Introduction

‘The Last Lesson’ is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War, led by
Bismarck. Prussia defeated France and the French districts of Alsace
and Lorraine passed into Prussian hands. The two protagonists of the
story, M. Hamel and Franz are from Alsace. M. Hamel is a French
teacher and Franz is one of his students. The story revolves around how
the war plays a pivotal role in their lives. Theme

The chapter, ‘The Last Lesson’ covers the themes of patriotism, freedom
of language and love for one’s mother tongue. The story stresses on the
importance of education and the necessity to respect and learn one’s
own language. It also reflects on the unfair practice of linguistic
chauvinism – refers to an unreasonable pride in one’s own language
while disregarding other languages and considering it to be inferior.

Main Characters

M. Hamel

A sincere French teacher

Knew his subject well.
Is passionate about the French language
Considers French the clearest, the most beautiful and the most logical
language in the world.
Feels that language is the key to a person’s sense of freedom. Advises
villagers to hold on to French, despite the ban on using the language. Is
proud of being French
Upset and distressed by the occupation of Alsace by the Germans.
Attached to his town, school and people.
Is a hard task master
Emphasises proper learning of the subjects.
The students are scared of him.
An honest and sensitive man
At the arrival of Prussian soldiers, becomes overwhelmed with emotions
and his voice chokes.
Blames himself for being selfish at times
Blames himself for not being sincere and taking holiday or going for
fishing.
Also for making his students run errands for him during class time.

Characteristics of M. Hamel:
Emotional, hardworking, patriotic, loyal, honest and sensitive

Franz

Sensitive and innocent

Blames himself for ignoring his lessons.
Worries about the German takeover.
Loves nature
Enjoys sunshine, bird watching, and chasing butterflies.
Is conscious of his duties as a student
Wishes that he had prepared for the class.
Doesn’t like being scolded in the class.
Observant
Notices every little detail on his way to school.
Quick to observe the changes in his surroundings.
Observes M. Hamel’s efforts to control his emotions.

Characteristics of Franz: Observant, sensitive, nature-lover, sincere and

empathetic

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS:

1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language
is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?

According to the story, the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had
fallen into Prussian hands. As a result, they received an order from
Berlin mandating that only German be taught in Alsace and Lorraine
schools. It was at that point that they all realized the importance of their
language. The usual commotion at school was replaced by the peace of
Sunday church. The students’ sincerity was evident by the fact that they
all began working quietly. The only sound in the room was the scratching
of pens across the paper. Even the former mayor and postmaster came
in and sat quietly as students at the back of the class with their
dog-eared primers. Everyone looked sad and depressed. M. Hamel, who
was otherwise disliked, instilled in the students a sense of regret for not
knowing their language. Franz regretted not paying close attention to
him, whereas M. Hamel, who was heartbroken at the prospect of
leaving, had never explained everything with such patience. He almost
seemed to want to tell them everything he knew before leaving. In his
words, he adequately captured the mood. ‘We all have a lot of things to
be ashamed of.’

2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons?” What could this mean?

Franz’s question about whether pigeons can sing in German

demonstrates that humans can impose their will on other humans but
cannot impose it on nature. It suggests that human power is always
limited. They cannot have complete control over the world. Similarly,
Prussians can control their schools and learning patterns, but they
cannot kill the French men's pride in their country and language.
French flows in the air and the entire place is full of its effect. Even
though they train students in German, the basic mode of communication
would remain unchanged like the cooing of the pigeons.

3.“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.” Can you think of
examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken
away from them or had a language imposed on them?

“When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language,
it is as if they had the key to their prison.” Examples of conquered people
having their language taken away or having a language imposed on
them can be found throughout history.

1. Imposition of English in India through colonization

2. Imposition of Chinese in Tibet

3. Arabization in North Africa (imposition of Islam and so, imposition of

Muslim languages)

4. Imposition of French in Britain (Francization)

5. Imposition of English in North Ireland

4.What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they

can keep their language alive? For example:

Punjabis in Bangalore
Tamilians in Mumbai
Kannadigas in Delhi
Gujaratis in Kolkata

In any state, the linguistic minority is easily identified and faces the same
discrimination as religious, social, or ethnic minorities. However, there is
a significant disparity between the treatment meted out and the level of
acceptance displayed by the majority community in that region. Some
cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, have a cosmopolitan outlook.

The linguistic minority attempts to preserve its identity through intimate

contact, interaction, and language preservation in social gatherings,
family functions, and regional festivals. Adherence to social customs and
traditions in family gatherings and women’s meetings fosters unity
among members of the linguistic minority. In a nutshell, they have built a
mini-Punjab in Bangalore, a mini-Chennai in Mumbai, a mini-Bangalore
in Delhi, and a mini-Surat in Kolkata.

5.Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know
what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?

An aggressive and unreasonable belief that one's own language is better

than all others is called "linguistic chauvinism".
Sometimes pride in one's own language goes too far and the linguistic
enthusiasts can be easily identified by their extreme zeal for the
preservation and spread of their language. In thin enthusiasm 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 .
Excessive pride in one's own language creates ill will and disintegration.
For example the stiff resistance to' acceptance of Hindi as our National
language by the Southern states of India is a direct outcome of the fear
of being dominated by the Hindi belt. The result is that "One India"
remains only a pipe dream.

Working with Words

Notice the highlighted words in these sentences and tick the option that
best explains their meanings.
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
The words were
(i) loud and clear.
(ii) startling and unexpected.
(iii) pleasant and welcome.

(b) “When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their
language it is as if they had the key to their prison.” It is as if they have
the key to the prison as long as they
(i) do not lose their language.
(ii) are attached to their language.
(iii) quickly learn the conqueror’s language

(c) Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time. You
will get to your school
(i) very late.
(ii) too early.
(iii) early enough.
(d) I never saw him look so tall. M. Hamel
(i) had grown physically taller.
(ii) seemed very confident.
(iii) stood on the chair.
Reference to Context Read the extracts given below and answer the
following mcq

1. For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of
doors. It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of
the woods; and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian
soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for
participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school.

(a) Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?

(i) M. Hamel
(ii) Franz
(iii) Soldier
(iv) Poor man
(b) “For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of
doors”. Why did he think so?
(i) Because he was late for school
(ii) Because he did not prepare anything for the test
(iii) Because he was afraid of M. Hamel’s scolding
(iv) All of these

(c) What was more tempting than the rule for participles?
(i) Chirping of birds
(ii) Drilling by Prussian soldiers
(iii) Warm and bright day
(iv) All of these

(d) What were the Prussian soldiers doing?

(i) Drilling in the open field back of the sawmill
(ii) Chirping at the edge of the woods
(iii) Drilling in the open field back of the sand-mill
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

2. Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Watcher,

who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me,
“Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”
(a) Who was reading the bulletin?
(i) M. Hamel
(ii) Franz
(iii) Blacksmith
(iv) Soldier

(b) Why was ‘I’ in a hurry?

(i) Because he was late for school
(ii) Because an order came from Berlin
(iii) Because he was not prepared for the test
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

(c) Why did Blacksmith say, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you will get to your
school in plenty of time!”
(i) Because he was making fun of him
(ii) Because he was worried about him
(iii) Because he knew nothing would happen in the class
(iv) None of these

(d) Which word from the following means the same as ‘amateur’?
(i) Hurried
(ii) Apprentice
(iii) Bub
(iv) Watcher

3. While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, and,
in the same grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, said, “My
children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from
Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The
new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you
to be very attentive.”
(a) “My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you.” Why did M.
Hamel say so?
(i) Because of the notice that came from Berlin which stated that French
would no longer be used in classrooms
(ii) Because M. Hamel was retiring
(iii) Because of the notice that came from Berlin which stated that
German would no longer be used in classrooms
(iv) None of these

(b) What was the tone of M. Hamel?

(i) Grave
(ii) Friendly
(iii) Gentle
(iv) Both (i) and (iii)

(c) Why did M. Hamel want everyone to be attentive?

(i) Because he was a very strict and disciplined teacher
(ii) Because this was the last lesson, he would give to the class
(iii) Because he was retiring
(iv) None of these

(d) Which word from the following is the antonym of ‘afoot’?

(i) Attentive
(ii) Mounted
(iii) Gentle
(iv) None of these

4. Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his
fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the
village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was because they
were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way
of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of
showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

(a) Who is referred to as ‘poor man’ here?

(i) M. Hamel
(ii) Franz
(iii) Old man
(iv) Author

(b) Why had he put on fine Sunday clothes?

(i) In honour of the last lesson
(ii) Because it was Sunday
(iii) Because he liked those clothes
(iv) None of these

(c) For how many years did M. Hamel teach French in the school?
(i) Thirty years
(ii) Forty years
(iii) Forty-five years
(iv) Fifty years

(d) Which word from the following means the same as ‘patriotic’?
(i) Respect
(ii) Honour
(iii) Faithful
(iv) Master

5. Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting

motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if
he wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little
school room. Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same
place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him,
just like that.

(a) What was the speaker doing?

(i) The speaker was doing his lesson in writing.
(ii) The speaker was doing his lesson in running fast.
(iii) The speaker was wondering.
(iv) The speaker was lost in his thoughts.

(b) What had been same for the past forty years?
(i) The garden outside the window
(ii) Class in front of him
(iii) Blackboard at the back
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

(c) What was he doing while sitting motionless in his chair?

(i) Gazing at everything that was present in the room
(ii) Wondering about it all
(iii) Sitting just like that
(iv) Waiting for his turn

(d) Which word from the following means the same as ‘steadfast’?
(i) Gazing
(ii) Fancy
(iii) Motionless
(iv) None of these

6. How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his
sister moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they
must leave the country next day.

(a) Who are ‘they’ in the above lines?

(i) M. Hamel and village people
(ii) M. Hamel and his sister
(iii) M. Hamel and students
(iv) M. Hamel and the poor man

(b) Why do they have to leave the country?

(i) Because notice came from Berlin that German would no longer be
used in classrooms
(ii) Because he doesn’t want to live in France
(iii) Because he got a new job in another country
(iv) None of these

(c) Who is packing the trunks?

(i) M. Hamel
(ii) M. Hamel’s sister
(iii) M. Hamel’s students
(iv) None of these

(d) M. Hamel’s sister was moving about in the room above:

(i) to pack their trunks
(ii) to leave the country the next day
(iii) both of these
(iv) none of these

Very Short Answer Questions

Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option.

1. ______________, which is poignant in the chapter ‘The Last Lesson’,
is a devotion for or against something, just based on what one strongly
feels.
(i) Chauvinism
(ii) Linguistic barrier
(iii) Linguistic theory
(iv) Prussian drilling

2. Language, in the chapter ‘The Last Lesson’ is considered to be

________________ of a particular group of people who use it.
(i) an effective skill
(ii) a blessing
(iii) the cultural identity
(iv) a menace

3. What happens if the people of Alsace and Lorraine are not able to
speak French?
(i) They would be sent to jail.
(ii) They will never propagate the theory of liberty and freedom.
(iii) They won’t be able to pay homage to their teacher.
(iv) They won’t be able to maintain allegiance to France.

4. What do the parting words of M. Hamel reflect about his character?

(i) It reflects his negligence during his stay in France.
(ii) It reflects a sense of nationalist pride of M. Hamel.
(iii) It reflects that the country didn’t honour him as a teacher.
(iv) It reflects that he was not willing to continue as a French teacher.

5. ______________ and ____________ are the two core themes of the

chapter ‘The Last Lesson’.
(i) Linguistic chauvinism, cultural subjugation
(ii) Dereliction of duty, patriotism
(iii) Individual identity, respect of teacher
(iv) The importance of bulletin board, French teacher

6. Why was Franz reluctant to go to school that day?

(i) Because he wanted to witness the morning sunshine and Prussians
(ii) Because he had been barred by the French teacher
(iii) Because he was not prepared with the lesson on participles
(iv) Because he was cajoled by old Hauser not to attend his classes

7. M. Hamel’s announcement about the last lesson appeared to be a

thunderclap to Franz. Identify the use of poetic device employed in the
underlined word here.
(i) Alliteration
(ii) Metaphor
(iii) Oxymoron (iv) Pun

8. “Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees
in the garden were taller, and the hopvine he had planted himself twined
about the windows to the roof.” Identify the use of poetic device
employed here.
(i) Situational irony
(ii) Dramatic irony
(iii) Paradox
(iv) Visual imagery

9. Franz was afraid because he was running late to school. He appears

to be a little apprehensive but M. Hamel didn’t scold him. This is an
instance of:
(i) dramatic irony
(ii) situational irony
(iii) verbal irony
(iv) oxymoron

10. How does M. Hamel usually intimidate his students?

(i) He usually sends them for fishing.
(ii) He uses an iron ruler to slap on their desks.
(iii) He often asks them to complete their errand a number of times.
(iv) He often asks them to attend the class with their parents.