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The Last Lesson Notes

The lesson emphasizes the significance of mother tongue in fostering unity and patriotism among people, as illustrated by M. Hamel, a French teacher, on the last day of teaching French in Alsace and Lorraine. It highlights the pain of losing one's language rights and the tendency to procrastinate learning until it's too late. The story concludes with M. Hamel's emotional farewell, underscoring the importance of one's own language for identity and existence.

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3 views3 pages

The Last Lesson Notes

The lesson emphasizes the significance of mother tongue in fostering unity and patriotism among people, as illustrated by M. Hamel, a French teacher, on the last day of teaching French in Alsace and Lorraine. It highlights the pain of losing one's language rights and the tendency to procrastinate learning until it's too late. The story concludes with M. Hamel's emotional farewell, underscoring the importance of one's own language for identity and existence.

Uploaded by

hemab401
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

1.

The last lesson


The lesson highlights the importance of mother tongue that helps the people of a country to come together
for a bigger cause. It’s human tendency to procrastinate (to postpone things for tomorrow) and realise
the importance of things when they are snatched. M. Hamel the French Language teacher ignites patriotism
among the students and refers mother tongue as a key to their freedom .

• fears that even the pigeons would have to coo in German


• understands feelings of Hauser
• a good observer, notices changes
The Last Lesson
- By Alphonse Daudet
- 1840-1897
- A French novelist and a short story writer
Main Theme:-
The pain that is inflicted on the people of a territory by its conquerors by taking away their rights
of studying or speaking in their own language. This lesson depicts the importance of one's own
language for his/her existence. It also brings out Linguistic Chauvinism.
Sub-Theme
Students’ and teachers’ attitude to teaching and learning and the habit of postponing learning.
Incidents in the Story:-
1. Teaching of French was banned in schools in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine.
2. M. Hamel in his best clothes on the last day of school.
3. A school student named Franz enters the silent class with fear and finds the villagers on the
back benches of the class.
4. M. Hamel teaches dedicatedly and explains the importance of one's own language.
5. While addressing the gathering in the end, his throat chokes and he writes on the black
board: 'Vive La France'.
6. The lesson is a fine example of love, dedication, inclination, significance of learning one's
language for existence.
MAIN POINTS OF THE LESSON:
- Little Franz Late for School
- Crowd at the Town Hall
- Unusual calm at school
- Presence of the villagers in the class
- Last Lesson declared by M. Hamel
- A sudden change in Franz's views
- Franz makes an effort to answer
- Mr. Hamel laments and reflects upon the reasons for the students’ deficiency in the
language
- M. Hamel highlighted the importance of French Language.
- M. Hamel conducts his last French lesson.
- Vive La France

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