M Hamel was in his best dress on that day though it was not a special day for the school. The order from Berlin also brought a sense of repentance and grief for those who didn’t learn their own language French properly.

Q6. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?

Ans. Earlier Franz didn’t like M. Hamel because of his ruler and cranky nature and he was scared of M. Hamel but now his feelings for M.Hamel were changed. The message conveyed by M Hamel about the order from Berlin was a matter of joy for Franz. But  he immediately felt sorry for not being sincere in the school and not learning French language and other lessons properly. His books, which were once nuisance and a burden for him, now his old friends. He decided to pay attention to the lesson. The school became very important for him. The news that the teacher was going away, upset Franz who became too serious for history and grammar. 

Q7. What reasons did M Hamel give for their lack of interest in learning French?                           

Ans. The lack of interest in learning French was due to :

(a)the parents who wanted their children to work on a farm or at the mills to earn,

(b)the students who were reluctant to learn and often put off the lesson for the next day

(c)Hamel  himself as he asked them to water the flowers and gave them off when he had to go fishing.

Q8. Why doesn’t M Hamel want the people to forget French? ( OR ) What did M Hamel say about the French language?

Ans. M Hamel wanted them not to forget French as it is their own language and is the most beautiful, clear, and logical language in the world and as long as they hold fast to their language it would be as if they had the key to the prison. So he thought it should be guarded and should not be forgotten by them.

Q9.Why does Franz think, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

Ans. The Frenchmen were highly patriotic and took pride in their language. A strong feeling of revolt was there against the Germans. It shows that Franz did not accept their rule and thought that they couldn’t tame pigeons.

Q10. How did Franz find teaching and learning that day?(Or)Describe how M Hamel conducted the last lesson. (Or) “He had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last.” What led Franz to make this remark?

Ans. Franz found teaching and learning very interesting that day. He was very attentive and careful. Franz also realized that M Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give them all he knew before going away. M Hamel wanted to put it all into their heads at one stroke as it was their last lesson. He listened every lesson to the last sitting motionless in the chair. When the church bell struck twelve he stood up pale and wrote ‘Vive La France’ and with a gesture, he communicated that the school is dismissed.

Q11.Why do you think was little Franz afraid of being scolded?                                              

Ans: Franz was afraid of being scolded that day especially because M. Hamel, the teacher, had said that he would question them on participles. Franz frankly admitted that he was totally ignorant about the topic. His exact words are: “I did not know the first word about them.” Secondly, he had started for school very late that morning.

Q12. “It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles.” What did Franz find ‘much more tempting’? How did he finally react. (Or) What tempted Franz to stay away from school?                                                                       

Ans: Franz found that it was a very warm and bright day. The birds were chirping at the edge of woods. The Prussian (German) soldiers were drilling in the open field at the back of sawmill. He could gladly spend life out of doors. However, he overcame the temptation and hurried off to school.

Q13. Who was Wachter? What did he ask Franz and why? How did Franz react?                                      Ans: Wachter was a blacksmith. He was reading the latest bulletin. He asked Franz not to go to his school in haste.He added that the little boy would get to his school in plenty of time. Wachter read the latest bulletin about teaching of German. Franz thought that the blacksmith was making a fun of him. So, he ran to the school and reached there breathless.

Q14. What was the usual scene when Franz’s school began in the morning?                            Ans: Normally, when the school began, there was a great bustle. The noise could be heard out in the school. Students used to open and close their desks. They repeated the lessons together loudly. They kept their hands over their ears to understand better. The teacher would go on rapping the table with his iron ruler.

Q15. Why had the villagers come to school that day? How did they look?                                     

M. Hamel was an experienced teacher who had been teaching all subjects  in the primary  school for forty years. He was very devoted, dedicated and a strict disciplinarian. The village elders came to pay their respect to such a grand teacher. They sat on the back benches to listen to his last lesson. They were looking sad.

Q16. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and surprised the narrator?(Or) How did Franz react to the declaration: ‘This is your last French lesson’?                                                                                                    

Ans: M. Hamel  told the children in a solemn and gentle tone that it was their last French lesson. He wanted them to be very attentive. These words were like thunderclap. But when the teacher said that henceforth, only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the next day. The teacher’s kind gesture and use of soft words shocked and surprised the narrator. Now he was able to know that why there was a crowd at the bulletin board and villagers came to school & looked sad.

Q17. How did Franz and other hoys enjoy their lesson in writing?                                                                        

Ans: That day M. Hamel had new copies for them. The words “France, Alsace, France, Alsace” were written on them in a beautiful round hand. The boys set to work quietly. The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper. Nobody paid any attention to the beetles who flew in.

Q18. What happened when the lesson in history was over?                                                                                                       

Ans:- After the lesson in history was over, the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Old Hauser, who was sitting at the back of the room, had put on his spectacles. He was holding his primer in both hands. He was spelling the letters with the babies.

Q19. “Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson!” says the narrator. Which scene does he remember so vividly.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Ans:- The narrator remembers the scene of old Hauser spelling the letters from the primer with the babies. He too was crying. His voice trembled with emotion. It was so funny to hear him that all of them wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

LONG QUESTION-ANSWERS:- 

Q1. How did M. Hamel react when Franz failed to recite the rules for the participles?

Ans. Franz’s name was asked to tell the rules for the participles. But he got mixed up on the first word. He was standing there, holding on to his desk, his heart beating and not daring to look up. But M. Hamel instead of scolding told Franz that he must feel bad enough. He said that every day we thought that we had plenty of time and we would learn it tomorrow. And now see where we had come out by postponing learning for the next day. Now those fellows out there would have the right to say to you how it was, you pretended to be Frenchman, and yet you could neither speak nor write your own language.

Then M Hamel told Franz that only he was not to be blamed but also his parents who were not anxious enough to have him learn. They preferred to send Franz to work on a farm or at the mills for a little more money. M. Hamel blamed himself for it also. He said that quite often he had been sending Franz to water his flowers instead of learning his lessons and he gave Franz off when he went for fishing.

Q2. What impression do you form of M Hamel on the basis of your study of the story “The Last Lesson”? (OR) Give a brief description of M Hamel. (OR) How can you estimate M. Hamel as a man with a ruler and as a man with a gesture? (OR) How does M. Hamel prove to be an ideal teacher?

Ans. M. Hamel was an experienced teacher who had been teaching all subjects  in the primary  school for forty years. He was very devoted, dedicated and a strict disciplinarian. The village elders came to pay their respect to such a grand teacher. They sat on the back benches to listen to his last lesson. They were sad. But Students like Franz were scared of  being scolded by him.                                                                                                                                                               

The latest order of the Prussian (German) rulers upset him. He had to leave the place for a German teacher forever so felt heartbroken.With a heavy heart he heard every lesson to the last. His last class was exemplary well. He was kind even to a latecomer like Franz. He used gentle and polite tone while addressing the students. He had a logical mind and could analyse problems and find out the reasons responsible for it. 

He was a good communicator and explained everything patiently. He knew the emotional hold of a language over its users so he made his pupils understand the importance and relevance of learning the mother tongue. He preached everyone presented in the class that important things should never be postponed as time runs very fast.

Partings are painful and being human, M. Hamel too was no exception. He failed to say good-bye as his throat was choked. He wrote “Vive La France” with a piece of chalk on the blackboard and dismissed the class. On the whole, he was a patriotic gentleman and nice teacher.

Q3. What is linguistic chauvinism? Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far?

Ans. Linguistic chauvinism means an aggressive and unreasonable belief that one’s own language is superior to and better than all others. When the sense of belonging to one's own language crosses the thin line between  pride and proud , it becomes linguistic chauvinism. This shows excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own language and devaluing & stereotyping other languages. We can analyse the order from Berlin in this light. It is nothing but a pure example of linguistic chauvinism. The imposition of German language over the French speaking population can’t be justified at all. It is the worst kind of colonialism. Sometimes pride in one’s own language goes too far and the linguistic enthusiasts can be easily identified by their extreme zeal for the imposition and spread of their language. In their enthusiasm, love, and support for their own language, they tend to forget that other languages too have their own merits, long history of art, culture, and literature behind them and people who speak these languages do love their languages as well. Instead of bringing unity and winning over others as friends, having excessive pride in one’s own language creates ill-will, discord and disintegration.  

Q4. How do you justify M. Hamel’s views about French and the new-found love of the people towards their language?

Ans. M. Hamel’s love for French is genuine. The shocking order from Berlin arouses patriotic feelings in him. He loves French and feels it to be the most beautiful language in the world. He calls it the clearest and most logical language too. He regrets that the people of Alsace did not pay much heed to the learning of this great language. He asks the people to safeguard it among themselves. It is the key to their unity and freedom. The people of Alsace, particularly the village elders, suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. Students like Franz too are not immune to patriotic feelings. Franz feels sorry for neglecting the learning of French. He hates the idea of German language being imposed on them. He remarks sarcastically, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” The last lesson was so impactful that it helped to revive the love for the language among the people of Alsace.

PRACTICE-QUESTION:-

Q1. What order had been received from Berlin that day? What effect did it have on the life at school?

Q2. What do you think is the theme of the story ‘The Last Lesson’? What is the reason behind its universal appeal?

Q3. Comment on the appropriateness of the title ‘The Last Lesson’.

Q4. War causes destruction and spreads hatred. People feel insecure. Discuss the disadvantages of war Keeping in mind Franco-Prussian war (1870-71).

Q5. It is often said that each language is unique in itself. No language is superior or inferior. People need to understand that a language is one of the means of communication. Discuss this statement in the light of these lines:- “My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson…”

Q6. The people of Alsace and Lorraine were forced to study German. They were not allowed to study French. It implies that students of the area were taught only one language. They did not follow the concept of three languages at school. Write an article on the topic Advantages of Three Language System at school.

Q7. Nature has the knack to fascinate even the cynics. Its beauty and spontaneous music galvanise the beings. Write an article expressing the astounding beauty of nature in the light of the following lines:-

“It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods… It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles…”

Q8. Teachers can act as trailblazers in the lives of pupils. They can affect eternity. But the advancement of technology has changed the role of a teacher. Write an article on the paradigm shift in educational technology and the role of teachers.

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Attention

Dear Students! Never skip the questions given in the NCERT book prescribed for your 12th Standard.

Wish you all the best

Shahid Iqbal