The Last Lesson – The Last Lesson

By- Alphonse Daudet

Theme / Central Idea
Dominant Theme raised in the story: linguistic chauvinism

“Chauvinism” is a devotion for or against something, just based on what

you feel (not necessarily what you may know). So, Linguistic chauvinism is
the idea that one’s language is superior to that of others. This happens
generally when the language is that of the ruling class.
Linguistic chauvinism refers to the imposition of one language on others.
Language is considered to be the cultural identity of the people who use it.
The language is the pride of the country as it defines the cultural history.
The Last Lesson raises the burning question very innocently through the
words of little Franz that “Will they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons?” This raises the question of imposing a language on others. The
child questions that when even the birds and animals can’t be forced to
abandon their language, then what forces a man to enforce a language on
others.

Sub Theme

The attitude of teachers and students towards learning and teaching.

Justify the title of (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.

Moral/ Message
The story depicts the irony of the whole situation about how
people feel when they don’t learn their own language.

1.Franz’s reluctance to reach school:

(i) was worried as he started late from home.
(ii) was apprehensive of facing his teacher, M. Hamel as he had not
prepared his lessons on participles, which was to be questioned in
class.
(iii) distracted by the chirping birds, warm and bright day and
Prussian soldiers drilling.

2.Usual scene of the classroom:

(i) great commotion. (ii) opening and
the closing of the desks.
(iii) lessons being repeated in unison. (iv) teacher’s ruler
rapping on the table.
(v) back benches were usually empty.

3.The difference on the last day of School:

(i) the quiet atmosphere as on Sunday mornings.
(ii) all classmates occupying their respective places.
(iii) M. Hamel walking up and down with his iron ruler under his
arm-was formally dressed-spoke to Franz in a gentle manner.
(iv) back benches were occupied by old Hauser, former Mayor,
former postmaster and several other villagers.
4. The response to M. Hamel and the class in the last lesson:
(i) M. Hamel taught the students without losing his temper-was
patient-made special notebooks putting in extra efforts-giving his
best on the last day-imparted knowledge about the importance of
the mother tongue in each one’s life.
(ii) children in the class were quiet and gave a patient ear to the
teacher.
(iii) Old people of the village attended the class.
(iv)Franz made a special effort to understand the lesson for he
found it comfortable to grasp-was guilty of not paying attention
earlier.

5. Old people of the village in the class:

(i) They were sorry that they had not gone to the school for longer.
(ii) they wanted to pay respect to the language which they would
not be able to learn anymore.
(iii) they wanted to thank M. Hamel for his unflinching service to
the village for the past forty years.
(iv) to show respect to the country which would not be theirs now.

6. Responsible for neglecting French:

(i) Alsace as a city was responsible for procrastinating.
(ii) Franz was responsible for delaying and avoiding the learning of
the language.
(iii) Parents were responsible for they were not keen for the
education of their children and made them run errands.
(iv) M. Hamel blamed himself for sending Franz to water his plants
or even taking an off, the day he wanted to go fishing.

7.W. Hamel on the French language:

(i) the most beautiful language in the world.
(ii) the clearest and most logical.
(iii) it had to be guarded.
(iv) it acts as a key to the prison if people are enslaved.
8. Franz on M. Hamel:
(i) Franz desperately wanted to give the answer on participles to
reassure his teacher that all his years of teachings have not been
wasted.
(ii) Franz felt that M. Hamel was giving his best on the day of the
last lesson as he wanted to share all his knowledge before going
away.
(iii) Franz felt that his teacher was sitting motionless and was
staring at things as he wanted to fix in his mind and take each
memory with him from that school room where he had taught for
forty years.
(iv) Franz felt that the teacher must be heartbroken for he was to
leave the country the next day.
(v) Franz could well identify with the teacher’s sorrow as to what he
felt on hearing his sister move boxes to pack and leave.

9. M. Hamel as a teacher.
(i) had been teaching for forty years without wavering.
(ii) refused to give up on the last day of teaching-treated it as the
most important day was in his best fineries-had prepare copies for
the children in which he had written beautifully-was ready to teach
all age groups without reservation-decided to be patient and impart
whatever he could even if it was the last day-stood tall to bid and
accept farewell.
(iii) imparted knowledge about the importance of the mother
tongue.
(iv) instilled patriotism amongst his students with his wise words.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

1. What was Franz expected to be prepared for school that

day /
Franz was expected to be prepared with the lesson on
‘participles’. His teacher, M.Hamel, had announced that he
 would question them on participles, but little Franz didn’t
know anything about the rule of participles.

2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school
that day?
When he reached the school, little Franz was surprised to see
everything still and quiet as if it was a Sunday morning. His
teacher, M. Hamel, was dressed in his green coat, frilled shirt
and black cap which he used to wear only on special days like
prize day or inspection day. Moreover, the last benches of the
classroom were occupied by the village elders who looked very
sad.
3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
For the last two years all the bad news had come from the
bulletin board — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the
commanding officer. That day an order from Berlin had been
put up on the bulletin board. It stated that from the next day
only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine.
4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school
that day?
The order from Berlin created an atmosphere of dismay and
shock at the school. Everything became quiet and still.
Everyone was sad and upset. The teacher, M. Hamel, was highly
depressed. He had put on his finest dress which he used to
wear only on special days like prize day or inspection day.
Some elders of the village also had come to attend the class
that day as a mark of respect to their mother tongue and to the
teacher.
5. How did Franz feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
M. Hamel was a very strict teacher. Franz didn’t like him and
always wanted to spend his time outside. So he used to bunk
his class. But when he came to know that it was going to
be the last lesson French would no more be taught to them, he
felt a great love for the language and the teacher. His books
that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to
carry, his grammar, and his history of the saints, were old
friends now that he couldn’t give up He started understanding
whatever M. Hamel taught.
Understanding the Text
6. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their
language is to them. What shows you this, Why does this
happen?
People of Alsace and Lorraine were shattered and shocked to
read the order that had come from Berlin. As per this order
French would no more be taught in schools. Only German
would be taught. This order made them realise what they were
going to miss. Their basic right to learn the mother tongue was
taken away from them. This evoked patriotism and love for
mother tongue in them. They were full of remorse and
regretted that they had not given importance to their mother
tongue earlier.
As a mark of respect to their mother tongue and the French
teacher, M. Hamel, the eminent people of the village had come
to attend the last lesson of M. Hamel, Hauser had brought an
old primer. Even the little children were shocked. Franz who
never liked to learn the language found himself in a state of
shock and suddenly started developing a liking for the language
as well as for his teacher. When he came to know that it was
going to be the last lesson French would no more be taught to
them, he felt a great love for the language and the teacher. His
books that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy
to carry, his grammar, and his history of the saints, were old
friends now that he couldn’t give up He started understanding
whatever M. Hamel taught that day.

7. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even

the pigeons?” What could this mean?
This shows the patriotic fervour and love of French people had
for their mother tongue. Even a small boy like Franz was very
upset at the fact that he would be deprived of his own
language. He wondered if the pigeons would also be made to
sing in German. This sentence shows how much little Franz
was shocked by the new order that has come from Berlin which
stated that from the next day only German would be taught in
the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
In fact, it is a remark on the hollowness of man’s authority.
Man can exert authority only on human beings, but not on
nature. Moreover M. Hamel tells them on the last day of is
class to guard their mother tongue among themselves and
never forget it, because he believes that 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.

SHINE LIKE
GOLDEN STARS
IN LIFE