:: ENGLISH NOTES : CLASS : XII ::

CHAPTER : THE LAST LESSON – Alponse Daudet

Ques on Answers :
Q.1 What was the implica on of the blacksmith’s remark ?
How did Franz respond to his remark ?
Ans. The blacksmith, Wachter was among the crowd that stood
before the bulle n-board at the town hall. When he saw
Franz hurrying to school he told him not to go so fast as
there was plenty of me to reach school. His remark was
in response to the order he had read which barred the
teaching of French in schools. Franz did not understand the
implica on of his words and thought that he was probably
mocking at him.
Q.2 ‘The Last Lesson’ highlights the a tude of students and
teachers to teaching and learning. Elucidate.
Ans. ‘The Last Lesson’ e ec vely highlights the neglec ng
a tude of students and teachers towards learning. The
students, of whom Franz is a typical example were not
interested in studies. They did not make e orts to learn
and were more interested in playing truant. Franz found
the woods with the chirping birds, the Prussian soldiers
drilling behind the sawmill, searching for bird’s eggs and
sliding on the Saar, tempta ons di cult to resist. Books
seemed to be a nuisance and too heavy to carry. O en
Franz would be absolutely blank about the lessons taught
at school. M. Hamel, a representa ve of the teachers,
would send his pupils to water the plants in the garden
instead of encouraging them to learn their lessons. When
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 he wished to go shing, he would give the students a
holiday. The careless, indi erent and irresponsible a tude
of his students and teachers was responsible for the fact
that li le or no learning took place at the school. They
realized the importance of French Lessons when it was too
late and orders had come to teach only German in the
schools of Alsace and Lorraine. their a tudes changed
dras cally and M. Hamel now wanted to impart as much
learning as possible, students too wanted to absorb and
inculcate the maximum informa on.
Q.3 What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school
that day ?
Ans. M. Hamel, the French teacher had told the students that
he would ques on them about par ciples. But Franz was
absolutely blank about them. That day, as he went to the
school he was in great fear of a scolding and was strongly
tempted to play in the woods where the bird’s were
chirping or to watch the Prussian soldiers drilling in the
open eld behind the sawmill.
Q.4 What did Franz no ce that was unusual about the school
that day ?
Ans. There was none of the usual commo on at the school that
day, no sound of desks opening and closing or lessons
being repeated in chorus. Even the sound of the teacher’s
ruler rapping over the table could not be heard. It was
strangely quiet, the students were already in their places
and M. Hamel walked up and down. The teacher wore his
beau ful green coat, frilled shirt and li le embroidered
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 black silk cap which he reserved only for special occasions.
On the last benches that usually remained empty, the
village people sat quietly. There was old Hauser, the
former mayor, the former postmaster and several others.
Q.5 What had been put up on the bulle n board outside the
town hall ?
Ans. Prussia was at war with France and had conquered the
districts of Alsace and Lorraine. All the bad news for the
people of Alsace came from the bulle n-board outside the
town hall. News of the lost ba les, the dra and the orders
of the commanding o cer were put up there. That day, an
order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the
schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
Q.6 Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German even
the pigeons?” What could this mean ?
Ans. The Prussians were winning the ba les and slowly
domina ng all aspects of the life of the French. When they
ordered that only German would be taught in the schools
of Alsace and Lorraine, Franz, in his childish imagina on
wondered whether the pigeons also would be asked to
sing in German. This highlights the fact that all poli cal,
cultural and linguis c barriers are a crea on of human
beings. Nature meant all creatures to co-exist in harmony.
Q.7 The people in the story suddenly realize how precious their
language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this
happen ?
Ans. The people of Alsace learnt to cherish their language when
they were deprived of it. M. Hamel was unusually kind and
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 gentle to the students on the day of his last lesson and did
not scold Franz for being late to school. The whole school
seemed strange and solemn. Franz was shocked to learn
that French would not be taught at school any longer and
M. Hamel would leave the school next day. Suddenly he no
longer wanted to evade lessons and wished that he had
learnt them sincerely. He and the old men of the village
were sorry that they had not a ended the school more
and all cherished the last French lesson.
They sat in the classroom that day to pay a tribute to
M.Hamel for his forty years of service and to display their
loyalty towards their country. The story highlights the
intense agony of a people deprived of the right to learn
their own language. M. Hamel taught with tremendous
pa ence and the students listened carefully and
understood the lessons. M. Hamel was in a pensive mood
and seemed heart broken. The students and the elders of
the town were moved and were full of emo on. At the
end M. Hamel wrote on the board ‘Vive La France’ to
reinforce the importance of their language. This happens
because freedom and rights are taken for granted as long
as people have them.
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