TREE HOUSE HIGH SCHOOL, VIRAR (W)
ACADEMIC SESSION (2025-26)
SUBJECT - ENGLISH
GRADE: XII
Date: 13.03.2025
Chapter: The Last Lesson
INTRODUCTION: ‘The last lesson’ stresses on the importance of education and the
necessity to respect and learn one's own language. This story draws our attention to
the unfair practice of linguistic chauvinism. It refers to an unreasonable pride in one's
own language while disregarding all the other languages as inferior.
BACKGROUND OF THE STORY: The story, ‘The Last Lesson’ has been set in the
background of the Franco-Prussian war that was fought in 1870- 71 between Prussia
and France. The Prussians captured the districts of Alsace and Lorraine. New orders
were issued according to which German language was to be taught in place of
French in these two districts.
MAIN POINTS: The story covers the times when French districts of Alsace and
Lorraine were taken over by Prussia. The German language was imposed on French
people. People were deeply shattered. They realized what they had lost.
Summary
The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to
play. He dislikes studying French and hates his teacher, M. Hamel. After
overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France, Berlin has ordered that
German instead of French be taught in the schools there. It is the last day of their
French teacher, M. Hamel, who has been there for forty years. He is full of grief,
nostalgia, and patriotism. As a mark of respect for his hard work, the village men
also attend his "last lesson." They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue,
French, in their childhood.
Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French. Now,
suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that
day!
He develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel, and respects him for his
sincerity and hard work. He feels sad at leaving him and is ashamed for not being
able to recite the lesson on participles.
M. Hamel tells them that they are all at fault for not being eager enough to learn,
putting it off to the next day. He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely. His
patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most
beautiful and logical language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language,
as being close to one’s language is the key to escaping from the prison of slavery. It
will help them get away from the Germans.
They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been
defeated by the Germans because of their illiteracy. Franz feels that it is not possible
to take away one’s language from a person as it is natural to each being, may it be
“coo” to the pigeons or “French” to the Frenchmen.
Think as You Read:
1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Ans: Franz was expected to be prepared with participles in French. His teacher, M.
Hamel, had said that he would question the class on participles. And like any other
day, Franz was going to school without preparation as he had little interest in the
French language.
2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Ans: Usually there would be a great bustle of opening and closing of the desk,
lessons repeated loudly, and the teacher‘s ruler rapping on the table, but that day
was very calm and quiet, like Sunday morning. The back benches, which were
usually empty, were occupied by the village people. M. Hamel had put on his
beautiful green coat, a frilled shirt, and a little black embroidered silk cap. This was
the special ceremonial attire that he usually wore on days of inspection and prize-
giving. He was pacing up and down with a ruler under his arm.
3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
Ans: For the last two years, the bulletin board had been giving bad news about lost
battles, the draft, and the orders of the commanding officer. On that day, a notice
had been put up stating the order from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine.
4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Ans: The order from Berlin prohibited the teaching of French in the schools of Alsace
and Lorraine. Instead, German was to be taught in the schools. Franz was late for
school that day. He noticed that the hustle and bustle was missing. There was no
opening and closing of desks, no repetition of lessons, and no rapping of the
teacher’s ruler on the table could be heard. It was all very quiet and still.
Franz was further surprised because, instead of meeting an angry teacher, he was
welcomed by a kind and polite teacher who was dressed in his best clothes—a
beautiful green coat, a frilled shirt, and an embroidered silk cap, which he wore only
on inspection and prize days. The back benches were occupied by the village people
who never came to school, as they were more concerned about their livelihood. He
was further astounded to know that M. Hamel was going to teach his last lesson that
day.
5. How did Franz's feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Ans: Franz never enjoyed going to school. The news came as a shock to him, and
he was sad about this being the last French lesson that M. Hamel would teach.
Franz never liked him but grew sympathetic towards him, understanding the agony
and pain he must be going through. The idea of being separated from him forever
pained him, and he forgot about his crankiness and ruler. He wished that he would
have paid attention in the classes earlier. M. Hamel taught so lovingly that day that
even the difficult concepts appeared easy.
Understanding the Text
1. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to
them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Ans: The notice on the bulletin stated that German would be taught in all schools
instead of French. The whole village was unhappy about this order from Berlin. In
school, the regular commotion was replaced with silence. Few villagers came to
attend the class as a last tribute to Mr. Hamel for teaching their mother tongue and
their repentance for not putting enough effort into learning it. Mr. Hamel also stated
that we realise the importance of something when we lose it, and similar was the
case with their language, French.
2. Franz thinks, ―Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?
What could this mean?
Ans: Franz wondered whether the German rulers would make the pigeons on the
roof also sing in German. This question reflects the fear and anxiety of Franz about
the imposition of German on the land of France. He feared German atrocities. The
language was as natural to them as cooing is to pigeons. Robbing them of it and
forcing the learning of German on them would be not only difficult but next to
impossible. Being deprived of the learning of the mother tongue would mean the
snapping of all bonds with the mother land. The severity of German linguistic
chauvinism is shown here.
Talking about the text
1. "When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is
as if they had the key to their prison." Can you think of examples in history
where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a
language imposed on them?
Ans: Some examples of the native language taken away from its people and/or
imposition of the language of the conqueror are:
(a) Portuguese became the lingua franca of Angola.
(b) English imposed on the various Celtic people.
(c) Spanish imposed on the Basques and the Catalans.
(d) Turkish imposed on the Kurds.
2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can
keep their language alive?
For example, Punjabis in Bangalore Tamilians in Mumbai Kannadigas in Delhi
Gujaratis in Kolkata
Ans: A linguistic minority doesn’t have much liberty to propagate their language.
They often have to learn the language of the majority of speakers so that they can
blend in and be accepted in society. Language becomes a barrier to communication
because of this and blocks interaction. This makes a universal language like English
quite popular. The language represents the culture of an individual and must be
respected and accepted. It allows an individual to be more authentic and keeps them
alive and happy from within.
3. Is it possible to carry pride in one's language too far? Do you know what
'linguistic chauvinism' means?
Ans: Yes, it is surely possible to carry pride in one's language too far if one is fond of
one's own language at the expense of others. Indifference towards other languages
is not healthy for any democracy like India. When the sense of belonging to one's
own language crosses the thin line between "pride" and "proud," it becomes
linguistic chauvinism. If people feel good about their languages and traditions, they
must have tolerance for other languages too. Everybody has the right to follow the
religion and speak the language they desire. In fact, it is disparaging to distort the
names of communities; for example, Bongs for Bengalis, Gujju for Gujaratis, etc.
Extra Questions:
1. ―What a thunderclap these words were to me! What were the words that
shocked and surprised the narrator?
Ans: M. Hamel announced in the class that an order had come from Berlin to teach
only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine from the next day on. It was the
last French lesson that he would give them. The new master to teach German would
come the following day. This announcement seemed like a thunderclap to Franz. He
was left in surprise and shock to learn that a new master was going to arrive the next
day and they would learn German instead of their mother tongue.
2. Why did the villagers come to the school that day? How did they look?
Ans: The villagers knew that German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine from the next day onward. It was their last opportunity to attend French
lessons. They wanted to extend their gratitude to the teacher, M. Hamel, for his forty
years of faithful service to the school. Moreover, they wanted to pay tribute to their
mother tongue and their country. They were also expressing their patriotism and
solidarity with France. All the villagers were looking very sad that day. They all had a
feeling of guilt for not learning their mother tongue, even after getting ample
opportunity to do so for many years.
3. According to M. Hamel what were the reasons for the children not learning
French?
Ans: According to M. Hamel, the students never learned French in time. They
postponed it every time. The parents were not anxious enough to have their children
learn French. They preferred to put them to work on a farm or at the mills so as to
have a little more income. M. Hamel blamed himself for the poor performance of the
children. He himself was not quite regular and took leave whenever he needed it,
which reflected on the behaviour and studies of the students. He had often sent them
to water his plants instead of learning their lessons. Whenever he wanted to go
fishing, he gave them a holiday.
4. What did M. Hamel say about the French language? What did he ask his
people to do and why?
Ans: In his last lesson, M. Hamel told his students and the villagers that the French
language was the most beautiful language in the world—the clearest and the most
logical. He asked them to guard it amongst themselves and never forget it, because
when a people were enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language, it was as if
they had the key to their prison.
5. What happened when the church-clock struck twelve?
Ans: The moment the church clock struck twelve, everyone could hear the Angelus.
At the same moment, the trumpets of the Prussian army, returning from drill, were
sounded. M. Hamel stood up, and he wanted to say something, but his voice was
choked. He gathered his strength and wrote on the blackboard as large as he could:
"Vive la France," and dismissed the school.
6. How was the last lesson taught by M. Hamel?
Ans: M. Hamel described French as the most beautiful language in the world—the
clearest and most logical. He was teaching French with much patience that day, and
the students and villagers were listening to the lessons with much interest and
concentration. He taught grammar, writing, and history lessons. Whenever Franz
looked up from his writing, he found the teacher sitting motionless in his chair and
gazing from one thing to the next. It seemed to him that the teacher wanted to fix in
his mind everything in that little class room before leaving the school.
7. What words did M. Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last
class? What did they mean?
Ans: Before dismissing the last class, M. Hamel turned to the blackboard and wrote
the phrase "Vive la France!" as large as he could. These words meant "Long Live
France." M. Hamel’s great love for his country and his deep sense of patriotism are
shown here.
8. What in your opinion, is the main theme of the story 'The Last Lesson'? Do
you think it has a universal appeal?
Ans. The main theme of the story is the linguistic chauvinism of the proud
conquerors, who show an excessive or prejudiced support for their own language. It
also shows the pain that is inflicted on the people of a territory conquered by them by
taking away the right to study or speak their own language and making them
prisoners in their own land of birth. The story also highlights the attitudes of the
students and teachers toward learning and teaching. The theme has a universal
appeal even though the story is set in a particular village in Alsace, France, which
had passed into Prussian hands. Taking away the mother tongue from the people is
the harshest punishment.
