The Last Lesson

Answer the following question in brief :

Q1. What sights did Franz see on his way to school?
Ans. On his way to school, Franz found that the day was warm and bright. The birds were
chirping at the edge of woods; and in the open woods, the Prussian soldiers were drilling.
When he passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board. Franz
wondered what the matter could be. But he didn’t stop to read it.
Q2. Why were some elderly persons occupying the back benches that day?
Ans. The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had-fallen into the hands of Prussians.
The studying and teaching of French had been banned there. M. Hamel was a teacher of
the French language. He had been teaching in that school for the last forty years. Next
morning he was leaving the school for good. Therefore, the old men were sitting on the
back benches. It was their way of thanking M. Hamel for his faithful service.
Q3. What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?
Ans. On that day there was no noise outside the class. Then he saw that M. Hamel was
wearing his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and the little black coat. He wore this
dress on inspection and prize distribution days. Then he saw the elderly people sitting on
the back desks. All these sights wondered Franz.
Q4. How were the parents and M. Hamel responsible for the children’s neglect of the
French language?
Ans. Not only the children themselves but also their parents and M. Hamel were to some
extent responsible for the children’s neglect of the French language. The parents would
send their children to work on a farm or at a mill so that they could get some extra money.
M. Hamel would often ask them to water his plants instead of teaching them. And when
he wanted to go fishing, he would give them a holiday.
Q5. What was the trouble with the people of Alsace according to M. Hamel ? Now what,
he thought, would give the Germans to mock at them?
Ans. According to M. Hamel, the people of Alsace used to shirk work. They often thought
they had plenty of time. But now due to this attitude, they couldn’t learn their language
any more. He said now the Germans would mock at them saying that they pretended to
be the French. They couldn’t even speak or write their language.
Q6. What does M. Hamel say about the 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. He asks his students to guard their language and
never forget it. According to him when people are enslaved, they have the key to their
prison as long as they hold fast to their language.
Q7. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
Ans. A war was going on between France and Prussia. The French districts of Alsace and
Lorraine had fallen into the hands of Prussia. The teaching and studying of French had
been banned in these districts. The teaching of French was totally banned and the teachers
teaching French were asked to leave the place. The notice for the same had been put up
on the bulletin board.
Q8. What had the narrator counted on to enter the school?
Ans. Usually, when the school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard in
the street. There would be noise of opening and closing of desks and the lessons repeated
in a loud voice, the teacher’s ruler would be rapping on the table. The narrator had
counted on the commotion to get on his seat.
Q9. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?
Ans. The day was bright and warm. Franz had started very late for school on that day. The
Prussian soldiers were drilling in the woods. The birds were chirping and M. Hamel was
going to ask questions on participles and Franz had not learnt anything about it. Franz
was dreaded of his scolding. All this tempted Franz to stay away from school.
Q10. Who were the elderly persons sitting at the back benches ?
Ans. The elderly persons sitting at the back benches were the old Hauser who was wearing
his three cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others
besides. Everybody was looking sad. Hauser had brought an old primer and he held it
open on his knees with his spectacles lying across the pages.
Q11. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” What were those words and what was
their effect on Franz?
Ans. M. Hamel announced in the class that was his last class. The orders from Berlin had
come to teach the German language in Alsace and Lorraine. These words came as a
thunderclap to Franz. He hardly knew reading and writing French. He used to waste his
time on useless activities. He always considered his books a nuisance. Now he thought
they were his best friends whom he couldn’t leave and just he started liking his books and
M. Hamel in spite of his cranky nature.
Q12. What did M. Hamel ask Franz to recite and how did Franz fare in it?
Ans. Franz heard his name called. M. Hamel asked Franz to recite the rules on participles.
It was his turn to recite the rules for participles. But Franz had not learnt those. But he
wanted that he could recite it in a clear and loud voice without any mistakes. But he got
mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to his desk, his heart was beating,
and he dared not look up.
Q13. What did M. Hamel teach his students on the last day of school?
Ans. First of all, he taught his students grammar. After grammar, the students had a
lesson in writing. Each student was given a new notebook. On each note-book, the words
‘France, Alsace, France, Alsace’ were written in beautiful handwriting. After the writing,
the children had a lesson in history.
Q14. What happened when the clock struck twelve?
Ans. When the clock struck twelve, the sound of Angelus (a prayer) could be heard. At the
same moment, the trumpets of the Prussians returning from drill, sounded the windows.
M. Hamel now knew it was the time to dismiss the school. He stood up and was looking
very pale. He wanted to say something but he was so full of emotions that he couldn’t
speak anything. He took a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard ‘Long Live France!’
Q15. 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.
Q16. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them.
What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Ans. This story is set in the year 1870 in Alsace district of France. In the Franco Prussian
war (1870-71)France was defeated by Prussia and the French districts of Alsace and
Lorraine went into the hands of Prussia. The Prussians banned the teaching and studying
of the French language. The people of the village keen to attend the Last lesson by M.
Hamel who had been teaching French there for the last forty years. In this way they pay
their respect to their language French and also to their teacher M. Hamel.
Q17. What was M. Hamel’s reaction when Franz could not answer his question in class,
correctly?
Ans. Franz was scared of M. Hamel’s reaction when he was unable to answer the question.
His heart started beating and he dared not look up. M. 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.
Q19. 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.
Q20.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.
Q21. 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.
Q22. 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.
Q23. 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.
Q24. 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.
Q25. 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.
Q26. One order from Berlin changed the scenario of the school. Comment.
Ans. The order from Berlin led to the announcement that French would not be taught
anymore, and instead, German would be taught by a new master. This was to be their last
French lesson. The class was quiet as it was a Sunday morning with no hustle and bustle.
The teacher, M. Hamel was patient and calm but inwardly emotional. He was in his special
dress. The sad villagers were sitting on the last benches like the other students and the
teacher explained the lesson very patiently.
Q27. How did M. Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town?
Ans. M. Hamel looked very pale and tall when he stood up in his chair. All the students
were quiet. The village people old Hauser, the former Mayor, the former postmaster and
several others were present in the schoolroom. The teacher told the villagers that French
was the most beautiful language in the world. He ended the lesson by writing Vive La
France on the blackboard. He made a gesture with his hand to indicate that the school is
dismissed and students could go home.
Q28. “We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.” Why did M. Hamel blame the
parents and himself too for not showing due attention and care to the learning of French?
Ans. M. Hamel did not hold Franz responsible for neglecting the learning of French. Most
people of Alsace only pretended to be Frenchmen. But they could neither speak nor write
their own language. The parents were not anxious to have them learn. They preferred to
put children on a farm or at the mills to earn a little more money. He . even held himself
responsible as he often sent his students to water his flowers instead of learning their
lessons. He also used to give a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing.
Q29. “We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with”, said M. Hamel. Refer to the
context and explain what he wanted to convey to his students.
Ans M. Hamel wanted to convey to his students that still no loss has caused. If they desire,
they can do a lot. Further, he advised them to move on and not to look back. He boosted
the morale of his students by saying that though they have to blame themselves for not
attending the school and he himself had to blame and disgrace himself for giving the
holiday to students but hoped that they could mend their ways.
Q30. 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.
Answer the following question in details:
Q1. Write a character sketch of M. Hamel as a teacher.
Ans. M. Hamel was a true French man who has been teaching French in the districts of
Alsace and Lorraine for forty years. He loved his profession and was proud of his
language, French. He had a deep sense of respect for his mother tongue. He considered
French to be the most beautiful language of the world. As a teacher, he was very particular
and strict in imparting knowledge to his students. When France was overtaken by
Prussians, he was depressed because French was banned from being taught in the schools.
While taking his last lesson, he tried his best to remain calm and composed. His sorrow
was evident in the way he was sitting in the class while his students were completing their
writing assignment. He felt tormented at the fact that people had become indifferent to
learning French and appealed to them to keep their language alive. He was a true patriot.
He believed that mother tongue is a means of holding one’s identity and self-respect. At
the end of his last lesson, he writes ‘Vive La France!’ on the blackboard. This shows his
love and concern for the people and the language of his country.
Q2.Write a character sketch of Franz.
Ans. Franz was a student of a school in Alsace. His schoolmaster was M. Hamel. Franz
was not brilliant. Franz enjoyed spending time out of doors. He liked the warm and bright
day, and loved to listen to the chirping of the birds and watching the drilling of the
Prussian soldiers. He preferred this instead of being in the classroom. He didn’t prepare
his lesson on participles. When he was asked to recite, he got mixed up and confused. He
was not excited to go to school and did not show any interest in M. Hamel’s teaching.But
he was scared of M. Hamel’s scolding. He always dreaded the great ruler that M. Hamel
kept under his arm. Franz knew how ‘cranky’ M. Hamel was.
However, Franz was forced to change his opinion about M. Hamel. An order came from
Berlin pronouncing that German language would be taught in the schools of French
districts of Alsace and Lorraine. On knowing that it was the last lesson that Mr Hamel was
going to deliver, his views about him changed. He started respecting the man who had
spent forty years in the same school. He felt sorry for not learning French. He shared M.
Hamel’s views about French. It was the most beautiful language in the world. Franz
sarcastically remarked, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” After
the last lesson, his views about French took a patriotic turn. He listened to M. Hamel’s
last lesson with rapt attention and dignity, and regretted having been careless and
inattentive.
Q3. Justify the title of the story, ‘The Last Lesson’.
Ans. The title of the story, ‘The Last Lesson’ is self-relieving. The whole story revolves
around the title. The beginning of the story serves as preparation for it. The title also
conveys the central
theme of the story—the fact that sometimes even the most precious things in our lives are
taken for granted. The people of Alsace never gave much importance to the mother
tongue, French. They did not even insist their children to pay any attention to their
language. They did not encourage regular attendance of their children in French classes.
They preferred their children to work and earn, instead of studying. The order from
Prussians made them realise the importance of their mother tongue. So they attend M.
Hamel’s last lesson altogether. Thus, the title, ‘The Last Lesson’ is justified.
Q4. 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.
Q5. Everybody during the last lesson is filled with regret. Comment.
In the year 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war the French districts of Alsace and
Lorraine fell into the hands of Prussians. They harmed the teaching and studying of the
French language in these districts. All the teachers of the French language were ordered
to leave these districts. M.Hamel is one such teacher who teaches French in one of the
villages of Alsace district. He has to leave his village the next day for good. Now he is
delivering his last lesson of the French language. Not only the students but also the village
elders have come to attend the last class of French. Everybody in the class is full of regret.
M.Hamel blames himself for giving too much holidays to his students and in this way not
teaching them properly. The students like Franz blames themselves not learning their
language properly. The village elders are also full of regret. They have not learnt their
language properly when they were young. Now they have come there to pay their tribute
to M. Hamel’s for forty years of selfless service.
Q6. What do you think is the theme of the story ‘The Last Lesson’? What is the reason
behind its universal appeal?
Ans. Though the story discussed is located in a particular village of Alsace district of
France which had passed into Prussian hands; the story definitely has a universal appeal.
It highlights the invader’s desire to thrust forcefully his language and culture on the’
subjugated community and taking away their language and also their identity. Taking
away . mother tongue and forcing others to accept a foreign tongue is the first step of any
colonial aggression. To resist any such advancement, one needs to embrace his own
language firmly. M. Hamel, the French teacher of the school while giving his last lesson
to the class advises them to love their language and keep it alive. He says that when the
people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to language it is as if they had the key to their
prison.
The Prussians has banned the teaching and studying of French but they can never take
away the love for the French language from the people. In this way the French people can
retain their identity even before such constant pressure from new rulers. The theme
definitely does not remain confined to the classroom of a school in Alsace district; rather
it gathers a universal significance; as a roadmap to counter foreign aggression.
Q7. 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.
Ans. M. Hamel told the students and villagers that henceforth only German would be
taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Those who called themselves Frenchmen
would neither be able to speak nor write it. He praised French as the most beautiful, the
clearest and the most logical language in the world. He said that for the enslaved people,
their language was the key out of prison. Only then the people realised the importance of
their language. This shows people’s love for their own culture, traditions and country.
Pride in one’s language reflects pride in motherland.
When Franz jumbled while it was his turn to answer, M. Hamel expresses regret at the
pathetic state of the language among the folks of Alsace. He regrets the fact that everyone
chose to procrastinate. Also, he felt that the parents preferred their children worked in
the farms for that extra income. He worried that the Germans would ridicule them for
being incapable of speaking and writing their language. He blames everyone including
himself for being careless, lazy and Lackadaisical (unenthusiastic and lack of
determination).
Q8. How does M. Hamel prove to be an ideal teacher?
Ans. In ‘The Last Lesson’, Alphonse Daudet presents M. Hamel’s character with due
sympathy and respect. Initially, he is presented in the mould of a traditional
schoolmaster. He used his terrible ruler under his arm. Everyone could hear the rapping
of the ‘great ruler’ on the table even outside in the street. Franz reminds us ‘how cranky’
M. Hamel was. The students used to dread their schoolmaster. Franz was scared of being
scolded as he had not prepared his lesson on participles. For a moment, he even thought
of running away from school. Mr Hamel was a hard task master. He maintained discipline
in the class.
The other side of Mr Hamel’s character is seen after the order from Berlin came. He had
been transformed now. He became soft and gentle towards his students. He didn’t scold
Franz for coming late. He did not even use his ruler when little Franz got mixed up and
confused when his turn to recite came. He declared that it was his last lesson in French as
from the next day German would be taught in the schools of Lorraine and Alsace. He
would leave the next day. A new teacher would come in his place. He wore his best dress
in honour of the last lesson. M. Hamel was given respect not only by his students but even
by the village elders. He was totally dedicated to the cause of teaching. He had been
teaching for forty years in the same school. 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.
M. Hamel loved France and French from the depth of his heart. He regarded French as
the most beautiful language in the world. He told the people to guard it among themselves
and never to forget it. On hearing the sound of trumpets of the Prussian soldiers under
his window, patriotic feelings overpowered him. He mounted the chair and tried to speak,
however something choked him. He wrote “Vive La France” with a piece of chalk on the
blackboard and dismissed the class.
Q9. What is ‘linguistic chauvinism’? Analyse the order from Berlin in this light. How do
you justify M. Hamel’s views about French and the new-found love of the people towards
their language?
Ans. Carrying pride in one’s language too far leads to ‘linguistic chauvinism’. 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. 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 the 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.

Q10. Explain “M Hamel was an epitome of patience that day – A true patriot”
Ans. M. Hamel was very patient that day. He did not comment on Franz’s late arrival.
When he did not follow the rules of the contestants, he did not scold Franz. In fact, she
blamed them all for neglecting the study of their mother tongue, the French language. He
was a patriot according to the fact that he praised the French language for its clarity, logic
and beauty and called upon his listeners to fast on it.
M. Hamel had been teaching in school for forty years, so when he left school everyone was
overwhelmed with emotions. But M. Hamel maintained the utmost dignity and restraint.
He demonstrated strong courage and patience and listened to every lesson till the last. At
the end of the lesson, he wrote on the blackboard, ‘Vive la France!’, Meaning ‘Long-lived
France’, indicating that he was a loving person, a true patriot.
Q11. Explain the importance of the parting message on the day of ‘The Last Lesson : Cite
some examples from the text to support the explanation.
Ans. The day of the last lesson was filled with regret and sadness. Everyone – French
language teachers, students and village elders – appeared in a very sad mood. People were
stunned by the New Berlin order. This aroused a sense of patriotism towards his
language.
M Hamel announced that he was going to deliver the last lesson in French. He has called
French the most beautiful, clear and most gentle language. He parted with the message
that one should preserve one’s language because it is the key to one’s freedom. This left a
deep impact on the audience. He completed his class by writing ‘Vive la France’ on the
blackboard. These farewell messages awakened the patriotism of the people and instilled
in them a sense of love and respect for their mother tongue.
Q12. Describe the change in the attitude of Franz towards his language and his teacher.
Ans. Franz initially does not want to go to school. He has never been an honest and
devoted student. He fears that his teacher M Hamel will scold him, as he has not learned.
He finds his teacher hard and wandering. When he arrives at the school, he is surprised
as M Hamel talks to him politely. He is still confused and absorbing the situation.
M. Hamel declares his final French lesson. Poor Franz no longer regrets that he learned
his lesson. He knows his mother tongue very little and now he will never learn it. His
books, which were a nuisance to him, suddenly seemed like old friends. The thought that
he would never see M Hamel again would make him forget about his insanity. He starts
feeling very sorry for his teacher.
NB: For RTC ( Reference To The Context ) you have to study the whole
chapter or poem, as questions may come from any passage or stanza.