FLAMINGO

THE LAST LESSON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alphonse Daudet is a renowned French novelist and great short story writer. The Last Lesson is
set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) in which Prussians (German, Poland and
Austria) were triumphant and two French districts Alsace and Lorraine were captured by
Prussians. The lesson shows the brutalities of war and its adverse effects on life at school.
THEME
The lesson brings out the pain that is inflicted on the people of a territory by its conquerors by
taking away the right to study or speak their own language. It questions the irrationality and
immorality of the linguistic chauvanism that snatches away the right to one's language. This
language can unite people and it becomes the key to their freedom from enslavement.
ABOUT THE LESSON-A glance
M.Hamel is a devoted, committed and disciplinarian teacher who wants to inculcate
passion for learning French languageMother tongue
Franz is not willing to go to school as he has not learnt rules of participles.
He wants to enjoy fascinating beauty of Nature, brightness of sunshine, the birds
chirruping in the woods, Prussian soldiers (Germany, Poland and Austria) drilling.
Bulletin board always gave news of lost battles, misfortunes, the drafts and orders of the
commanding officers.
Franz noticed tremendous changes in the school;
o Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as still as Sunday morning, no hustle
and bustle in school.
o Through the window he saw that his classmates were already in their places.
o M.Hamel does not scold him and behaved softly.
o The teacher wore special dress which he used to put on Inspection and Prize days.
o Villagers including old Hauser, former Mayor and former postmaster occupied
last benches to pay tribute to M.Hamel for his forty years sincere and dedicated
service.
M.Hamel made the announcement that, German language would be taught in schools of
Alsace and Lorraine. And that would be the last French lesson and German teacher would
replace him.
Franz realizes that he hardly knew how to write his own mother tongue, and could never
learn it any more, and regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously. He wonders
sarcastically if Prussians could force pigeons to coo in German.
M.Hamel realizes that the children, the parents and he himself are to be blamed for losing
respect and regard for the mother tongue - French language.
He affirms that always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the key to the
prison of slavery.

M.Hamel advocates that French is the most beautiful, the most logical and clearest
language in world
M Hamel becomes emotional, could not speak and wrote on the black board Vive La
France which mean Long Live France.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Describe the background in which The Last Lesson of Alphonse Daudet has been set.
Ans. The Last Lesson is set in the days of Franco-Prussian war (1870-71). France was defeated
by Prussia. By an order from Berlin, German language was imposed on the French speaking
districts of Alsace and Lorraine. The lesson describes how a teacher in Alsace, M Hamel, his
students and villagers react to the shocking news.
Q2. How does M Hamel pay tribute to the French language?
Ans. M Hamel was in his finest attire for giving his last French lesson. M Hamel declared that
French was the most beautiful language of the world. It was the clearest, and the most logical of
all languages. He asked the people to guard it among themselves and never forget it. When
people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had the key to their
prison. Finally, he wrote VIVE LA FRANCE (LONG LIVE FRANCE) on the blackboard.
Q3. We have all a great deal to reproach ourselves with. Why did Mr. Hamel blame all for not
showing due attention and care to the learning of French?
Ans. M Hamel blames the children and the people of Alsace as well as himself for neglecting the
learning of their native language, French. Many of them could neither speak nor write their own
language. He blames the children for procrastinating the learning. He blames parents as they
were not anxious enough to have their children learn. They preferred to put them to work on a
farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. He blames himself as he used to send the
children to water his plants during the time of learning lessons and give them holiday whenever
he wanted to go for fishing.
Q4. How did the people realize the preciousness of the language?
Ans. The new shocking order from Berlin, that German is to be taught in the schools of French
districts of Alsace and Lorraine, makes people suddenly realize how precious their language is to
them. The man who makes them aware of the greatness of their language is M.Hamel, the French
teacher. He arouses their hidden love and patriotic feelings for their beautiful language in his last
lesson.
Q5. What changes came over little Franz after he heard M Hamels announcement?
Ans. After hearing the announcement, Franz regretted for not learning his lessons and being
deprived of the opportunity to learn his own mother tongue. He felt remorse at having wasted his
time in searching for bird's eggs and sliding on the Saar. His books suddenly became his old
friends whom he could not abandon. The very thought of M Hamel going away made him forget
about his ruler and cranky nature.

Q6. Franz thinks, Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons? What could this
mean?
Ans. By the reference of making pigeons sing in German, the author wants to make it very clear
that, speaking of French was as natural to Franz as cooing to pigeons. Powerful Germans can
enslave people of Alsace and Lorraine and impose German language on French speaking people
but they cant have any authority over the natural feelings of people. Thus, the entire irrationality
and immorality of the order was brought into question. Nature, feelings and emotions cant be
governed by some superficial laws of willful people.
Q7. What message does the writer want to convey to the readers through The Last Lesson?
Ans. Alphonse Daudet had a definite message to convey to his reader. Through M Hamel, he
wants to express pride in ones language. Greatness of French language is highlighted. The
lesson arouses patriotic feelings. It makes the readers aware that they must safeguard their
language and culture because it has the power to unite and urges them to fight enslavement..
They must keep the (language and culture) alive at all cost.
Q8. Justify the title The Last Lesson.
Ans. The title is self revealing. It was certainly the last lesson that M Hamel was delivering in
French. From next day, German was to be imposed on French speaking people of Alsace and
Lorraine. M Hamel was leaving the school with heavy heart. Even the village elders had come to
listen to their last lesson in French.
Q9. What was more tempting to Franz than going to school and why?
Value points
Had not learnt rules of participles, weather was pleasant, warm and bright. Chirruping of birds
tempted him to enjoy the day, the soldiers drilling in the field were also outdoors.
Q10. What was Franzs greatest fear as he moved towards school?
Value points
Franz was scared of being scolded because he was very late for school and had not learnt rules of
participles. He did not know even the first word about them. Thus he dreaded the teachers
indignation.
Q11. What was the bad news put up on the bulletin board?
Value points
All the bad newsthe lost battles, the drafts and the orders of the commanding officer were
displayed on the notice board for the last two years. That day, the order that only German
language would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice
board which made the crowd gather there to read the news.
Q12. What change did Franz observe in the school on that day?
Value points
No noisy atmosphere, no bustle of opening and closing of the desk, no lesson repeated loudly,
that day was as quiet as Sunday morning. Students were in their places. M. Hamel spoke to Franz
in a kind tone even though he was late and he wore his Sunday clothes which he used to wear on

Inspection and Prize day. The most unusual observation was that the back benches which
remained vacant were occupied by the village people.

Q13. Why were village elders seated on back benches on that day?
Value points
Villagers occupied back benches as a tribute to the teacher who had put in forty years of sincere
service. They also expressed their regret for not learning their mother tongue when they had the
chance to learn French and expressed their patriotism and solidarity with France.
Q14. Why did M.Hamel ask his students and elderly to guard French language?
Value points
He said that French is the most beautiful language in the world- the clearest and the most
logical. He appealed them to guard it so that they can be united and fight back for their liberty.
Q15. How did M.Hamel bid farewell to his beloved students and the villagers?
Value points
To arouse patriotic feelings in his students and village elders for their mother tongue. Urged them
to safeguard it among themselves, gathered his strength and wrote on the blackboard as large as
he could Vive La France and dismissed the school.
Q16. What happened when the church clock struck 12?
Value Points
The moment the church clock struck 12 the Prussian army came to take over and M Hamel stood
up very pale and appeared tall to little Franz ( because the gravity of the situation and the respect
he inspired). He wanted to tell something but his voice choked. He gathered his strength and
wrote on the black board as large as he couldVive La France and dismissed the school.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1 Draw a Pen portrait of M.Hamel on the basis of your study of the story, The Last Lesson..
Value points
Dedicated, disciplinarian, hard task masterkept his terrible ruler under his armtransformed
after Berlins order, shockedmore soft and gentle towards his studentsnot scolded any
studentemotional and completely disturbedvillagers assembled to pay tribute to his sincere
service for forty years in the same schoolloved France deeplyconsidered French as the most
beautiful language of the world--- safeguard it and never forget it.
VALUE BASED QUESTION
Q1 Franzs feelings about M.Hamel and school changed gradually by the end of the text, though
he had a great disliking for both in the beginning of the story. It is said that first impression is the
last impression. Is it true in context of, The Last Lesson?
Write a small paragraph of about 100 words penning down your views on A person can be best
judged in his first appearance only.

Value points.
A well known dictum states that appearance are deceptive Infact, it is true that one can not be
judged in just one meeting. Actually, one or more meetings are not enough to judge a persons
personality. Every person reacts differently on different situation at different times. So it is not a
matter of single appearance to form a judgment about a person.
Now-adays every person appears to be gentle and social. No matter what their background is
ones clothes, gestures habits etc. do not define ones personality. Sometimes a life remains short
to know a person. Hence, it is not a matter of first or last impression but issue of time, needed to
know one in ones right colors.
QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE
Q1Why did M.Hamel not punish Franz even though he was late?
Q2. Why was Franz unwilling to go to school?
Q3. What announcement did M.Hamel make and what was its impact?
Q4. What do you think was written on the bulletin board?
Q5. Why did not M.Hamel get angry with Franz for being late?
Q6. What changes came over little Franz after he heard M.Hamels announcement?
Q8. Do you think that the story touches upon the brutalities of war? Explain
Q9. How does Hamel arouse patriotism in people of Alsace?
Q10. What message does the writer want to convey to the readers through the Last Lesson?

VALUE BASED QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

M.Hamel The Last Lesson says to the people of Alsace about the necessity of their mother
tongue FrenchWe must guard it among us and never forget it because people are enslaved,
as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
Mother tongue is the language of ones thoughts and ideas .Rejecting ones mother tongue is
denying ones own culture and identity . Do you think so? Write your reflections on the above
statement in the form of an article.