CBSE Class 12 English The Last Lesson Notes Set B

About The Author

Alphonse Daudet is a French author, famous for his short stories and novels that depict realism, human sentiments and humour in a simple way. “The Last Lesson”, one of his best-known stories, is a story about national pride, the significance of education and how education is a privilege for some. The story emphasises on not taking education for granted. It is a powerful story with contemporary approach which is weaved in a simple narrative.

Summary

The narrator of the story is a little school boy, Franz. The story opens with Franz being late for the school on a beautiful warm morning. He was scared that his teacher M. Hamel would scold him because he was late and had not learned his French lesson on participles. As it was a beautiful day, he was tempted to run away from school and spend it outdoors but he decides to go to school finally.

On his way to school, he passed through the town hall, there he saw a crowd gathered around a bulletin-board. In the past, all the bad news had come from that board during the war. Franz wondered what the news was, this time but hurried to school.

When Franz reached school, unlike other days there was an unusual silence. He hurried towards his classroom. Franz was surprised to see that everybody was already in their seats and the last benches were occupied by the elders of the village and all of them looked sad.

M. Hamel also seemed kinder than usual. He was dressed in his special clothes which he wore only on special occasions. As Franz sat wondering about what was happening, M. Hamel announced that it was his last French class. There had been an order from Berlin that only German would be taught in schools of Alsace and Lorraine. After this announcement Franz was overcome with feelings of regret for he had wasted his time in petty things. M. Hamel tells everybody that French is a very beautiful language. He further added that they would be made fun of by people for calling themselves French because they could not write or speak their own language.

Then M. Hamel asked Franz to recite the rules of participles but he was very kind when Franz was unable to recite the rules. He also remarked that many parents preferred to send their children to work rather than to school. As the class progressed M. Hamel taught the grammar for the last time very patiently followed by writing lesson. The elders came to show their respect towards M. Hamel for his hard work and dedication of forty years.

At twelve, the church bell struck and it was the end of their last lesson. M. Hamel was filled with strong emotions and wrote on blackboard, Vive La France!– Long live France!

The Last Lesson

About the author

Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist and short-story writer. The Last Lesson is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) in which France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. Prussia then consisted of what now are the nations of Germany, Poland and parts of Austria. In this story the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine have passed into Prussian hands. Read the story to find out what effect this had on life at school.
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context
- in great dread of - in unison
- counted on - a great bustle
- thumbed at the edges - reproach ourselves with
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.
When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For the last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?”

Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Wachter, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!” I thought he was making fun of me, and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath.
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. 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. I had to open the door and go in before everybody. You can imagine how I blushed and how frightened I was.
But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly, “Go to your place quickly, little Franz. We were beginning without you.”I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. 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; and Hauser had brought an old primer, thumbed at the edges, and he held it open on his knees with his great spectacles lying across the pages.

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!My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn any more! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. 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.

While I was thinking of all this, I heard my name called. It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for the participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake? But I got mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to my desk, my heart beating, and not daring to look up. I heard M. Hamel say to me, “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 own language?’ But you are not the worst, poor little Franz. We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”
“Your parents were not anxious enough to have you learn. They preferred to put you to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. And I? I’ve been to blame also. Have I not often sent you to water my flowers instead of learning your lessons? And when I wanted to go fishing, did I not just give you a holiday?”Then, from one thing to another, 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 a 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! I think, too, that I had never listened so carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away, and to put it all into our heads at one stroke.

After the grammar, we had a lesson in writing. That day M. Hamel had new copies for us, written in a beautiful round hand — France, Alsace, France, Alsace. They looked like little flags floating everywhere in the school-room, hung from the rod at the top of our desks. You ought to have seen how every one set to work, and how quiet it was! The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper. Once some beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not even the littlest ones, who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks, as if that was French, too. On the roof the pigeons cooed very low, and I thought to myself, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little school-room. Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him, just like that. Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof. How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave the country next day.

But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last. After the writing, we had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be bi, bo, bu. 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. M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair. I never saw him look so tall.
“My friends,” said he, “I—I—” But something choked
him. He could not go on.
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!”
Then he stopped and leaned his head against the wall, and, without a word, he made a gesture to us with his hand —
“School is dismissed — you may go.”

Understanding the text
1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
(There could be more than one answer.)

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?
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
3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far?
Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?

Working with words

1. English is a language that contains words from many other languages. This inclusiveness is one of the reasons it is now a world language, For example:
petite – French
kindergarten – German
capital – Latin
democracy – Greek
bazaar – Hindi

Find out the origins of the following words.
tycoon           barbecue        zero
tulip              veranda          ski
logo              robot              trek
bandicoot

2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meaning.
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
The words were
(i) loud and clear.
(ii) startling and unexpected.
(iii) pleasant and welcome.
(b) “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”
It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they
(i) do not lose their language.
(ii) are attached to their language.
(iii) quickly learn the conqueror’s language.
(c) Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time.
You will get to your school
(i) very late.
(ii) too early.
(iii) early enough.
(d) I never saw him look so tall.
M. Hamel (a) had grown physically taller
(b) seemed very confident
(c) stood on the chair

Noticing form

Read this sentence

M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles. In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first part is used to indicate an “earlier past”. The whole story is narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb and say why this form has been used.

Writing
1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could be an announcement of a forthcoming event, or a requirement to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.
2. Write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.
3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.

Things to do
1. Find out about the following (You may go to the internet, interview people, consult reference books or visit a library.)
(a) Linguistic human rights
(b) Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.
2. Given below is a survey form. Talk to at least five of your classmates and fill in the information you get in the form.

ABOUT THE UNIT

THEME
The pain that is inflicted on the people of a territory by its conquerors by taking away the right to study or speak their own language.

SUB-THEME
Student and teacher attitudes to learning and teaching.

READING COMPREHENSION

The comprehension check at the end of each section in the unit helps pupils make sure that they have understood the facts before they move on to the next section. One session of forty minutes is likely to be enough for one section of the unit. Pupils can read each section silently and discuss the answers in pairs.
The questions at the end of the unit are inferential. These help pupils make sense of the writer’s intention in focussing on a local episode and to comment on an issue of universal significance. There could be a follow-up discussion on parts for which students need explanation.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Topics to be discussed in small groups or pairs. This shall help pupils think of issues that relate to the realities of the society they live in. Gives scope for developing speaking skills in the English language on varied issues. Fluency development.

WORKING WITH WORDS
To make pupils aware of
- the enrichment of the English language through borrowings from the other languages.
- idiomatic expressions and figurative use of language.

NOTICING FORM
To make pupils notice tense form and understand the context of its use.

WRITING
- Practice in a functional genre, e.g., bulletin.
- Argumentative writing on a topic related to their life at school.
- Narrating subjective experience discussing personal likes and dislikes.

THINGS TO DO
Extension activity that will help pupils understand language rights of citizens and the problems of linguistic minorities. Social and political awareness.

Character Sketch of M Hamel
Hamel has been a dedicated and passionate teacher of French for forty years at the same institution. M. Hamel is devoted to his work and takes great pride in introducing his students to the French language and culture. He comes across as a stern enforcer in the classroom, but he also has a sharp sense of humour that he uses to keep his students interested. His commitment to the mother tongue is demonstrated when, in spite of the fact that it was now against the law to teach French in schools, he chooses to conduct his final session in French despite the enforcement of the German orders. His character embodies the values of patriotism, courage, and dedication to one’s profession.

Character Sketch of Franz
Franz is a young boy who lives in a small town in Alsace district of France, which was annexed by Germany (then Prussia) in the Franco-Prussian war. Franz is a typical young boy who likes to play with his friends, go fishing in the river, and daydream. Although he is a talented student who is constantly eager to learn new things, he is not particularly interested in learning French. Franz is shown to be ignorant of the political tensions between France and Germany and to be naive. Knowing that the Germans are imposing their language on the region, he is horrified to find that this will be his final French session. Despite his initial disinterest, Franz eventually comes to appreciate the beauty and value of his mother tongue and has a profound feeling of loss as he witnesses its disappearance. He also develpos a liking for the teacher M Hamel who he earlier despised. Now that they will not be taught French, Franz wants to learn it!

PROSE: LESSON 1 - THE LAST LESSON BY ALPHONSE DAUDET

Background of the Story

The present story is set during the days of Franco – Prussian War (1870 – 1871) in which France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. At that time Prussia consisted of Germany, Poland and some parts of Austria. The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine were captured by Germans. The Germans had ordered to discontinue the teaching of French in all schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The French teacher Monsieur Hamel was instructed to leave the country. The people regret not learning their mother tongue so far.

Main Characters

• Franz: A young French school boy from Alsace and Lorraine. As a student he had been negligent and felt happier outside the classroom than inside. He postpones learning and likes to spend time in nature.
• Monsieur Hamel: French teacher who had been teaching for 40 years in Alsace and Lorraine. Extremely devoted, he is a strict disciplinarian who came to class with an iron ruler.
• Watcher: The blacksmith.
• M. Hamel’s Sister.
• Hauser: An old gentleman.

Theme

Linguistic chauvinism is the idea that one’s language is superior to that of others. In the story we see the people of Alsace and Lorraine become victims of Linguistic Chauvinism as they are forced to learn German and not their mother tongue French. The conquerors impose their language to seize the culture and identity of the native people.

Importance of native language: ‘The Last Lesson’ revolves around the native language and its importance to the citizens of a country. It is the duty of every citizen to safeguard the language of the country as it is the identity of that country. The lesson depicts how after defeating France in the war, the Prussians wanted to rule over not only the territory of France but also over the minds and hearts of the people. The story reinforces the fact that we value something more when it is lost. The pain and anguish of the students and the teacher is evident as everyone realizes how things were taken for granted.

Sub Themes

• Importance of education in life: The people of Alsace and Lorraine realise the importance of education only on the last day of their French lesson. Parents used to send their children to work which they regret later.
• Procrastination: The human tendency to postpone work for a later time is also highlighted here. Monsieur Hamel reprimands the people of Alsace and Lorrain for always putting off their work for some other day.

Gist of the Chapter

The story is narrated by Franz, a young school boy who was running late to school. He feared reprimand from his French teacher Monsieur Hamel. Also, he was not prepared for the test on participles. He sees a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. He anticipates some wretched piece of news as usual but hurries to his classroom.

The school was unusually quiet as on a Sunday morning. There was no hustle and bustle of a regular working day. Quite surprisingly, Monsieur Hamel allowed him to enter class without any comment. Franz noticed that M Hamel was wearing his green coat, frilled shirt and silk cap, which he wore only on special days. Franz was also surprised to see the villagers occupying the backbench.

Franz wondered what’s happening. Meanwhile, M Hamel announced that it would be his last lesson as the Germans had ordered that French would no more be taught in schools. This announcement shocked him like a thunderclap. He regretted wasting time and not learning French. His books which earlier felt like a burden now seemed to be his friends.

Franz is not able to recite the rules of participles but M Hamel does not scold him. He says that the people of Alsace and Lorraine had the tendency to put off work for the next day. And now they couldn’t even read or write their own language. Parents and society were to blame too as they did not value education and often sent the children to work for some extra income. The teacher blamed himself for giving students holidays so that he could go fishing.

Monsieur Hamel praised French as the most beautiful and logical language. Franz paid attention to each and every word and he felt that he could understand the language clearly now. M Hamel was gazing at everything in class as if he wanted to carry the mental picture with him. He had been instructed to leave the country along with his sister. Finally the time came for Monsieur Hamel to bid farewell and he was choked with emotions. The villagers too had tears in their eyes. M Hamel writes “viva la France” and dismissed the class.

Points to Remember

• Franz’s reluctance to reach school: Was worried as he started late from home. Was apprehensive of facing his teacher, M. Hamel as he had not prepared his lessons on participles. Distracted by the chirping birds, warm and bright day and Prussian soldiers drilling.
• Usual scene of the classroom: Great commotion. Opening and the closing of the desks. Lessons being repeated in unison. Teacher’s ruler rapping on the table. Back benches were usually empty.
• The difference on the last day of School: The quiet atmosphere as on Sunday mornings. All classmates occupying their respective places. M. Hamel was formally dressed. Back benches were occupied by old Hauser, former Mayor, former postmaster and several other villagers.
• Views of M. Hamel on the French language: The most beautiful language in the world. The clearest and most logical. It had to be guarded. It acts as a key to the prison if people are enslaved.
• M. Hamel as a teacher: Had been teaching for forty years without wavering. Refused to give up on the last day. Imparted knowledge about the importance of the mother tongue. Instilled patriotism amongst his