Answer the questions

While reading questions:

a.       What kind of news was usually put up on the bulletin board?

All the bad news such as the lost battles, the draft and the orders of the commanding officer were usually put up on the bulletin board.

b.      What was the usual scene when school began everyday?

When school began everyday, there was a great bustle. It could be heard out in the street. There were the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. These were the usual scene.

c.       Other than the students, who were present in the class?

The village people, old Hauser, the former mayor, the former post master, and several others were present in the class.

d.      Why did Mr. Hamel say it was the last French lesson?

The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Since the new master would come the next day, Mr. Hamel said that it was the last French lesson.

e.       What was Franz asked to tell? Was he able to answer?

Franz was asked to recite the rules of participles. No, he was not able to answer.

1.      Why did Mr. Hamel blame himself?

Mr.Hamel asked Franz to water his flowers. He gave Franz holiday when he wanted to go for fishing. Hence he blamed himself. And so he could not study French properly.

g.      What did M. Hamel say about the French language?

Mr. Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful language in the world. According to him, it was the clearest and the most logical language.

h.      How many years had M. Hamel been in the village?

M. Hamel had been in the village for forty years.

A. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences:

1.           Why did Franz dread to go to school that day?

Franz’s teacher M.Hamel told him that he was going to ask questions on participles. But Franz did not know the first word about participles. So he dreaded to go to school that day.

2.           What were the various things that tempted Franz to spend his day outdoors?

Warm and bright outdoors, chirping of the birds at the edge of the woods, and the drilling of the Prussian soldiers in the open field at the back of the saw mill were the various things that tempted Franz to spend his day outdoors.

3.           Why was the narrator not able to get to his desk without being seen?

Class had already begun. His classmates were in their places and M.Hamel was walking up and down. So the narrator was not able to get to his desk without being seen.

4.           What was Frank sorry for?

Franz was sorry for not learning his lessons.

5.           Why were the old villagers sitting in the last desk?

The old villagers were sitting in the last desk to honour and thank M.Hamel’s forty years of faithful service and showing their respect for the country.

6.           What were the thoughts of the narrator’s parents?

The narrator’s parents preferred him to work on a farm or at the mill so as to have a little more money.

7.           Why does M. Hamel say that we must guard our language?

When people are enslaved, as long as they hold their language, it is as if they had the key to their prison. M. Hamel says that we must guard our language.

8.           M. Hamel was gazing at many things. What were they?

M. Hamel was gazing at everything in that little school room.

9.           When and how did M. Hamel bid farewell to the class?

When the Church clock struck 12, M.Hamel bid farewell to the class. He wrote “Vive La France” on blockboard and told the students that the school dismissed and let them go.

B. Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words:

1.           We appreciate the value of something only when we are about to lose it. Explain this with reference to the French language and M.Hamel.

Lesson : The Last Lesson

Author : Alphonse Daudet

Theme : Importance of mother tongue - condition of France after the Franco-Prussian war.

Characters : M.Hamel, Franz, Village people 

Outlook : Mother tongue - important - people - attend the class - M.Hamel - taught - last lesson

Two districts of France, Alsace and Lorraine were taken over by the Prussians during Franco-Prussian war. The people were compelled to leam German instead of French. When they knew, French will no longer be taught to them, they realized its importance. Suddenly they developed an inclination towards learning French. The students, the village people, old Hauser, the former mayor, the former post master, and several others were present in the class. They wanted to attend the last French lesson. They eagerly brought their old form primers to leam the language. The French teacher M.Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful, clearest and logical language in the world. He advised them to guard their language. He explained the lesson with all patience. The whole class keenly learned their last French lesson. Thus they appreciate the value of their language, only when they are about to lose it. With this reference we can understand that we appreciate the value of something only when we are about to lose it.

ESSAY

• Introduction

• Late realisation

• The last lesson

• Importance of French

• Conclusion

Introduction

In this lesson ‘The Last Lesson’ the author clearly depicts the condition of France after the Franco-Prussian war. Two districts of France, Alsace and Lorraine were taken over by the Prussians. The French were compelled to learn German language.

Late realisation:

When they knew French will no longer be taught to them, then only they realized its importance. Suddenly they developed an inclination towards learning.

The last lesson:

The students, the village people, old Hauser, the former mayor, the former post master, and several others were present in the class. They wanted to attend the last French lesson. They eagerly brought their old form primers to learn the language.

Importance of French:

The French teacher M.Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful, clearest and logical language in the world. He advised them to guard their language. He explained the lesson with all patience. The whole class keenly learnt their last French lesson.

Conclusion:

Thus they appreciate the value of their language, only when they are about to lose it. With this reference we can understand that we appreciate the value of something only when we are about to lose it.

Moral: if you are late you may lose some valubles

2.           Give an account of the last day of M.Hamel in school.

Lesson : The Last Lesson

Author : Alphonse Daudet

Theme : M.Hamel’s class - Importance of mother tongue - condition of France after the Franco- Prussian war.

Characters : M.Hamel, Franz, Village people

Outlook : M.Hamel - best dress - Quiet classroom - villagers - last lesson - not scold Franz - could not speak - long live France.

The French teacher M.Hamel was dressed in his Sunday’s best. Instead of noisy classroom everything was as quiet as Sunday morning. The village people, old Hauser, the former mayor, the former post master, and several others were present in the class. They gathered there in order to honour and thank M.Hamel’s forty years faithful service and of showing their respect for the country. M.Hamel did not scold his student Franz, though he was late to the class. Franz was sorry for not learning his mother tongue properly. M.Hamel said that it was the last French lesson. M.Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful, clearest and logical language in the world. He also said that they must guard their language. At last he overcame with his emotions, he could not speak and so wrote “Vive La France” on the black board. He told the students that the school was dismissed and let them go. Thus the last lesson brought the importance of need of mother tongue in the students and the village people through M.Hamel.

ESSAY

• Introduction

• M. Hamel and his class

• Villager’s tribute

• Franz’s realization

• Hamel’s announcement

• Hamel’s emotions

• Conclusion

Introduction

In this lesson ‘The Last Lesson’ the author clearly depicts the condition of France after the Franco-Prussian war.

M. Hamel and his class:

The French teacher M.Hamel was dressed in his Sunday best. Instead of noisy classroom everything was as quiet as Sunday morning. The village people, old Hauser, the former mayor, ^rbe former post master, and several others were present in the class.

Villager’sdribute:

They gathered there in order to honour and thank M.Hamel’s forty years faithful service and of showing their respect for the country.

Franz’s realization

M.Hamel did not scold his student Franz, though he was late to the class. Franz was sorry for not learning his mother tongue properly.

Hamel’s announcement

Mr. Hamel said that it was the last French lesson. Mr. Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful, clearest and logical language in the world. He also said that they must guard their language.

Hamel’s emotions

At last he overcame with emotions could not speak and wrote “Vive La France” on the black board. He told them that the school was dismissed and let them go.

Conclusion:

The Last lesson brought the importance of need of mother tongue in the students and the village people through M.Hamel.

Moral: Never give up your mother tongue, Never lose your identity.