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 The Last Lesson
Summary (Watch video for Explanation)
Link: Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upX9mXby72o&t=647s

'The last lesson ' written by Alphonse Daudet where he tells about the year 1870-1871
when the Prussian forces under Bismarck captured France. The French districts of Alsace
and Lorraine came into Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers stopped the teaching of
French in the schools of these districts. The French teachers were asked to leave the
country. Now M. Hamel, a French teacher could no longer continue in his old school. Still he
gave the last lesson to his all students with foremost devotion. One such student of M.
Hamel, Franz who feared French class and M. Hamel‘s iron ruler, came to the school that
day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson on participles. But on
reaching school he found Hamel dressed in his Sunday clothes and villagers sitting quietly
on the back benches. It was due to an order from Berlin which caused distress among the
people. That was the first day when he realized for the first time that how important French
was to him, but it was his last lesson in French. The story shows the emotions of the whole
situation about how people feel when they don‘t learn their mother tongue. It tells us
about the importance of one‘s language in one‘s life.

Things to Understand
1.Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
2. Prussia won the War (Prussia consists of Austria, Poland & Germany)
3. Orders from Berlin.
4. Last Lesson of French - Teacher M(Monsieur). Hamel

Values
• Linguistic Chauvinism
• Procrastination
• Love for mother tongue
•
Key Points (Watch video for Explanation)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upX9mXby72o&t=647s

 Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not prepared a lesson on participles.

 He wants to enjoy beauty of nature. The bright sunshine, the birds chirruping in the
woods, Prussian soldiers drilling but resisted to do these things.
 Bulletin board was always filled with all the bad news, lost battles, the drafts and
orders of the commanding officers: Franz wondered what it could be now
 The unusual things in the school that day.
 Instead of noise in classrooms everything was as quiet as Sunday morning
  The teacher does not scold him for coming later and asked him very kindly to go to
his place
 The teacher dressed in his Sunday clothes.
 Villagers sitting on the last benches
 To show gratitude to M. Hamel for his 40 yrs of faithful service
 Hamel makes the announcement that that would be the last French lesson; realizes
that, that was what put up on the bulletin board.
 Franz realizes his mistakes.
 Regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.
 Also realizes the reason why teacher was dressed in his Sunday best and villagers
sitting at the back.
 Hamel realizes that all three, the children , the parents and he himself are to be
blamed for losing respect and regard for the mother tongue.
 Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the key to the prison.
 Atmosphere in class was silent, teacher teaching sincerely and patiently, students
and others studying with utmost sincerity.
 Franz wonders if Prussians could force pigeons to speak in German.
 Hamel overcome with emotions could not speak and wrote on the black board “Viva
La France”.

Questions as per MCQS (Watch video for Solutions)

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4GRPFlqHKA&t=1383s

1. Who is the writer of The Last Lesson?

2. Alphonse Daudet belongs to which country?
3. From where did the orders come to teach only German in the districts of Alsace and
Lorraine?
4. Who was sitting the back benches in the class?
5. Whom did M.Hamel blame for not sending students to school?
6. What did Hauser bring with himself?
7. 7. For how many years did M. Hamel serve the school?
8. 8. Where did the parents send their children?
9. 9. Why did the villagers come to meet M. Hamel in the school?
10.10. What was Franz expected to be ready for at school that day?
11. What did M. Hamel bring for his class on his last lesson in the school?
12. "The Last Lesson" story is set in which year?
13. Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time is said by whom?
14. Whlich language would the students study from the next day?
15. Why was Franz was shocked to see M. Hamel?
16. Who was M.Hamel?
17. What was Franz depending upon to enter the class as he was late?
18. Why did Hamel blame himself?
19. All the bad news was coming from how many years?
 20. Where was the bulletin board setup?
21. France was defeated by Prussia led by ………..
22. Prussia then consisted of what now are the nations of Germany, ……… & ………
23. I started for school very late that morning. Who is ‘I’ here?
24. What was the most surprising thing for Franz?
25. Who else was going to leave the country with M.Hamel?

Important Dates & Facts (Watch video for explanation)

Video Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4GRPFlqHKA&t=1383s

1. (1840-1897)
2. (1870-1871)
3. Prussia
4. Bismarck
5. Germany, Poland and parts of Austria
6. Alsace and Lorraine
7. M.Hamel
8. Town hall
9. Wachter
10. Old Hauser, with his three-cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster
11. Berlin
12. Saar!
13. History of the saints

Common Answer
The last lesson is set in the days (1870-1871) when France was defeated by Germany. An
order from Berlin came that German language would be taught in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine.
The order from Berlin added an insult to injury. M Hamel, a school
teacher broke this shocking news to his students. He declared that it was his last lesson in
French; he would leave the place for good. A new master would replace him to teach
German. It aroused patriotic feeling among the students as well as villagers. The village
elders came to the school to listen to the lesson in French which M. Hamel spoke at a
length about French language he called French as the most beautiful, logical and clearest
language in the world. He expressed his dismay that the people of Alsace were quite
indifferent in learning at French.
At last M.Hamel stood up very pale, in his chair, he was speaking for the last time. He
tried to speak but could not something choked him he turned to the board & wrote as large
as he could. “Viva La France”
Value Based
The Last lesson as name itself suggests that if something would be last in our life then how
impactful it could be in our life. The chapter shows us the importance of being resolute
towards our work and actions, which we often delay to perform in future. A question has
been raised that if we often delay our work then are we going to get time for doing it
worthwhile?
The story also highlights the deep influence of war on a country and the
imposition of slavery on a country and in terms on making them a slave mentally how their
own language is insulted and another language is imposed. The story has a regretful
narrative of little Franz who was a student of M.Hamel and when he comes to know about
the last lesson in the class which will be given by his teacher M.Hamel on French language,
he could hardly believe that fact. That time, he regretted to delay his lessons when he must
have studied them. The lesson also conveys us the brutality of Franco-German war where
Germans conquered the country and imposed their language on Alsace and Lorraine.