Delhi Public School, Dwarka

English Assignment Class XII

Ch : THE LAST LESSON
By : Alphonse Daudet
Reference to context questions:

1) ‘I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got over
my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and
his little black silk cap…’
a) Why did the narrator jump over the bench?
b) Why was he scared?
c) Why was the teacher dressed so?
d) What else did the narrator observe?

2) When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For the
last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the
orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, “What
can be the matter now?”
a) Where was the narrator going?
b) What had happened for the last two years?
c) Why was there a crowd near the bulletin board?
d) What was the matter?

3) All at once the church clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment
the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows.
M.Hamel stood up, very pale in his chair. I never saw him look so tall.
a) What do you understand by ‘Angelus’?
b) What does the ‘trumpets of the Prussians’ signify?
c) Why was M. Hamel pale?
d) What does M. Hamel do thereafter?
Short Answer Type Questions:
1) What was the mood of the classroom when M. Hamel gave his last French lesson?
• There was absolute silence in the class and the students listened to the teacher in rapt
attention as it was their last French lesson. Even the littlest ones were not distracted
by the beetles. Everyone was sad including the village elders who had come to show
respect to their language, their teacher and their country which was no longer theirs.

2) What was Franz tempted to do instead of going to school and getting reprimanded?

• Franz was tempted to enjoy the bright warm and sunny day, watch the birds chirping
and Prussian soldiers drilling rather than going to school and being reprimanded. He
was scared of M. Hamel as he hadn’t prepared the rules of participles.
3) ‘What a thunderclap these words were to me!’ Which words shocked and surprised
little Franz?

• The announcement by M.Hamel that it was their last French lesson shocked and
surprised little Franz. The teacher told them that the orders had come from Berlin that
only German would be taught in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine and the new
master would come the next day.
4) “This is your last French lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of M.
Hamel?
• These words came as a thunderclap to Franz. He felt sorry for not learning his lessons
and wasting his time. The very idea that his teacher was leaving made him forget
about his ruler and how cranky he was. His books were no longer a burden to him.
5) Why did the village elders occupy the back benches in the classroom to attend the
last lesson delivered by M. Hamel?

• The village elders occupied the back benches in the classroom as it was their way of
thanking M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service and showing respect for their
country which was no longer theirs. They regretted not learning their language
seriously and not going to school.
6) Why was Franz not scolded for reaching school late that day?

• M. Hamel did not scold Franz for reaching the school late that day as it was their last
French lesson. He wanted to make that day special for the children as well as for
himself. He felt that it was not Franz but all the people of Alsace were at fault and
taught them with great patience.
 7) Who did Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz?
• M. Hamel believed that they all had a great deal to reproach themselves with. The
parents were to be blamed as they preferred their children to work instead of learning
so as to earn a little more money. He blamed himself for sending the children to water
his plants or giving them a holiday when he went fishing. Moreover, the people of
Alsace had a habit of putting off learning till tomorrow.

8) What was Hamel’s reaction to Franz not being able to answer a question on
participles?
• M.Hamel didn’t scold Franz for not learning the rules of participles. He felt that it was
not just his fault as they all had a great deal to reproach themselves with. Moreover,
the people of Alsace had a habit of ‘putting off learning till tomorrow’.

9) How did M. Hamel make his last lesson a special one? What did he emphasize on?
• In the honour of his last French lesson, M. Hamel was dressed in his fine Sunday
clothes which he wore on the inspection and prize days. He brought new notebooks
for the children. He taught them with such patience and didn’t scold Franz or anyone
else. He emphasized that their language was the key to their prison and they must
guard it and never forget it.

10) What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last
class. What did they mean?
• Before dismissing the last class, M Hamel turned to the blackboard and wrote the
phrase, ‘Vive La France!‘ as large as he could as he was choked with emotions and
could not speak. These words meant ‘Long Live France’, and reflect M Hamel’s great
love for his country and his deep sense of patriotism.

Long Answer type questions:

1) Describe how regretful M. Hamel and the villagers were for having neglected their
native language, French.
During ‘The Last Lesson’ everybody, including M.Hamel, Franz and the villagers were filled
with regret. M.Hamel regrets that he had not taken enough interest in teaching French by
often sending students on his personal errands like watering his flowers, besides giving them
a holiday when he wanted to go fishing. He even blamed the parents for not understanding
the importance of learning as they sent their children to work so as to earn a little extra. Franz
also regretted for not learning his lessons seriously. His old books seemed to be his old
friends which he could not give up. The villagers regretted that they did not utilise
opportunities given to them for learning French when it was possible, and that is why they
had turned up for the last lesson. It was their way of thanking M Hamel for his forty years of
faithful service and of showing respect for the country which was no longer theirs. Thus, all
of them regretted that this was his last lesson in French that they would have.
2) What changes did the narrator find in the school when the order from Berlin came?
The order from Berlin prohibited teaching of French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
Instead, German was to be taught in the schools. Franz was late for the school that day. He
noticed that the usual hustle and bustle was missing. There was no opening and closing of
desks, no repetition of lessons or no sound of striking of the teacher’s ruler on the table could
be heard. It was all very quiet and still like a Sunday morning.
Franz was further surprised because, instead of meeting an angry teacher, he was welcomed
by a kind and polite one, who was dressed in his best clothes, which he wore only on
inspection and prize days.
Also, the back benches were occupied by the village elders who never came to the school, as
they were more concerned about earning their livelihood. They had come there to pay their
respect to the teacher and his last french lesson.