The Last Lesson

THE LAST LESSON

Alphonse Daudet

Alphonse Daudet’s ‘The Last Lesson’ is set in Alsace, a territory that was dispatched between- France and Germany (than a part of Prussia) France has been defeated by Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War and Alsace and Lorraine had been handed over to Prussia. This is an account of the students who were there to study German. The students and other citizens who identify themselves as French had not valued their mother tongue. The lesson renders a torching and emotional adieu to the identity of the French who were being deprived not only of their political freedom but also their identify

GIST IN BULLET POINTS

v Franz fears while going to school

·       Late for school.

·       Afraid of scolding

·       Had not learnt lesson on participle

·       Thought of running away and spending the day outside because the day was bright and warm.

·       Birds chirping

·       Tempted to watch drilling of Prussian soldiers

·       Overcome temptation and rushed to school

v Scene at the town hall

·       Bulletin board a, source of bad news

·       A crowd an front of Bulletin board

v Usual scene at school

·       Hustle and bustle

·       Notes of opening and closing desk.

·       Repetition of lesson in unison

·       Striking of teachers rule again not the table

v Changes in school noticed by Franz

·       Everything was silent

·       M. Hamel was in occasional dress

·       Classmates were already in their places

·       Surprising things in classroom

·       Kindness of M. Hamel

·       Serious look of the school

·       Village elderly people sitting on back benches.

v M. Hamel's addressing to students

·       M. Hamel demanded full attention

·       Last lesson of French

·       German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine

·       Franz felt sorry for ignoring his lesson

·       Deeply pained at the thought of M. Hamel going away

v A Tribute to Teacher by the villagers gathered in the class room.

·       Repentance for not having attended in the school.

·       To thank the master for 40 years’ service.

·       As a mark, of respect for the country.

v Lack of learning : Hamel's view

·       Parents ignorant; not anxious to have their children learn

·       Children preferred to be put to work on farms or mills.

·       Also blamed himself for sending children on errands

v M. Hamel teaches his last lesson.

·       Calls the French language the most beautiful language.

·       Gives them their lesson in grammar

·       Wants to teach them everything in one go

·       Gives a lesson in writing

v Student's attention

·       Set to work very quickly

·       Pin drop silence.

·       Even beetles fail to distract them.

v M. Hamel's dedication.

·       Served school for forty year

·       Nothing had changed

·       Desks and benches had worn smooth

·       Walnut trees grow taller, hopvine reached to the roof

v M. Hamel's courage

·       Delivers his lost lesson in history

·       Tears roll down from the eyes of listeners

·       Everyone gets emotional

v M. Hamel spirit of patriotism

·       Church clock strikes twelve

·       Trumpets of the Prussian soldiers sound-under the window

·       M. Hamel writs ° vive la France' to dismiss the last class

·       Dismissed school by making a gesture with his hand

 
SOLVED  SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What was the narrator’s greatest fear as he moved towards the school?

 Franz had started late for school and thus was afraid of being scolded . His fear gripped him further for he was also unprepared. He had not learnt his lesson regarding the rules of participles and thus dreaded the teacher’s anger.

2. What was more tempting to Franz rather than going to school?

 The weather was pleasant, warm and bright. The chirruping birds were inviting him, the soldiers drilling in the field were also outdoors and Franz was not prepared with participles.

3. What was the news which was put up on the bulletin board?

For the last two years all bad news – the lost battles, the orders of the commanding officer was displayed on the notice board. That day, the news that only German would be taught in school of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice-board which made the crowd gather there to read the news.

4. What was so unusual about the school on that day?

 Usually there would be a great bustle of opening and closing of the desk, lesson repeated loudly and the teacher’s ruler rapping on the table but that day was very calm and quiet like Sunday morning. The back benches which were usually empty were occupied by the village people and M.Hamel wore his special dress and was pacing up and down with a ruler under his arm.

5. Why were the villagers seated on the back benches?

 All the village elders were seated on the back benches as a tribute to the teacher who had put in 40 years of sincere service. It was also their way of expressing regret for not learning their mother tongue when they had the chance. They were also expressing their patriotism and solidarity with France

6. Franz didn’t learn French .Whom did M. Hamel blame?

M. Hamel didn’t blame Franz for not learning but his parents who were not anxious to have him learn. Instead they wanted him to work on a farm or at the mill to earn money. Even M. Hamel was also to be blamed for sending him to water the flowers instead of learning and when he wanted to go fishing he declared holiday.

 7. What did M. Hamel say about French language?

He said that it is the most beautiful language in the world- the clearest, the most logical. He requested them to guard it so that they can be united and fight back for their freedom.

 8. What happened when the church clock struck 12?

The moment the church clock struck 12 the Prussian army came to take over and M. Hamel stood up, wanted to tell something but his voice was chocked. He gathered his strength and wrote on the black board as large as he could – ‘Vive La France’ and dismissed the school.

 LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Justify the title of the story “The Last Lesson”.

Value Points

People always feel there is plenty of time to learn—so also in Alsace—now no time—parents not keen—preferred children , work in farms, mill—Franz looked opportunity to escape school—never

serious—receive orders from Berlin—people realize importance of their language—attend the last lesson by M. Hamel.

 QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

 SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Why was Franz unwilling to go to school?

2. Why didn’t M. Hamel punish Franz, even though he was late?

3. Mention the three changes that Franz noticed in the school?

4. What announcement did M. Hamel make and what was its impact?

5. What do you think was written on the bulletin board?

6. Why did M. Hamel say about knowing one’s language is a key to prison?

8. What changes have taken place in the school in the last forty years?

9. What did he mean by “Viva La France”?

10. Do you think that the story touches upon the brutalities of war? Explain

11.How does Hamel arouse patriotism in the people off Alsace?

12. What does Franz when he asks: “ Will they make them sing in German,

even the pigeons”

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS 125 -150 words.

1. Write a note on the character of M. Hamel as a teacher?

2. Do you think the story touches upon the brutalities of war? Comment.

3. What thunderbolt did the narrator receive on reaching the school? How was it affect him ?

4. At the end of the last lesson M. Hamel wrote, ‘Viva La France’ on the board in bold letters. Why

do you think he wrote that and how did he expect the people of Alsace –Lorraine to keep their

identity intact?

5.What were Franz’ feelings about M Hamel and his French lessons? How did they undergo a

complete change?

 

Value Based Question:    (100 WORDS/5 MARKS)                                

 Q. Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school changed gradually by the end of the text, though he had a great disliking for both the beginning of the story. It is said that first impression is the last impression. Is it true in context of “The Last Lesson”? Definitely not. Write a small paragraph of about 100 words penning down your views on, ‘A person can be best judged in his first appearance only’.

Ans: A well-known dictum states that ’appearances are deceptive’. In fact, it is true that one cannot be judged in just one meeting. Actually, one or more meetings are not enough to judge a person’s personality. Every person reacts differently on different situations at different times. So it is not a matter of single appearances to form a judgment about a person. It might be a prejudice.

Now-a-days every person appears to be social and gentle. They want to be presentable in the society. No matter what their background is. One’s clothes, gestures, habits, etc. do not de4fine one’s personality in just one appearance. Due time should be taken to form opinion about a person. Different situations reveal different aspects of one’s personality. Sometimes a life remains short to know a person. But sometimes even a few seconds are enough to know one’s real face. Hence, it is not a matter of first or last impression but the issue of time, needed to know one in one’s right colours.

Q. While speaking his mouth choked and wrote, ‘Vive La France’ and finally by gesture he said: “School is dismissed – you may go.”

These lines show that M Hamel was greatly attached to his motherland, profession and mother tongue. In other words, one should be attached to his own land, cultures and customs. But today’s Indians are drowned in the western colours. It shows that there is need to spread awareness about the feeling of patriotism and other related factors. Write a paragraph in about 100 words highlighting the issue.

Ans.                               Patriotism-An Unmatched Spirit

          Patriotism is defined as one’s love for one’s customs, culture, mother tongue, motherland and everything what is associated with one’s motherland. One should be proud of what one’s country has given to him. In Indian context, people have started adopting western culture. They are in the race of being ‘Mod’. This is really surprising as well as pathetic. As an Indian, we own a rich and diversified culture which has attracted foreigners too. Many patriots have sacrificed their lives in the name of their country which has attracted foreigners too. Many Patriots have a feeling that cannot be filled in the hearts of Indians but it should be arisen and inculcated among the future generation of the country. The students or the youth of the country need to be indianised. Adaption of different cultures is not bad. But forgetting our own culture for sake of other ones is not done. The need of the hour is to inculcate the moral values, virtues, love for humanity and motherland among the Indian youth. Patriotism is an undying and unmatched spirit that cannot be sacrificed for anything.

Q. Read the following question and answer the question that follows:

Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could –

“vive la France!”

Abraham Lincoln, a former president of America said’

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.

I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”

After reading  the lesson and the above quote of Abraham Lincoln you being to reflect on the lost spirit of patriotism amongst the youth in India due to which there is no respect for once countrymen and no determination amongst the youth to lead the country to be a better future.

Write an article in about 100 words for a national magazine on the need for revival of patriotic spirit amongst the youth of India.

ANS: The Need for Revival of Patriotic Spirit amongst the Youth in India”. India has been the land of proud martyrs who embraced the gallows for their ideals, where every drop in freedom fighter’s blood fought not for itself but for nation. Today, the same India stands famished and starved of the true patriotic spirit. Our youth appears to be driven more by a crazy love for a superficial self-advancement than anything else for our young boys and girls, country holds on better value than just a geographical identity. Undoubtedly, ‘patriotism’ needs to be redefined and revived in India.

We probably find our patriotic spirit stirred up when there is an Indo-pak cricket match or when terrorists bomb our trains. But we definitely forget it when we cast our vote in the elections, when a hungry beggar asks for a rupee, when we shamelessly throw garbage on the roads and so on….

Patriotic emotions cannot be engendered in a windfall. They will have to be engraved on tender hearts that will remain placid. Our education policies thus needed to be revalued and reformed. More national awareness and respect should be embedded into the scholastic curriculum. This could be nothing more than a sincere devotion for making a peaceful-loving, uncorrupt, crime-free, unpolluted and patriotic India. Small actions persuaded with a notion of doing good to other countrymen is true patriotism. Today, our country wants awakened citizens to move forward and it is in this sphere where we have to exercise our true patriotic spirit.

 

Exercise for Practice

Q. ‘When a people are enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.’

This statement is given before the students by their teacher M. Hamel in his last lesson. After reading the lesson, what do you think about the ‘Role and Importance of Language in the lives of countrymen’? Write your views in the form of an article in about 100 words to be published in your school magazine.

 Q. ‘The Last Lesson’ by Alphonse Dauet throws light on the feeling of patriotism among countrymen as well as their love towards their language and the role this language plays in their lives.

Taking reference  from the text write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.

 Q. M Hamel ‘The Last Lesson’ says to the people of Alsace about the necessity of their mother tongue- French: “ …. 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 it is as if they had the key to their prison”. ‘Mother tongue is the language of one’s thoughts and ideas. Rejecting one’s mother tongue is denying one’s own culture and identity.’

Do you think so? Write your reflections on the above statement in the form of an article to be published in your school magazine , encouraging your

friends to the need for learning and protecting their mother tongue.

 

 

 

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