The Last Lesson

MEANINGS:-
(i) in great dread of: a feeling of great fear about something that might or will happen in future (for
instance here—scolding by his teacher).
(ii) counted on : to trust somebody to do something or to be sure that something will happen.
(iii) thumbed at the edges : to touch something with your thumb or thumbs, for instance here the
edges of the old primer.
(iv) in unison : to do or say something at the same time (here repeating the lesson at the same time).
(v) a great bustle : extremely busy and noisy activity, (for instance here tumult before opening of the
school).
(vi) reproach ourselves with : to blame or criticise somebody for something that they have done or
not done, because you are disappointed in them.

Question :
1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day ?
2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day ?
3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board ?
Answer:
1. Franz was expected to be prepared with lesson on participles because his teacher M. Hamel had
said that he would ask them questions about it.
2. Usually there used to be a great hustle and bustle and noise. But that day Franz noticed that it was
all so still, calm and quiet.
3. It was put up on the bulletin-board by Germans that only German could be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine in France.

Question 1.
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day ?
Answer :
The order from Berlin was that only German language would be taught in the schools of Aslace and
Lorraine in France. These two districts had passed into Prussian hands. It was the last day of the
French teacher M. Hamel in the school. French will no more be taught in the school. So M. Hamel
was leaving the school next day. M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes. The old men of the
village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was their way of thanking M. Hamel for his forty
years of faithful service. The children now taught the French language and the books written in that
language as old friends.

Question 2.
How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change ?
Answer:
Franz felt sorry for not learning his lessons in French any more. His books that had seemed such a
nuisance a short while ago, which he found so heavy to carry seemed to him old friends now that he
could not give up. Franz’s feelings about his French teacher M. Hamel also were changed. The idea
that he was going away, that he (Franz) should never see him again, made Franz forget all about his
teacher’s ruler and how cranky or slightly eccentric he was.

Question 3.
The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows
you this ? Why does this happen ?
Answer:
In the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. In this
story the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had been passed in Prussian hands. There was an
order from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. When the
French master M. Hamel announced that it was their last French lesson and he was leaving, these
words came as a peal of thunder. Franz and others felt sorry for not learning their lessons in French.
His books like French grammar and history of the saints which seemed a nuisance, a short while ago,
looked like old friends now that he could not give up. The old men of the village sitting there in the
back of the room had felt sorry about it. The people realised that they must protect the French
language – the most beautiful language of the world, the clearest and most logical. The feeling that
they would be deprived of learning French made them suddenly realise that how precious their
language was to them.

Question 4.
Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons”? What could this
mean ? (There could be more than one answer).
Answer:
The order from Berlin that only German language would be taught in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine in France had a severe reaction from the people. Though they could not express their
grudge openly, yet even little boy Franz felt, “Will they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons” ? When they were having a lesson in writing, there was pindrop silence. Once some beetles
flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not even the littlest ones, who worked right on tracing
their fish-hooks, as if that was French too. Then on the roof the pigeons cooled very low and little
Franz thought that would they make them sing in German, even the [Link] shows that though the
human beings could be forced to learn a language which is not their own language, yet the birds are
free from such pressures. They cannot be forced to sing in a particular way. That way birds are more
free than the helpless human beings.

The Last Lesson Talking about the text

Question 1.
“When the 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 ?
Answer:
When the people of a particular place or of a country are forced to be under a foreign rule, they are
deprived of the freedom they can enjoy otherwise. If the language of the conquerors is imposed on
them or they are forced to ignore or not to learn their own language, they feel enslaved or as if “they
had the key to their prison”. There are various examples in history where the conquered people had
their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them. For instance, India was
under the British rule and its states like Pondicherry and Goa were under French and Portugal rule.
Consequently, English, French and Portuguese were imposed on the people. British rulers felt that if
the education system was changed to produce clerks in India, who could write and speak English, it
would be easy to manage the day-to-day [Link] after so many years after freedom from the
British rule, English is still a link language. That explains the widespread use of English in the
countries like Australia or Canada and some African countries like South Africa.
Question 2.
What happens to a linguistic minority in a state ? How do you think they can keep their
language alive ?
For example :
Punjabis in Bangalore,
Tamillians in Mumbai,
Kannadigas in Delhi,
Gujaratis in Kolkata.
Answer:
India is a vast country where so many languages are spoken. Even in some states, more than one
vernacular language is spoken. Each and every individual, in a free country, has a fundamental right
to speak or write one’s language or mother tongue. But the problem arises when there is a linguistic
minority in a state of a country or when the people of a particular country live in other countries. In
such cases, the major problem is how the people can keep their language alive. For example, how
Punjabis living in Bangalore or Tamilians living in Mumbai or Kannadigas living in Delhi or Gujaratis
living in Kolkata can keep their mother languages alive. They can do so by teaching their children
their mother tongue or at least speaking to their children in their mother tongues as far as possible.

Question 3.
Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far ? Do you know what “linguistic
chauvinism” means ?
Answer:
One is deeply attached with one’s mother tongue as one is attached with one’s mother. But it is not
possible in this global world to confine oneself to his or her mother tongue only. So, it is not possible
to carry pride in one’s language too far. Chauvinism is an aggressive and unreasonable belief that our
own country or our own language is better than all [Link], ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means that one’s
own language is better than all others. Our mother tongue is usually and mostly spoken in our own
region or area. As such we can’t communicate with most of the people if we don’t learn other
languages in addition to our own mother tongue. Under British rule, a large number of Indians had to
learn how to write and speak in English. Our knowledge of English opened doors to know many
modern concepts, which was not possible otherwise. In the present times, there are many more
BPO’s or call centres in India than in countries like China and Russia, who confined to Chinese and
Russian. Not only in most parts of the world, the knowledge of English has been beneficial for Indians
to communicate outside as well as in their own country. Thus in the present times, it is not possible to
carry pride in one’s language too far.

Summary -

Key Plot Point

Franz’s Reluctance: The story is narrated by a young schoolboy named Franz. He starts his day
dreading school because he is unprepared for a test on participles and is tempted to skip class to
enjoy the pleasant weather.

A Strange Atmosphere: As he reaches the school, he notices an unusual silence. Instead of the
usual morning clamor, it is as quiet as a Sunday morning. He sees the town elders sitting on the back
benches—a sight that makes him feel uneasy.
The Announcement: M. Hamel, the French teacher, wears his formal ceremonial dress. He calmly
announces that this is their final French lesson, as an order has come from Berlin to teach only
German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

Franz’s Realization: Franz is stunned. He suddenly realizes the importance of the language he had
previously ignored and feels deep regret for wasting his time. He understands why the elders are
present: they are there to pay respects to the language and to thank M. Hamel for forty years of
faithful service.

The Final Lesson: Despite his lack of preparation, Franz listens to the lesson with newfound focus.
He is amazed at how easy everything seems when he truly pays attention. M. Hamel explains the
importance of French, describing it as the "most beautiful, the clearest, and the most logical language
in the world," and emphasizes that for a nation that becomes enslaved, their language is the "key to
their prison."

A Somber Farewell: As the church clock strikes twelve, Prussian soldiers appear outside for the drill.
M. Hamel is overcome with emotion; he stands up, unable to speak, and writes "Vive La France!"
(Long live France!) on the blackboard before dismissing the class with a gesture.

Character sketch:- [Link]

M. Hamel is the central figure of the story, representing dedication, patriotism, and the pain of
displacement.

A Disciplinarian with a Hidden Heart: Initially, M. Hamel appears as a stern and strict teacher.
Franz recalls his "terrible iron ruler" and his reputation for being cranky. However, as the final lesson
progresses, we see his softer, more vulnerable side.

Deep Passion for Language: He is a true linguist who holds the French language in the highest
regard. He calls it the "clearest and most logical" language, urging his students to guard it as their
identity.

Patriotic and Resilient: His decision to wear his formal Sunday clothes on his last day—clothes he
only wore on prize days or inspections—shows his immense respect for the profession and his
country. His final act of writing "Vive La France!" on the blackboard is a poignant testament to his
unbroken spirit.

Self-Reflective: He is not self-righteous; he blames himself for the students' lack of learning just as
much as he blames their parents and the students themselves. He acknowledges his own faults, such
as sending students on errands or giving them holidays when he wanted to go fishing.

Franz

Franz serves as the relatable, flawed protagonist through whose eyes the reader experiences the
loss of cultural identity.
Reluctant and Carefree: At the start of the story, Franz is a typical schoolboy who finds studies
boring and burdensome. He values his freedom, preferring to spend time outdoors rather than
memorizing grammar rules.

Prone to Procrastination: He represents the common tendency to delay important tasks. He

Sensitive and Observant: Despite his lack of interest in schoolwork, he is highly observant. He
notices the silence, the unusual appearance of his teacher, and the solemnity of the village elders.
His capacity for empathy grows throughout the lesson as he realizes the pain M. Hamel is
experiencing.

Transformation: The most significant aspect of Franz is his internal transformation. He evolves from
a distracted, childish student into a mature, conscious individual who finally appreciates the sanctity
of his mother tongue.