CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo The Last Lesson Alphonse Daudet Assignment Set C

About the Author

Alphonse Daudet is considered to be one of the most iconic names of French literature. Unlike many famous writers in world history, Alphonse wasn’t very well educated. He wrote his first novel at the age of fourteen. His works drew inspiration from instances of his life. His works ‘Trente ans de Paris’ and ‘Souvenirs d’un homme de letters’ seemed to be more like autobiographies. Passed away in the year 1897, his name is very popular amongst the citizens of France. A lot of educational institutions in France have been named after this famous writer. Alphonse is one of the handful writers who portray human emotions in a very realistic manner.

Theme

Dominant Theme raised in the text: Linguistic Chauvinism ‘‘Chauvinism’’ is a devotion for or against something, just based on what you feel (not necessarily what you may know). So, linguistic chauvinism is the idea that one’s language is superior to that of others. This happens generally when the language is that of the ruling class.
Linguistic chauvinism refers to the imposition of one language on others. Language is considered to be the cultural identity of the people who use it. Language is the pride of the country as it defines the cultural history.
The Last Lesson raises the burning question very innocently through the words of little Franz that ‘‘Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?’’ This raises the question of imposing a language on others. The child questions that when even the birds and animals can’t be forced to abandon their language, then what forces a man to enforce a language on others.

Justification of the Title

The story ‘The Last Lesson’ highlights the human tendency to believe that there is a plenty of time to do things; hence, man keeps postponing the lessons of life, oblivious to the fact that life is subject to change. The people of Alsace always thought they had plenty of time to learn the lessons; therefore, they did not give much importance to school. They preferred their children to work on the farms and mills instead of having them learn their lessons in school. Even Franz, the narrator, always looked for opportunities to skip school and look for birds’ nests or go sliding on the banks of the river Saar. However, the unexpected happens and an order is received from Berlin regarding the compulsory teaching of German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. It is then that the people of Alsace realise that they would be deprived of their language that they had not been valuing all this while.
The story is aptly titled as it evokes the consciousness in the reader of the consequence of putting off things. M. Hamel’s words ‘Long live France’ on the blackboard become substantial evidence of his sadness, patriotism and finality on the loss of their language, their culture and hence their identity.

Message

The story depicts the irony of the whole situation about how people feel when they don’t learn their own language.

Summary

The prose ‘The Last Lesson’, written by Alphonse Daudet describes the year 1870 when the Prussian forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. 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 story describes the last day of one such French class under M. Hamel. Mr. Hamel could no longer remain in his old school. He gave his last lesson with utmost devotion.

One of his students, Franz, who played truant with the French class and feared M. Hamel’s iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson on participles. On reaching school, he found M. Hamel dressed in his Sunday clothes and all the old people of the village sitting there. (He later learned that it was due to an order on the bulletin board.) That was when he realized for the first time how important French was for him, that it was his Last Lesson in French.

The story ‘The Last Lesson’ highlights the human tendency to procrastinate and put away things for tomorrow; hence, man keeps postponing the lessons of life, oblivious to the fact that life is subject to change. The people of Alsace always thought they had plenty of time to learn the lessons; therefore, they did not give much importance to school. They preferred sending their children to work on the farms and mills instead of having them learn the lessons. Even Franz, the narrator, always looked for opportunities to skip the school and collect birds’ eggs. However, the unexpected happened and an order was received from Berlin regarding the compulsory teaching of German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. It was then that they realized that they would be deprived of what they had been evading all that while.

The last French lesson taught by M. Hamel symbolizes the loss of language and the loss of freedom for France. It becomes an emotional lesson rendered by M. Hamel to the villagers, signifying the changing order of life and its impact on their sensibilities and emotions. The marching soldiers under the windows represent the dawn of Prussia in France, defeat of the French people and the resultant threat to their language and culture.

CHAPTER IN A NUTSHELL

1. Franz’s reluctance to reach school:
(i) was worried as he started late from home.
(ii) was apprehensive of facing his teacher, M. Hamel as he had not prepared his lesson on participles, which was to be questioned in class.
(iii) distracted by the chirping birds, warm and bright day and Prussian soldiers drilling.

2. Usual scene of the classroom:
(i) great commotion.
(ii) opening and closing of the desks.
(iii) lessons being repeated in unison.
(iv) teacher’s ruler rapping on the table.
(v) back benches were usually empty.

3. Difference on the last day of school:
(i) quiet atmosphere as on Sunday mornings.
(ii) all classmates occupying their respective places.
(iii) M. Hamel walking to and fro with his iron ruler under his arm-was formally dressedspoke to Franz in a gentle manner.
(iv) back benches were occupied by old Hauser, former mayor, former postmaster and several other villagers.

4. Response of M. Hamel and the class in the last lesson:
(i) M. Hamel taught the students without losing his temper-was patient-made special notebooks putting in extra efforts-giving his best on the last day-imparted knowledge about the importance of the mother tongue in one’s life.
(ii) Children in the class were quiet and gave a patient ear to the teacher.
(iii) Old people of the village attended the class.
(iv) Franz made a special effort to understand the lesson for he found it comfortable to grasp-was guilty of not paying attention earlier.

5. Old people of the village in the class:
(i) They were sorry that they had not gone to the school for longer.
(ii) They wanted to pay respect to the language which they would not be able to learn anymore.
(iii) They wanted to thank M. Hamel for his unflinching service to the village for the past forty years.
(iv) To show respect to the country which would not be theirs now.

6. Responsible for neglecting French:
(i) Alsace as a city was responsible for procrastinating.
(ii) Franz was responsible for delaying and avoiding the learning of the language.
(iii) Parents were responsible for they were not keen on educating their children and made them run errands.
(iv) M. Hamel blamed himself for sending Franz to water his plants or even taking an off, the day he wanted to go fishing.

7. M. Hamel on the French language:
(i) the most beautiful language in the world.
(ii) the clearest and most logical.
(iii) it had to be guarded.
(iv) it acts as a key to the prison if people are enslaved.

8. Franz on M. Hamel:
(i) Franz desperately wanted to give the
answer on participles to reassure his teacher that all his years of teachings have not been wasted.
(ii) Franz felt that M. Hamel was giving his best on the day of the last lesson as he wanted to share all his knowledge before going away.
(iii) Franz felt that his teacher was sitting motionless and was staring at things as he wanted to fix in his mind and take each memory with him from that school room where he had taught for forty years.
(iv) Franz felt that the teacher must be heartbroken for he was to leave the country the next day.
(v) Franz could well identify with the teacher’s sorrow as to what he felt on hearing his sister move boxes to pack and leave. 

9. M. Hamel as a teacher:
(i) had been teaching for forty years without wavering.
(ii) refused to give up on the last day of teaching-treated it as the most important day-was in his best fineries-had prepared copies for the children in which he had written beautifully-was ready to teach all age groups without reservation-decided to be patient and impart whatever he could even if it was the last day-stood tall to bid and accept farewell.
(iii) imparted knowledge about the importance of the mother tongue.
(iv) instilled patriotism amongst his students with his wise words.

Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow:

1. Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

Questions

(i) Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as ‘Poor man!’?
Answer: He felt sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson.

(ii) Which of the following idioms might describe the villagers’ act of attending the last lesson most accurately?
(a) ‘Too good to miss’
(b) ‘Too little, too late’
(c) ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’
(d) ‘Too cool for school’

Answer: B

(iii) Choose the option that might raise a question about M. Hamel’s “faithful service”.
(a) When Franz came late, M. Hamel told him that he was about to begin class without him.
(b) Franz mentioned how cranky M. Hamel was and his “great ruler rapping on the table”.
(c) M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers, and gave a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.
(d) M. Hamel permitted villagers to put their children “to work on a farm or at the mills” for some extra money.

Answer: C

(iv) Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following description of the given extract.
The villagers and their children sat in class, forging with their old master a (i) ............ togetherness. In that moment, the classroom stood (ii) ............ . It was France itself, and the last French lesson a desperate hope to (iii) ............ to the remnants of what they had known and taken for granted. Their own (iv) ............ .
(a) (i) graceful; (ii) still; (iii) hang on; (iv) country
(b) (i) bygone; (ii) up; (iii) keep on; (iv) education
(c) (i) beautiful; (ii) mesmerised; (iii) carry on; (iv) unity
(d) (i) forgotten; (ii) transformed; (iii) hold on; (iv) identity

Answer: D

(v) What did M. Hamel try to demonstrate in the classroom?
Answer: M. Hamel tried to show his respect for the country in the classroom.

(vi) What did his ‘fine Sunday clothes’ refer to?
(a) The clothes he wore to school.
(b) The clothes he wore for a party.
(c) The clothes he wore when he was happy.
(d) The clothes he wore on special occasions like school inspection days and to the church.

Answer: D

2. M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy!

Questions

(i) Which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel’s declaration about the French language?
(a) Subject expertise
(b) Nostalgic pride
(c) Factual accuracy
(d) Patriotic magnification

Answer: D

(iii) “I was amazed to see how well I understood it.” Select the option that does NOT explain why Franz found the grammar lesson “easy”.
(a) Franz was paying careful attention in class this time.
(b) M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his teaching.
(c) Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose to learning.
(d) Franz had realized that French was the clearest and the most logical language.

Answer: D

(iv) Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he was ............ .
(a) receptive
(b) appreciative
(c) introspective
(d) competitive

Answer: A

(v) How will you categorize M. Hamel as a teacher?
(a) Religious
(b) Patriotic
(c) Conservative
(d) Authoritative

Answer: B

(vi) Which prison does the speaker refer to in this extract?
Answer: In this extract, the speaker refers ‘prison’ as to the enslavement of the people of Alsace.

3. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves; old Hauser, with his three-cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides. Everybody looked sad; ............

Questions

(i) Why were the back benches of the class full, on that day?
Answer: Many villagers came to the school on that day as they knew it was their last French class.

(ii) Who, of the following, was NOT part of the last French class?
(a) The blacksmith
(b) Old Hauser
(c) Franz
(d) The former Mayor

Answer: A

(iii) Why did everyone look sad in the French class?
(a) The school was being closed down.
(b) M. Hamel was going away to another town.
(c) It was the last French class.
(d) France was annexed by Prussia.

Answer: C

(iv) Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
(a) The villagers were eager to learn German.
(b) The end of French classes made the villagers sad.
(c) M. Hamel was a dedicated teacher.
(d) Franz managed to attend the last French class.

Answer: D

(v) Of the four meanings of ‘former’, select the option that matches in meaning with its usage in the extract.
(a) Still having the specified status.
(b) Likely to happen or exist.
(c) A person in a particular school year.
(d) Having previously been a particular thing.

Answer: D

(vi) Why were the back benches generally empty?
Answer: The back benches were generally empty because a few students came to the class.

4. Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could — “Vive La France!”

Questions

(i) Who is being talked about in the above extract?
Answer: In this extract, M. Hamel is being talked about.

(ii) What prompted the French teacher to write ‘Vive La France’, on the blackboard?
(a) His patriotism.
(b) His challenge to the Prussians.
(c) The happiness in him.
(d) His opposition to German.

Answer: A

(iii) Which of the following in NOT TRUE?
(a) M. Hamel greatly loved French.
(b) He was equally enthusiastic about German.
(c) He was dismayed with the coming of German.
(d) He was an able teacher.

Answer: C

(iv) What was the mood of Hamel’s students during the last lesson?
(a) They were very happy.
(b) They had no care about the French class.
(c) They were eager to learn German.
(d) They were as sad as M. Hamel.

Answer: D

(v) Of the four meanings of ‘might’, select the option that matches in meaning with its usage in the extract.
(a) Expressing purpose
(b) Expressing annoyance
(c) Great and impressive power or strength
(d) Expressing a possibility based on an unfulfilled condition

Answer: D

(vi) What is the meaning of the phrase ‘Vive La France’?
Answer: The phrase ‘Vive La France’ means Long live France.

5. Down there at the back of the room old Hauser had put on his spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands, spelled the letters with them. You could see that he, too, was crying; his voice trembled with emotion, and it was so funny to hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson! All at once the church-clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows.

Questions

(i) Why was Hauser crying?
(a) Because M. Hamel had to leave the country forever.
(b) Because he could not read or write French properly.
(c) Because he had never taken his mother tongue seriously.
(d) All the of above.

Answer: B

(ii) What made all of them want to laugh?
(a) Seeing the way old Hauser was spelling the letters.
(b) Hearing the way old Hauser was spelling the letters.
(c) That it was twelve o’clock and school was over.
(d) The way the Prussian soldiers were marching.

Answer: A

(iii) What is the Angelus?
Answer: Angelus is a prayer said by the Catholics.

(iv) What made old Hauser come to school that day?
Answer: It was the last French class M. Hamel was taking.

(v) Why did Franz never forget the last lesson by M. Hamel?
(a) Because M. Hamel was choked with emotions.
(b) Because for the first time Franz was earnest about his lessons.
(c) Because M. Hamel was leaving the country for good.
(d) Because old Hauser was crying.

Answer: B

(vi) What does the word ‘primer’ refer to?
(a) a book of alphabets
(b) a coat of paint
(c) a book of stories
(d) a book about words

Answer: A

6. I started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles, and I did not know the first word about them. 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.

Questions

(i) Why was Franz in great dread of a scolding by M. Hamel?
Answer: M. Hamel would question him on participles and Franz knew nothing about them.

(ii) What temptation did Franz have on his way to school?
(a) To go for a long walk by the river side.
(b) To climb the trees and steal bird eggs.
(c) To run away and spend the day out of doors.
(d) To go and work in the mills.

Answer: C

(iii) What were the things that helped intensify his temptations?
(a) The running of the sawmills.
(b) The marching of the Prussian soldiers.
(c) The chirping of the birds and the marching of the Prussian soldiers.
(d) The chirping of the birds and the running of the sawmills.

Answer: C

(iv) What character of Franz is brought out when he says that he had the strength to resist it?
(a) A happy-go-lucky boy.
(b) A conscientious boy who fought temptation and defied it.
(c) A carefree boy who did not think it important to attend school.
(d) A careless boy who did not like lessons or his teacher.

Answer: D

(v) What type of a day was it?
(a) A cold, foggy day.
(b) A rainy, cloudy day.
(c) A dull, deary looking day.
(d) A beautiful warm bright day.

Answer: D

(vi) What does the phrase ‘I started for school very late ...’ tell us about Franz?
Answer: The phrase tells us that Franz was a happy-golucky child.

7. 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.

Questions 

(i) What was more tempting for little Franz, that beautiful morning?
Answer: Spending time outdoors was more tempting for Franz

(ii) Franz hurried to school because ............ .
(a) he was very interested in studies
(b) his parents scolded him
(c) he was afraid of M. Hamel
(d) it was a hot day

Answer: C

(iii) What language did M. Hamel teach to the villagers?
Answer: M. Hamel taught French to the villagers.

(iv) The story ‘The Last Lesson’ basically puts emphasis on ............ .
(a) learning our own language
(b) superiority of French
(c) the aggression of Prussia
(d) superiority of German

Answer: A

(v) Franz wanted to skip the class on the last day of school because ............ .
(a) he had to attend some extra class
(b) M. Hamel had instructed him to meet personally
(c) he had not prepared his lesson on participles
(d) None of the options

Answer: C

(vi) What does the statement–“Prussian soldiers were drilling” tell us?
Answer: It tells us that the Prussian were doing their military training or exercising.

8. But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning. Through the window I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.

Questions

(i) What was very quiet as a Sunday morning?
(a) The local market.
(b) The village school.
(c) The village streets.
(d) The village church.

Answer: B

(ii) M. Hamel carried a terrible hand ruler under his arm. This shows he was ............ .
(a) a lenient man
(b) a strict man
(c) a bad teacher
(d) inconsiderate on dealing with his students

Answer: B

(iii) Why did Franz want to avoid being seen by M. Hamel?
Answer: He was afraid of being scolded by M. Hamel.

(iv) What class was to be conducted by M. Hamel?
Answer: French class was to be conducted by M. Hamel

(v) In the above extract, the line “But how it was all so still!” has a reference to ............
(a) the stillness of the classroom
(b) the absence of birds in the garden
(c) M. Hamel was fishing
(d) the school bell had gone

Answer: A

(vi) ‘I had counted on the commotion’ means
(a) Franz loved the noise in the class.
(b) Franz had expected class to be noisy.
(c) Franz had hoped the noisy class would cover up his late arrival.
(d) Franz wanted to join in the merry making in the class.

Answer: C

9. While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, and, in the same grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, said, “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. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.” What a thunderclap these words were to me! Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put up at the town-hall!

Questions

(i) Who are ‘the wretches’ Franz refers to in this extract?
(a) the French
(b) the Prussians
(c) the village people
(d) the school children

Answer: B

(ii) Why does M. Hamel tell everyone to be ‘very attentive’?
Answer: He wants to teach them as much their language as possible in that class.

(iii) What does the order from Berlin signify?
(a) the blending of two different cultures.
(b) the imposition of one culture over another
(c) the peaceful coexistence of multiple cultures
(d) the universal recognition of one culture as superior

Answer: D

(iv) This line from the extract depicts Franz’s __________. What a thunderclap these words were to me! 
(a) confusion about the new language
(b) astonishment at a wasted opportunity
(c) disappointment in M. Hamel’s teaching
(d) anger towards the people of the village

Answer: B

(v) Select the option that uses ‘mounted’ as used in the extract.
(a) Salima mounted the bicycle and rode downhill.
(b) Peter mounted the platform to a rousing welcome.
(c) Satyajeet bit his nails as the tension mounted in the game.
(d) Kimpi mounted a protest by refusing to talk to her sister all day.

Answer: A

(vi) What does the phrase ‘grave and gentle’ signify?
Answer: an angry and serious tone of voice