THE LAST LESSON

Q1 Read the questions given below and choose the right answer.
1. What seemed tempting to Franz while going to school?
a. playing with the village boys
b. swimming in the river
c. enjoying open nature and the chirping of birds
d. going to a friend’s house

2. Who was Watcher?

a. Franz’s class
b. Franz’s father
c. a blacksmith
d. school gardener

3. Who among these was not there on the back benches?

a. former mayor
b. former postman
c. the headmaster
d. old Hauser

4. What came as ‘a thunderclap’ to Franz?

a. scolding by the teacher
b. Berlin order against teaching French
c. Franz’s failure in the exams
d. defeat of the French forces

5. Which of these was difficult to learn for Franz?

a. History lesson
 b. German language
c. Mathematical formulae
d. Participles

6. What is the theme of story ‘The Last Lesson’?

a. Linguistic Chauvinism
b. Patriotism
c. Courage
d. Dominance

7. What does The Last Lesson symbolize?

a. Human Loss
b. Loss of freedom
c. Loss of language
d. Loss of the province of Alsace

8. For how many years did M. Hamel serve the school?

a. 20 years
b. 35 years
c. 30 years
d. 40 years

9. Why did the villagers come to meet M. Hamel in the school?

a. to complain
b. to say goodbye
c. to gossip
d. to show gratitude

Q2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so
warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field
back of the sawmill, the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting
than the rule for participles, but I had the strength to resist and hurried off to school.

(i) Who is referred to as 'I' in the extract? Where was he? Why does he think of running
away?
Ans. In 'The Last Lesson', the narrator, a boy named Franz is referred to as 'I'. He was
on his way to school.

Franz considered running away from school because of various reasons. It was a warm,
bright day and wanted to watch the Prussian soldiers' drill. He hadn't completed his
lesson on participles. Hence, he feared being scolded by his teacher, M. Hamel.

(ii) Why does he want to spend the day outdoors? Which of his characteristic trait is
revealed from his wish?
Ans. Franz wants to spend the day outdoors because he doesn't like school and wants to
watch the Prussian soldiers' drill. He also hasn't learned the rules of participles and is
afraid of being scolded by his teacher, M. Hamel. Franz is revealed as a careless and a
lazy student.

(iii) What is the presence of the Prussian soldiers a reference to, which is revealed later
in the story? How does this presence affect the people?
Ans. The presence of Prussian soldiers symbolizes the loss of cultural identity and the
forced assimilation into German culture. The story is about the longing to learn the
mother tongue and the love for it.
This presence affects the people as it explores the importance of language and culture,
the impact of war on education, and the value of one's mother tongue.

iv) What does the narrator find more tempting than the rule for participles? Does he fall
for the temptation? What does he do?

Ans. The narrator, Franz, finds the bright day, birds chirping, and Prussian soldiers
drilling more tempting than the rules for participles. The birds and soldiers were more
interesting to him than school.
But he resists these temptations and hurries off to school.

(v) Explain briefly the characteristics of the person referred to as 'I' in the extract.

Ans. The person referred to as "I" in the extract is a young schoolboy named Franz. He
is a typical schoolboy who loves to play and have fun with his friends. He is not fond
of studying and usually gets punished for not doing his homework. He is also a bit lazy
and would rather spend time in the woods or by the river than going to class. However,
he does have a good heart and is always willing to help others. He is also very curious
and loves to learn new things.

Franz is initially reluctant to attend the last French lesson but eventually hurries to his
school. During the lesson, Franz is surprised to find that he is enjoying himself. He is
also impressed by M. Hamel's dedication to teaching and his passion for the French
language. Franz finally realizes the importance of education and the value of his
language

Q3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to
teach. only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes
tomorrow as your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.
(i) Who is addressing whom in this extract? What is the speaker telling them?
Ans. M. Hamel addresses his students in a gentle and grave tone. He tells them that the
order has been issued from Berlin and that German will be the only language taught in
the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

(ii) Why does the narrator say that it would be his last lesson? Which lesson is being
talked about?

Ans. The narrator is a student in M. Hamel's class. M. Hamel tells the students that it
will be their last French lesson because the Prussians have ordered that German will be
taught instead. The narrator is a student who has not taken his studies seriously and has
often skipped school. The village men also attend his last lesson so as to honour and
respect him. The village regrets and is sad that they did not learn their mother tongue in
their childhood. Franz receives a big shock when learns that this is his last lesson in
French. He is shocked because he has never paid attention to learning French, his
mother tongue seriously.

(iii) How did the order impact the people of Alsace?

Ans. The order had a significant impact on the people of Alsace, particularly on M
Hamel and his students. The order brought all the routine hustle-bustle of school life to
a standstill. The teacher, M. Hamel, became more sympathetic to his students and taught
his last lesson on French grammar with more patience. Even the villagers were sitting
in the class. everybody learned very attentively.

(iv) Who is referred to in the extract as the 'new master'? How would this 'new master'
affect the people of Alsace and Loraine?
Ans. The new master is the German teacher who will replace M. Hamel as the French
teacher at the school. The new master would start teaching from the next day. His
teaching may make the people of the province feel resentful towards him and the
language. They may feel nostalgic about the language they have grown up speaking and
listening.

v) Explain briefly how is "The Last Lesson' an appropriate title for the story?
Ans. The title "The Last Lesson is appropriate for the story because it is both literal and
symbolic. It refers to the fact that the story is about M. Hamel's last French lesson before
the Germans took over Alsace and banned the French language. Symbolically, the title
refers to the end of an era for the people of Alsace. The French language and culture
have been a part of their identity for centuries, and now they are being forced to give
them up. He is deeply saddened by the fact that he will no longer be able to teach his
students French, and he makes his last lesson a special one. He reminds his students of
the importance of their language and culture, and he urges them to never forget it.
During the last lesson, the teacher, as well as, all those who were attending it, were
feeling nostalgic and repentant. The story is a powerful reminder of the importance of
language and culture. It is also a reminder that even the most precious things in life can
be taken away from us in an instant. The title "The Last Lesson" is a fitting one for a
story that is both timely and timeless.

Q4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

"I won't scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad enough. See how it is! Every day we
have said to ourselves, 'Bah! I've plenty of time. I'll learn it tomorrow. And now you
see where we've come out. Ah, that's the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning
till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, 'How is it;
you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your language?"
(i) What has Franz done for which M. Hamel said he would not scold him? Why?

Ans. M. Hamel doesn't scold Franz for not learning his lessons and even though he was
late because it was the former's last day at school before the new master came the
following day. The Prussian government had forbidden the teaching of French. It was
the last French lesson that Hamel would be giving them, so he had become very sad and
sentimental about it. M. Hamel doesn't want to discourage Franz by scolding him and
instead wants to encourage him to learn as much as he can. M. Hamel emphasizes the
importance of one's mother tongue and how it always gives people a sense of freedom
and belonging even if they a

(ii) What happens to people when they do not learn their language? How does language
act as a 'key' to the prison of the enslaved?
Ans. M. Hamel implies that language is the key to escaping prison slavery. He says that
people can't break free from other cultures and languages they can't speak and hold on
to their language. The Prussians sought to remove the identity of the people of these
provinces. Hamel reminds his countrymen to protect their language after the orders to
ban French in the schools of Alsace. He says people can liberate themselves if they
recognize and maintain their identity through their mother tongue. Hamel also suggests
that language keeps people united and encourages them to fight to win their freedom
from slavery.
(iii) Why did Franz feel that he was able to clearly understand the last lesson taught by
M. Hamel quite easily? Why could he not understand it earlier?

Ans. Franz can understand the last French lesson because he pays close attention to his
teacher. He was able to understand everything about the lesson taught that day because
it was the last day when he would be studying his language, mother tongue. Franz
realizes that M. Hamel is teaching patiently as if he wants to give everything he knows
before leaving. Earlier he had not paid proper attention to the same subject, but knowing
that this would be his last lesson in the same subject he paid attention to his teacher, and
to his astonishment he understood everything.

(iv). Why did M. Hamel put extra effort into teaching the students in his last class?
Ans. The Last Lesson was intended with extra effort and sincerity as this was his last
French lesson. He wanted the students to be attentive to and give importance to their
native language. understand that M. Hamel's last lesson focused on the French language
and its praised French as the most beautiful and logical language in the world. He also
suggested that a person's native language is important even if they become slaves.
(v) Explain briefly how was M. Hamel, a patriot, wanted to instil among his students,
the love for their language and respect for their country.

Ans. M. Hamel is a patriot who wants to instil a love for the French language and respect
for the country in his students. Hamel gave his last lesson to his students with utmost
devotion and sincerity. He praised French as the most beautiful, clearest and most
logical language in the world. He emphasized the importance of one's mother tongue
and how it would always give people a sense of freedom and belonging even if they
were enslaved.