CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo The Last Lesson Worksheet

 

The story is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian war. The French district of Alsace and Lorraine were captured by Germans. The new master was to come the next day in a school in Alsace to teach German in place of French. The story tells the effect of this news on the life at a school in Alsace.

 

The prose „The Last Lesson‟ written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about 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 teacher, M. Hamel. Mr. M. Hamel had been transferred and could no longer remain in his old school. Still he gave his last lesson to his students with utmost devotion and sincerity as ever. The story depicts the pathos of the whole situation about how people feel when they don‟t learn their own language and then losing an asset in M. Hamel. One of his students Franz who dreaded French class and M. Hamel‟s iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson. But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in Sunday‟s clothes and all the old people of the village sitting there. It was due to an order on the bulletin board. That was the first day when he realised for the first time that how important French was for him, but it was his LAST LESSON in French.

 

„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 is the overt preference for one language over others. Language is considered to be the cultural identity of a particular group of people who use it. Hence, imposing some other language on the people hammers their emotions and is a step to annex their relationship with their culture. The language of any country is the pride of that country. It not only defines the culture but also tells us about the people, literature and history of the country. Language for some people is just the medium of communication but for others it is the question of life and death. „The Last Lesson‟ very prominently raises the question of linguistic and cultural hegemony (supremacy, control) of the colonial and imperial powers and their lust for controlling the world and influencing their cultures and identities.

 

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 immorality of imposing imperial languages and cultures on the colonies. The child questions that when even the birds and animals can‟t be forced to abandon their language and speak others then what forces the man to think that it would be prudent to force other human beings to forcibly accept any language other than theirs.

 

The language of a country is not only a medium of communication for the people but also the link for identity, once the native language is snatched away from the people. It‟s not only the loss of convenient communicating medium but also the loss of identity for people for what they have been and what they might become. When a small child like Franz can think of the irrationality behind snatching away the right of language and identity from people then why can‟t the war lords andcolonizers understand the fact?

 

Find the word that means the same as ‘astonished’ in the given passage

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, “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.”

Question. How did M. Hamel speak to the students?
(a) grave and gentle tone
(b) rudely
(c) angrily
(d) harshly
Answer : A

Question. What order had come from Berlin?
(a) to teach German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine
(b) not to teach French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine
(c) both a and b
(d) neither a nor b
Answer : C

Question. When was the new master coming?
(a) tomorrow
(b) today
(c) the day before yesterday
(d) yesterday
Answer : A

Question. What did the teacher say to the students?
(a) this is your last lesson
(b) so be attentive
(c) both a & b
(d) neither a nor b
Answer : C

Question. Which language was M. Hamel teaching?
(a) German
(b) French
(c) American
(d) Arabian
Answer : B

 

Find the word that means the opposite as ‘tomorrow’ in the given passage

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.

Question. Who do the words ‘poor man’ refer to?
(a) Franz
(b) M. Hamel
(c) Hauser
(d) villagers
Answer : B

Question. Who was in his fine Sunday clothes?
(a) M. Hamel
(b) Franz
(c) Hauser
(d) villagers
Answer : A

Question. Where were the old men of the village sitting?
(a) in front benches
(b) on the back benches
(c) in the middle
(d) not in the class room
Answer : B

Question. What were the old men of the village feel sorry for?
(a) not gone to school more
(b) not gone to temple
(c) not gone to bulletin board
(d) not gone to hospital
Answer : A

Question. For how many years did M. Hamel serve the school?
(a) 20 years
(b) 25 years
(c) 30 years
(d) 40 years
Answer : D

Question. Why were the old men of the villagers come to school?
(a) to say good bye to M. Hamel
(b) showing their respect to M. Hamel
(c) to pay respect for forty years of his faithful service
(d) all of the above
Answer : D

Question. Why was it said ‘their country theirs no more’?
(a) it had fallen into the enemy’s hands
(b) not fallen into the enemy’s hands
(c) their country is theirs
(d) none of the above
Answer : A

Question. Find the word that means the same as ‘loyal’ in the given passage
Answer : faithful

 

Assertion & Reasoning Based Questions:

Question. ASSERTION (A): Franz was scared to go to school.
REASON (R): He had not learnt his homework and was late for school.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: A

Question. ASSERTION (A): The elderly people occupied the back benches.
REASON (R): They were present for thanking M Hamel, for being sorry too for not going to school more, for showing their respect towards the country that was theirs no more.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: A

Question. ASSERTION (A): The teacher is also responsible for poor performance of students in studies.
REASON (R): He often sent them to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons, declared holidays for no reason.
(a) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: B

Question. ASSERTION (A): M Hamel was wearing his special dress for the last French class.
REASON (R): The dress comprised of beautiful green coat, frilled shirt & the little black silk cap.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: B

Question. ASSERTION (A): French language was the most beautiful, the clearest and the most logical of all the languages.
REASON (R): As long as the Frenchmen held fast to their language, they had chances of winning freedom.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: B

Question. ASSERTION (A): Franz was tempted to stay out of doors.
REASON (R): The weather was warm, birds were chirping and Prussian soldiers were drilling.
(a) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: A

Question. ASSERTION (A): The whole school seemed strange and solemn to Franz.
REASON (R): The order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace & Lorraine. That was their last French class.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Answer: A

 

 

Answer: The title „The Last Lesson‟ by Alphonse Daudet is apt and appropriate. The whole story focuses on the last lesson delivered by M. Hamel. The lesson reveals how much people should care for their language. It is for the first time that people came to realize the value of their language. The story highlights a situation where the people of Alsace felt that there was plenty of time to learn their lessons and so did not give due importance to school. They sent their children to work on farms and mills instead of having them learn their lessons. Even Franz looked for opportunities to escape school and was never serious about learning his lessons. Quite unexpectedly they receive orders from Berlin that French will no longer be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. It is then that they realize what they had been evading all this while will now be deprived to them. They awaken to the course of safeguarding their language and reach to attend the last lesson taught by M. Hamel, the French teacher. The story evokes a consciousness in the reader that he must learn his lessons in time. One can never apprehend which day of life he may be learning his last lesson.

 

Answer: The last lesson by Alphonse Daudet beautifully brings to light the brutality of war which makes man insensitive to human feelings and emotions. Mother tongue helps a person to express his feelings and thoughts intimately. Conquerors try to subdue and control the people of the enslaved territory by enforcing many measures such as imposing their own language. The enslaved natives also become victims of a restrained and confined life with no hope of breathing freely in their own motherland. At such times of enslavement, it is their language, the mother tongue which keeps their identity alive. It is the key to their prison as the mother binds them together. It constantly reminds them of their enslavement and brings them together urging them to fight for the liberation of their motherland. M. Hamel, the French teacher reminds his countrymen to safeguard their language to liberate themselves and maintain their identity.

 

Answer: The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet highlights linguistic chauvinism. Acquisition of power over the Alsacians made the Prussians so domineering that they imposed even their language on them. Franz means that their pride cannot make them dominate their minds and hearts. They had grown up using French as their language. Now taking it away from them would be unfair and unkind. This language was natural to them as cooing is to the pigeons. Robbing them of it would be not only difficult but next to impossible. It will be difficult to accept a language that will be imposed on them. It causes pain to undo a known language and learn to communicate in another. The purpose of language will be lost. Moreover French bound them as brethren.

Franz mocks at the Berlin order which has imposed German language on the French people.Powerful Germans can defeat France, but they cannot compel pigeons to coo in German. In fact, no language can be imposed on the unwilling learners, especially a foreign language.

 

Answer: M. Hamel emerges as an epitome of an ideal teacher. He is introduced by the narrator as a strict stereotyped teacher. He is very particular that his students know their lessons. The author feels he is insensitive to the feelings of his students. Later he emerges through the course of the story to be a facilitator. His domineering tone becomes gentle and shows concern about the education of his students. He is a guide and friend and advises the innocent villagers to shift priorities and pay more attention to learning. M. Hamel is also a true patriot- loves both his country and the language. He is a man of courage and deep emotions who teaches to perfection till the very end. He proudly writes „vive La France‟ on the blackboard in the end. M. Hamel is an ideal teacher, true guide, philosopher and patriot to the core.