CBSE Class 12 English The Last Lesson Notes Set 03

PROSE

The Last Lesson

About the Author

Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist and short-story writer who is remembered for his sentimental tales of provincial life in France. He wrote his first poem and his first novel at age of 14. His literary career grew as he wrote poems, plays and even editorial for newspapers. During the Franco-Prussian War, Alphonse joined the army but he soon left it after viewing its horrors. His short period in the army had a deep impact on his writing which is visible in his works.

Chapter Sketch

The Last Lesson is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). Led by Bismarck, Prussia defeated France and the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine passed into the Prussian hands. As a result, the new Prussian Government discontinued the teaching of French language and imposed German. The story revolves around how this decision proves to be a life-altering event for the people of Alsace including the young Franz as well as M. Hamel, a French language teacher who had to leave his old school. It shows how M. Hamel teaches the last French lesson with sincerity, dedication and courage.

About the Characters

• Franz: He is a young school going boy who loves spending his time in nature. He is a sensitive and observant child who feels regretful for his neglect of his studies.
• M. Hamel: He is Franz’s French teacher. He is a strict but sincere teacher who has spent 40 years of his life teaching French to people of Alsace. He is a patriotic man who gets emotional on leaving his nation behind.
• Watcher: He is the blacksmith of the village who makes fun of Franz when he is hurriedly going to school.
• Village people: The village people includes many village residents including Old Hauser, Mayor and Postmaster. These people express their regret as well as respect for the French teacher.
• Prussian Soldiers: The background characters whose presence indicate the change of authority and how the lives of the people of Alsace would change.

Summary of the Chapter

Franz’s Surprise

The story starts with a young school going boy named Franz being late for school. He was scared of getting scolded by his French teacher, M. Hamel, as he had not learned participles. He also wanted to enjoy his day outside in nature. However, he had to go to school. On the way, Franz passed the town hall where a many people were reading the bad news from the bulletin board. Without paying much attention to it, he reached his school.

Franz was surprised to see that the school was quiet. He had expected to find a lot of noise. Inside the class, he saw that his classmates were seated and M. Hamel was walking to and fro. Embarrassed, Franz entered his class. He thought that he would get scolded. But, M. Hamel kindly told him to take his seat.

The Order from Berlin

In the classroom, Franz observed that M. Hamel was wearing his special attire. Further, the village elders were sitting in the back benches. They all looked sad. M. Hamel announced that it was their last French lesson. An order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine and that it was their last French lesson.

Franz was shocked by the information. He regretted not learning his lessons on time. He also felt bad because M. Hamel was leaving. Franz realised that M. Hamel wore his special attire to honour his last lesson. Moreover, the village people had come to express their gratitude towards him. They wanted to show their respect for their country and their language.

M. Hamel’s Patriotism

When it was time for Franz to recite, he was not able to speak the French participles properly. He was ashamed of himself. However, M. Hamel did not scold him. M. Hamel criticised the people of Alsace for postponing their learning. He blamed the parents for wanting their children to earn instead of study. He also blamed himself for giving them a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing.

M. Hamel called French language- the most beautiful, the clearest and the most logical language in the world. He told the people of France to treasure their language. According to him, whenever the people of a particular nation are enslaved, as long as they are attached to their language, it is as if they have the key to their prison.

The Final Goodbye

That day Franz understood everything. He realised that he never paid much attention in the class and that M. Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience. Everyone did their work with full concentration. Even the old Hauser was focused on reading his old book. M. Hamel was sitting in his chair and observing his class. For 40 years, he had given his faithful service to the school and now he had to leave.

At the end of the lesson, everyone in the class became emotional. However, M. Hamel had the courage and patience to hear every lesson. Finally, as the church-clock struck twelve, M. Hamel stood up. He tried to speak but choked. He turned to the blackboard and wrote as large as he could ‘Vive La France!’ meaning ‘long live France’. Hamel dismissed the class, signaling everyone to leave.

Word-Meaning

• in great dread of: with great fear of
• drilling: undergoing military training exercises
• apprentice: trainee, a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer
• a great bustle: excited activity and movement
• in unison: all at once, together
• rapping: striking rapidly on a hard surface, especially in order to attract attention
• counted on: relied or depended on
• primer: an elementary book for teaching children to read
• thumbed at the edges: with pages worn out or soiled due to frequent handling
• thunderclap: a crashing sound of thunder
• wretches: villains; people deserving contempt
• Saar: a river in North-Eastern France and Western Germany
• cranky: bad-tempered, eccentric or strange
• reproach ourselves with: criticise ourselves for
• at one stroke: by a single action having immediate effect
• Angelus: a bell rung as call to recite the Angelus-a devotional prayer in the Roman Catholic Church
• bearing on: pressing
• Vive La France: long live France

Important Themes of the Chapter

• Culture and Language: The central theme of the story is the importance of language and culture to an individual’s identity. In a situation wherein one culture overpowers another, language can be a way to preserve the culture while paving a path towards freedom. This is highlighted in M. Hamel’s speech.
• Patriotism, Authority and Chauvinism: The given story presents how the change of authority in the form of German authority leads to language chauvinism. The German authority want the people of Alsace and Lorraine to learn German and forgo their mother tongue. Such chauvinism raises patriotic feelings as seen in M. Hamel. He shows his patriotism by delivering his last lesson and by writing the words ‘Vive La France!’ on the blackboard. The village people too show their patriotism by being present for M. Hamel’s last French lesson.
• Pain and Regret: One of the sub-themes of the story is pain and regret wherein the order raises the feeling of pain and regret in everyone. The people of Alsace are pained as their right to speak and write in their mother tongue is taken away from them. There is regret in not learning their mother tongue on time. This regret is heavily associated with education. Franz, the village people and even M. Hamel himself regrets not giving priority to studying French. This leads to the feelings of regret as the opportunity will now be lost to them.