QUESTION BANK – CLASS XII
THE LAST LESSON – Alphonse Daudet
Summary:
The language of any country is the pride of that country. It not only defines the culture but also tells us
about the people, literature and history of the country. Language for some people is just the medium of
communication but for others it is the question of life and death.
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War (19 July
1870 – 10 May 1871) was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia.
Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German
states of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria. The complete Prussian and German victory brought about the
final unification of Germany under King Wilhelm I of Prussia. It also marked the downfall of Napoleon
III and the end of the Second French Empire, which was replaced by the French Third Republic. As
part of the settlement, the territory of Alsace-Lorraine was taken by Prussia to become a part of Germany,
which would retain until the end of World War I.
'The Last Lesson' very prominently raises the question of linguistic and cultural hegemony of the
colonial and imperial powers and their lust for controlling the world and influencing their cultures
and identities.
The Last Lesson raises the burning question very innocently through the words of little Franz that "Will
they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?" This raises the question of immorality of imposing
imperial languages and cultures on the colonies. The child questions that when even the birds and
animals can't be forced to abandon their language and speak others, then what forces the man to think that
it would be prudent to force other human beings to accept any language other than theirs.
The language of a country is not only a medium of communication for the people but also the link
for identity, once the native language is snatched away from the people. It's not only the loss of
convenient communicating medium but also the loss of identity for people for what they have been
and what they might become.
When a small child like Franz can think of the irrationality behind snatching away the right of
language and identity from people then why can't the war lords and colonizers understand the
fact?
Sumary – Brief Notes
Franz Notices Changes
• Crowd gathered
• School quiet
– No sound of desks, lessons, teacher’s ruler.
M. Hamel
– didn’t scold/spoke kindly
– wearing green coat, frilled shirt, black silk cap.
– announced last lesson in French, German to be taught
• Villagers, Hauser, postmaster, others – On back benches.
Franz’s reaction to last lesson in French
• Shocked, realized deficiency in language, wished-not wasted time.
• felt sorry, repented for wasting time.
• appreciated [Link], accepted him with his faults.
• wanted to impress [Link] with knowledge of French.
• Understands presence of villagers
– to thank master
– to show solidarity for country
– repenting for not attending school
M. Hamel made the class realize
• reluctance to learn, postponing learning
• parents sending them to work
• himself sent to water plants
• all to blame for situation
• too late to make amends
• no time to make up for lost time
• Germans will laugh at inability to speak French.
Main Characters
1. M. Hamel
• Sincere French teacher
– knows subject well
• Passionate about French
– considers French-clearest, most beautiful, logical
– feels-key to person’s sense of freedom
– advises to hold on to French
• Proud of being French
– upset by occupation of Alsace by Germans
- attached to town, school, people.
• Hard Task Master
– particular about discipline and learning
– students scared
– last day - exercises on all aspects of language
• Sensitive, Honest
– blames himself for selfishness
– emotional by sound of Prussian soldiers
2. Franz
• Sensitive, Honest
– Blames himself for ignoring lessons
– Wonders if pigeons will coo in German
– Understands feelings of Hauser
• Loves outdoors
– Sunshine, birds, butterflies, collecting bird’s eggs.
• As a student
– repents, good observer, notices changes.
• Empathizes with M. Hamel
– Understands emotions, accepts him with faults
Solved Answers: ( Short answer questions )
[Link] change was noticed by Franz in his French teacher while teaching his last lesson?
Ans. [Link] – a perfect and ideal teacher. His tone becomes gentle and polite. As a true patriot-calls
upon the people to shake off their habit of procrastinating to safeguard their language- the most beautiful
language in the world.
2. How did Franz’s feelings about [Link] and school change?
Ans. Order from Berlin-that only German would be taught in schools-aroused sense of patriotism in
Franzquite suddenly he developed a strange fascination for his school and the French language- his books
which were earlier a burden to him were ‘old friends now’- also developed a certain respect for
[Link]- the fact that he would not teach them any more, made Franz forget how cranky he was.
3. What is the significance of the last lesson?
Ans. The last lesson was to be delivered by the French teacher, [Link], to his students. From the next
day, learning the German language would be imposed on the people speaking French. The teacher
stressed upon the importance of the French language which he calls the most beautiful language in the
world. He tells the class to guard their language among themselves and never forget it.
4. Why was Franz tempted to play truant from school?
Ans. The French teacher M Hamel was going to ask questions on participles which Franz had not
prepared. To avoid being scolded he was tempted to play truant from school and spend the day out doors
in a pleasurable manner.
5. What was unusual about the school that Franz noticed when he entered the school?
Ans. As Franz entered in school he noticed the unusual silence as if it was a Sunday morning. No noise
of lesson chanting, no noise of opening and closing of desk drawers. All students were already in class.
Teacher was wearing the special fancy dress which he would usually wear only on special occasions like
prize ceremonies etc. The back benches were occupied by the villagers
6. Why was it the last lesson? How did Franz react to it?
Ans. As the order from Berlin had come to teach German in all schools of Alsace and Lorraine there
would be no French lesson form the next day M Hamel announced in the class. The announcement was
like a thunderclap to Franz. He felt sorry for not learning French. The French books, which earlier were a
nuisance, became attractive. He felt he could not give up his French books.
7. What reasons did M Hamel give for their lack of interest in learning French?
Ans. The lack of interest in learning French was due to the parents who wanted their children to work in
the farm or mill to earn; due to the students who were reluctant to learn and often put off the lesson for
the next day and due to himself as he asked them to water the flowers and gave them off when he had to
go for fishing.
8. Why does M Hamel not want the people to forget French?
Ans. M Hamel did not want them to forget French as it is the most beautiful and logical language and as
long as they held fast to their language it would be as if they had the key to the prison.
9. Describe how M Hamel conducted the last lesson.
Ans. In his last French class though M Hamel was emotional he fully involved himself in the teaching
learning process. He heard every lesson to the last , sitting motionless in the chair. When the church bell
struck twelve he stood up pale and wrote ‘Vive La French’ and with a gesture he communicated that the
school was dismissed.
10. Describe the impact of the notice on Franz, M. Hamel and the senior villagers?
Ans. The notice affected everybody deeply. Franz thought why he had wasted his time on leisure
activities instead of learning his own language. The books which would seem to him as a burden now
seemed to be old friends to him. H. Hamel was feeling guilty for sending his students for his personal
tasks. Villagers were feeling guilty for not having sent their children to school.
Solved answer: (Long answer question )
11. Write a brief character sketch of M. Hamel?
Ans. M. Hamel was taken as a strict teacher. Students were afraid of his iron ruler. He was a very
sincere and dedicated teacher who served for forty long years in his service as a teacher to the village in
Alsace. When he got the notice to vacate his place to make space for the new German teacher, he was
totally broken. He remained sad and nostalgic during his final class as he loved his country very much.
This changed his behavior; he behaved rather very politely and patiently. When Franz was not able to
say his lesson correctly, instead of scolding him he just made him understand the relevance of learning
the mother tongue. He preached to everyone present in the class that important things should never been
postponed. He regretted the fact that learning of French was never given any importance
12. Franz thinks, “ Will they make them sing in German , even the pigeons?”. Comment.
Ans. The Last Lesson is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War. It depicts how , after defeating
France in the War, the Prussians wanted to take over not only the French territory but also rule over the
minds of the people of France. So an order received from Berlin declared that the French language was
no longer to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine and was to be replaced by the German
language. This news came as a shock to the French people. Franz , too, felt extremely sad at being
deprived of learning his own language. He wondered at such tyranny where man tried to enslave the
minds of other men after capturing their territories. During his last French lesson , when Franz hears the
pigeons cooing, he wonders if they too would be forced by the Prussians to sing in German. He fails to
see any reason for man’s domination over man where, if given a choice, man would not hesitate to master
his control even over the forces of nature and its beings.
13. What do you think is the theme of the story ‘The Last Lesson’? What is the reason behind its
universal appeal?
Ans. The lesson highlights the human tendency to postpone the learning of things because one feels there
is plenty of time to do so. One does not realize that each day brings with it changing circumstances that
change life for better or for worse. The writer also asks the reader to value time, freedom and peace. One
never knows what a new dawn would bring with it that might end our hopes and aspirations. Through the
narrator, the author urges the reader to respect his country, its people, its culture and specially its
language for ‘it has the key to their freedom.
The people of Alsace always thought they had plenty of time to learn their lessons; therefore, they did not
give much importance to school. They preferred their children to work on the farms and mills instead of
having them learn the lessons. Even Franz always looked for opportunities to skip school and collect
birds eggs.
However, the unexpected happens and an order is received from Berlin regarding compulsory teaching
of German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. It is then that they realize that they would be deprived
of what they had been evading all this while.
The story is aptly titled as it evokes the consciousness in the reader not to put off things and do what one
can do that day.
14. The story ‘The Last Lesson’ is all about ‘linguistic chauvinism’. Comment.
Ans. Man was born free but he has bound himself everywhere in chains – the chains of communism,
regionalism, nationalities and even linguistic confinements. War and battles for acquiring power became
a part of his nature. His desire to rule and become the lord of the world, made him selfish and self-
centred.
The story ‘The Last Lesson’ is all about linguistic chauvinism. Acquisition of power over the Alsacians
made the Prussians so domineering that they imposed even their language on them. Their pride in their
language was so fixed that there was no scope of respecting and accepting the language of others. Their
rulers wanted to dominate even their minds and hearts and wanted them to even think in their language,
thereby causing the loss of their identity. The story thus highlights linguistic chauvinism which is
becoming a major cause of wars and political disturbance in the world.
15. ‘When a people are enslaved , as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the
key to the prison’. Explain.
Ans. Political enslavement is a curse for any nation as it deprives it of its identity. The natives of the
country do not enjoy any kind of freedom, physical or mental. The ruling government dictates its own
terms and compels them to abide by these rules. The enslaved natives become victims of a confined life
with no hope of ever being free in their motherland. At such times of enslavement, it is their language
which keeps their identity alive. It unites them against the foreigners who have invaded their motherland.
Their language is the key to their prison as it binds them together. It constantly reminds them of their
enslavement and thus urges them to fight for the liberation of their motherland. Here [Link] reminded
his countrymen to safeguard their language after they received orders from Berlin. He knew that his
countrymen could liberate themselves only if they recognized and maintained their identity through their
mother tongue. Thus even though it was their last lesson, [Link] wanted them to be proud of the
beautiful French language.
Value Based Questions:
16. ‘Then he turned to the blackboard , took a piece of chalk and, bearing on with all his might,
wrote as large as he could-Vive La France!’ Abraham Lincoln, a former President of America said,
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man so that his place will be
proud of him.” After reading the lesson and the above quote you begin to reflect on the lost spirit of
patriotism amongst the youth in India due to which there’s no respect for one’s countrymen and no
determination amongst the youth to lead the country to a better future.
Write an article in about 100 words for a national magazine on the need for revival of patriotic
spirit amongst the youth in India.
Value Points:
Country’s youth value starved-facing a total crisis
Violence, separations and inter group conflicts, political apathy-order of the day
Secured freedom but not utilized in its true perspective
Time for young people to wake up and create their own identity
Need for good leadership and good governance
Need to inculcate the spirit of nationalism along with humanity in children from the beginning
17. The people of Alsace did not understand the importance of learning their language – French.
Emphasize upon the importance and need of learning one’s native language. Discuss what values
are revealed when one sets upon learning one’s native language.
Value Points:
Impact of Western culture-importance of one’s native language-taken a back seat
One’s native language-repository of culture, identity and way of living
Cause of pride
Knowing one’s native language gives a sense of belonging
Native language also reminiscent of one’s childhood, friends and relatives
Speaking the native language-only way to connect to one’s people and soul
18. The old people of Alsace do not realize the importance of education but when they come to
know that it was the last day of learning French, they promptly report to school, with their
elementary books. So it is an undeniable truth that it is never too late to be educated. Keeping this
in mind, write an article on ‘The need for Adult Literacy in the changing scenario of today’s
world’.
Value Points:
There’s no specific age to be literate
Adults who missed the prime time –due to lack of resources , social restrictions, ignorance-can
make use of this benefit to get educated
Literacy will save them from exploitation , impart confidence and empower them
The government and NGOs striving to increase the literacy level-several schemes
Training in basic education is the right of every citizen
‘Each One Teach One’- should spread to every corner and each segment of the society
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Be Proud of Your Mother Tongue!
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