IDEAL INDIAN SCHOOL

The Last Lesson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BACKGROUND OF THE STORY

 The story ‘The Last Lesson’ is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871).
 The Prussian forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. Prussia then
consisted of what now are the nations of Germany, Poland and parts of Austria.
 The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into Prussian hands.
 The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of French in the schools of these two
districts.
 The French teachers were asked to leave.

THE REGION OF ALSACE

 Located in northeastern France on the border with Germany.
 For several centuries the region of Alsace has alternately been a German and a French
territory.
 A long period of French rule ended in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War.
 As the winner of the Franco-Prussian War, Germany annexed Alsace and the adjoining
region of Lorraine.
 It is at this time that the events of “The Last Lesson” unfold.

GIST OF THE LESSON

 Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not learnt participles.
 He wants to enjoy beauty of nature. The bright sunshine, the birds chirping in the
woods, Prussian soldiers drilling but resisted.
 Bulletin board: all bad news, lost battles, the drafts and orders of the commanding
officers: wondered what it could be now
 The changes he noticed in the school.
 Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as quiet as Sunday morning
 The teacher does not scold him and told him very kindly to go to his seat
 The teacher dressed in his Sunday best.
 Villagers occupying the last benches
 To pay tribute to M. Hamel for his 40 years of sincere service and also to express their
solidarity with France.
 Hamel making the announcement that would be the last French lesson; realizes that,
that was what was put up on the bulletin board.
 Franz realizes that he does not know his own mother tongue
 Regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.
 Also realizes the reason why teacher was dressed in his Sunday best and villagers
sitting at the back.
 Hamel realizes that all three, the children, the parents and he himself are to be blamed
for losing respect and regard for the mother tongue.
 Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the key to the prison of
slavery.
 Atmosphere in class: teacher teaching sincerely and patiently, students and others
studying with utmost sincerity.
 Franz wonders sarcastically if Prussians could force pigeons to coo in German.
 M. Hamel overcome with emotions could not speak and wrote on the black board “Long
Live France”.

I. Text book questions

Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Q2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?

Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?

Q4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

Q5. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Q6. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What
shows you this? Why does this happen?

Q7. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?’ What could this
mean?

II. Short Answer type questions (attempt any 10 questions)

1. What fear did little Franz have when he started for school in the morning? (solved)

Ans. Franz was late for school that morning. He feared that the teacher would scold him. It was
because the teacher was to ask questions on participles. But Franz did not know a word about
participles.

2. What was the mood in the classroom when M. Hamel gave his last French lesson? (Delhi
2009)
3. What had the narrator counted on to enter the school, unnoticed? (Delhi 2010)
4. “This is your last French lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of M. Hamel?
(Delhi 2010)
5. “What a thunder clap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and
surprised little Franz? (Delhi 2010)
6. What changes came over little Franz after he heard M. Hamel’s announcement? (All
India 2010)
7. What was tempting Franz to keep away from school that morning’? (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
8. What was unusual about M. Hamel’s dress and behaviour on the day of his last French
lesson? (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
9. Why had the bulletin-board become a centre of attention during the last two years?
(Comptt. All India 2010)
10. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for the school that day? (Delhi 2011)
11. What had been put up on the bulletin board? (Delhi 2011)
12. Who did M.Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz?
(Delhi 2011)
13. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What does this
tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen? (All India 2011)
14. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” – Which were the words that shocked and
surprised Franz? (All India 2011)
15. “What announcement did M. Hamel make? What was the impact of this on Franz? (All
India 2011)
16. Why did M. Hamel write ‘Vive La France’ on the blackboard? (Delhi 2015 )
17. “We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with”, said M. Hamel. Comment. (Delhi
2015)
18. How did the order from Berlin change the situation in the school? (All India 2015)
 19. Whom did M.Hamel blame for Franz’s inability to answer his questions? (Comptt. Delhi
2015)
20. How did M.Hamel display his love for the French language? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
21. What was the bulletin board news that caused a change in the school? (Comptt. All India
2015)
22. Who were sitting on the backbenches on the day of the last lesson? Why? (Comptt. All
India 2016)
23. Why were people standing in front of the bulletin board in ‘The Last Lesson’? Why did
Franz not join the crowd? (Comptt. All India 2016)
24. Why did Franz not want to go to school that day? (Delhi 2016)
25. Why was Franz not scolded for reaching the school late that day? (Delhi 2016)
26. What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day? (Delhi 2016)
III. Long Answer type ( Attempt all questions)
1. Franz’s attitude towards school as well as towards M. Hamel changes when he
comes to know about the take over of his village by PrussiAns. Do you agree?
Discuss with reference to ‘The Last Lesson.’ (solved)
Ans. Franz’s wants to enjoy outside as he has not learnt the lesson of participles. The teacher
will test the students on that day. He thinks of spending the glorious day outdoors in more
pleasurable manner but finally decides to go to school. On arriving at school he is met with an
unusual silence and a strange sight. The Last benches, which were always empty, are occupied
by village elders who look grim and solemn.
Franz is shocked to learn that this is to be the Last lesson on French. He suddenly realizes that he
hardly knows the language, and that he can’t write well enough in the language. He is overcome
with intense regret and remorse for not attending school, for taking the French language granted,
and for spending his time in trivial pursuits, when he should have been in school. Franz also
realized that suddenly he did understand the grammar that M. Hamel was explaining and
wondered why he had not been attentive earlier. He was filled with unbidden and new found
appreciation for his teacher and for his school.

2. Political enslavement leads to an identity crisis. Discuss with reference to the Last
Lesson.
3. Do you think either the students or the teacher sincere in their task till the day of the last
lesson? Substantiate with evidence from the text?
4. ‘When you have sight you never realize the value of your eyes’ how far is this true with
the story the Last lesson?
5. Franz thinks “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”
After reading the chapter, you realize that man has an intense desire to subjugate
others. You feel that in the modern world, there is a strong need for brotherhood.
Write an article in about 120-150 words for a national magazine on this.
6. ‘My Last French lesson! Why I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn anymore!
I must stop there, then!
 The problem of school dropouts and illiteracy/backwardness still plagues our country.
What qualities on the part of the administration, educationalists and youth do you
think will help to surmount this hurdle?
7. While speaking his mouth choked and wrote, ‘Vive La France’ and finally by gesture
he said: “School is dismissed – you may go.” These lines show that M Hamel was greatly
attached to his motherland, profession and mother tongue. In other words, one should be
attached to his own land, cultures and customs. But today’s Indians are drowned in the
western colours. It shows that there is need to spread awareness about the feeling of
patriotism and other related factors. Write a paragraph in about 100 to 120 words
highlighting the issue.