Brahmastra

Syllabus
Prose :
• The Last Lesson
• Lost Spring Poetry :
• Deep Water
• The Rattrap • My Mother at Sixty-Six
• Indigo • Keeping Quiet
• Poets and Pancakes • A Thing of Beauty
• The Interview • A Roadside Stand
• Going Places • Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers
The Last Lesson

Chapter – 1 | Flamingo
“The Last Lesson”,
beautifully brings out the
human tendency to
postpone the learning of
things (Procrastination)
feeling there is plenty of Alphonse Daudet (France)
time to do so but they
don’t realize when the
doomsday will come and
bring an end to our
hopes and aspirations.
Complete Chapter’s Summary
Franz is Reluctant to go to School :
Franz had started for school very late
that morning. He was afraid of a
scolding from French teacher, M
Hamel who had announced that he
would question the class on participles
(Formed from a verb which can be
used as adjective).

As a result, Franz thought of running

away and spending the day outside.
But, he hurried to school. On his way
to school, Franz passed the town hall
and noticed a crowd in front of the
bulletin board.
Unusual atmosphere at
School :

When Franz reached the

school, he was very surprised
to find that everything was
quiet.
Franz noticed that all of his
classmates were already in
their seats and M Hamel was
walking up and down with his
iron ruler under his arm.
Unusual atmosphere at
School :
Instead of scolding him, M
Hamel spoke very kindly to him
and told him to take his seat.
After Franz had calmed down,
he noticed that M Hamel was
wearing a special attire, which
he wore only on special
occasions.
He was surprised to see the
village people sitting quietly on
the back benches. They all
looked very sad.
The Order from Berlin M.
Hamel mounted on his chair
and made an announcement
in a serious yet gentle tone.

He told the class that it was

their last French lesson. The
order had come from Berlin
to teach only German in the
schools of Alsace and
Lorraine and he would be
leaving the school the next
day.
These words were a shock to little
Franz. Now he remembered the
gathering at the town hall.

He regretted of not having learnt his

lessons when there was still time.

The thought that M Hamel was going

away and Franz would never see him
again, made him forget all about how
cranky his teacher was.
Franz was feeling very sorry for him.
He realised that it was in honour of
his ‘last lesson’ that he had put on
his fine clothes.

The village people had gathered

there to express their gratitude
towards him, and to show their
respect for their country and their
language.
M Hamel Criticizes Himself and the
People of Alsace While Franz was
thinking of all this, he was called out
to recite the rules of participles. Franz
wanted to recite the participles but he
couldn’t.

He stood at his desk embarrassed and

expected a scolding. However, M.
Hamel did not scold him. In fact, he
blamed the parents and himself for
not prioritizing learning and putting it
off for money or some other things.
Importance of Mother Tongue :

M. Hamel then talked about the

French language. He called it
the most beautiful, the clearest
and the most logical language
in the world.

He told the villagers that they

must guard their language. They
should never forget it because
as long as they have their
language, they have a key to
their prison.
The Last Lesson :
After telling this, M Hamel opened a
grammar book and taught them their
last lesson. Franz was amazed to see
how well he understood everything.
After that they had a lesson in writing.
That day, they wrote in new notebooks
with sincerity like never before. After a
while, Franz noticed M Hamel.

He was sitting motionless on his chair

and was looking around everything.
It was like he wanted to imprint the
classroom and the garden where he
had spent forty years of his life,
teaching.
The Final Good Bye :

Even though M. Hamel was

overwhelmed with emotion, he listened
every lesson patiently and courageously.
With him, everyone else in the
classroom also got emotional. Finally, as
the church-clock struck twelve, M
Hamel stood up.

He tried to speak, but couldn’t. So, he

turned to the blackboard and wrote as
large as he could ‘Vive La France!’
meaning ‘long live France’. He then
dismissed the class, signalling
everyone to leave.
Expected
Questions
1. At the end of the story, ‘The Last Lesson’, M.
Hamel turned to the blackboard, took a piece of
chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote
as large as he could — “Vive La France!”
Why is this action significant to the story?

A. It shows M. Hamel's determination to never give

up on his profession.
B. It shows M. Hamel's attempt at preserving his
culture through language
C. It shows M. Hamel's intention to disobey the
orders of the Prussian soldiers.
D. It shows M. Hamel's effort to cheer up the
students who were sad to see him go.
2. The villagers were attending M.
Hamel's lecture as they felt __________
for __________.

A. responsible; M. Hamel having to

leave his job
B. resentment; M. Hamel giving up his
job so easily
C. guilty; not having learned their own
language properly.
D. ashamed; not appreciating Hamel’s
efforts in teaching them
3. In 'The Last Lesson', which of these would
most likely NOT be M Hamel's thought on
the day of the last lesson?

A. "If only these students had realised the

importance of their language earlier."
B. "Why do they seem so unaffected, do they
not know what has happened yet?" .
C. "I can't teach them French anymore, let
me at least tell them the importance of
holding on to our language."
D. "Perhaps I should have been more
considerate with these children, maybe
they would have learned better."
4. In 'The Last Lesson', M Hamel's decision to wear his
special outfit can be best described as __________.

A. an act of passive resistance against the Prussian

army
B. an attempt to invoke optimism in the minds of his
students
C. a symbolic gesture to emphasise the importance
of the day.
D. a mere coincidence that it coincided with the day
of the French loss
5. Based on the extract, we can
deduce that M. Hamel was __________
teacher.

A. a thoughtful but strict.

B. a humorous but proud
C. an eccentric but punctual
D. an unconventional but sincere
6. Select the option that shows the correct
relationship between (1) and (2).

(1) M Hamel says, "Go to your place quickly, little

Franz. We were beginning without you."
(2) M Hamel has given up all hope of motivating
Franz to be better.

A. (1) is the result of (2).

B. (1) is the cause of (2).
C. (1) is true but (2) is false
D. (1) and (2) are independent events.
7. Based on the extract given below from 'The Last Lesson',
state whether each statement is true or false with a
justification.

Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking
birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had
seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my
grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now
that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he
was going away, that I should never see him again, made me
forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.

1. Finding out that it was M. Hamel's last day changed the

narrator's feelings about him.

2. M. Hamel was a dedicated teacher who did not punish his

students.
1. True. The narrator mentions that the thought of not
seeing M. Hamel ever again made him forget how
much he actually disliked him.

2. False. M. Hamel would carry his ruler to class which

implies that he would use it to beat or punish
students.
8. ...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.

Do you agree or disagree with the above statement from 'The

Last Lesson'? Support your opinion in 40–50 words with a
reason that is factual or based on your experiences.

Ans. I disagree with the given statement. I think if people are enslaved,
they need a lot more than preservation of their language in order to be
free. For instance, during Apartheid in South Africa, non-white people
only got freedom and equality when a democratic government was
formed and new laws were enacted.
9. Comment on regret as a theme with any two examples
from the story 'The Last Lesson'. In the examples, do you
think the characters' regret is justified? Explain in 120–
150 words.

The theme of regret runs through the story 'The Last Lesson'.
When Franz enters the classroom, he notices the elders from his
village sitting in the class. The villagers regret not learning their
language well enough and are now afraid of losing their identity
as Frenchmen. Franz is distressed as well and feels regret for
not taking his French lessons seriously. He wishes that he could
get another chance to learn the language. On the day of the last
lesson, everyone is sad.
I don't think the regret is justified. No one could have predicted
how things would turn out and it is not correct to blame oneself
for little things in the past.
Sample Paper
Questions

[ 2024 ]
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be
heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons
repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to
understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table.
But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to
my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had
to be as quiet as Sunday morning. Through the window I saw my
classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up and
down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. I had to open the door
and go in before everybody. You can imagine how I blushed and how
frightened I was.

i. List any two sensory details present in this extract.

ii. Why does the protagonist feel anxious about entering the
classroom on this particular day?
A. The classmates have started the lesson.
B. The teacher is in a bad mood Sensory : provide descriptions for the
C. The classroom is too quiet reader that engage one or more of their five
D. The protagonist is running late senses (smell, sight, touch, taste, sound)
iii Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "as quiet as Sunday morning" suggests that
____________.
the school was unusually quiet and still, as if it were a day of rest / holiday/
school off, rather than a bustling school day

iv. Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that this
was not the protagonist’s first time being late to school.

v. What does the term 'terrible iron ruler' indicate about M. Hamel?

vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea
of the extract?
A. The Fears of a Latecomer
B. The Importance of Punctuality.
C. The Rigidity of the School System
D. The Anxiety of a Young Student
Previous Year
Questions

[ 2023 & 2022 ]

Q1. When do the residents of Alsace
realise how precious their language is to
them? [2023]
 Thank-You
Like | SHARE | Recommend

[Link]/APpedia