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The Last Lesson Question Solutions
Table of Contents
The Last Lesson Question Answer
(HS 2nd Year English)
-Alphonse Daudet
The Last Lesson Question Solutions
The Last Lesson Question Answer
Textual Question Solutions
Think as You Read-I
Q.1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Ans: Franz was expected to be prepared with Participles for school that day. But little Franz did not read them at all.
Q. 2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
or
Give a detailed account of the scene in the classroom on the day of the last lesson.
Ans: Little Franz noticed some unusual things at the school that day. He noticed that the school was as quiet as a Sunday morning. The students were sitting quietly on their seats. The teacher M. Hamel wore some special dress. In addition to that, some elder village people had come to the school and were sitting at the backbenches like the students. Among them, there were old Hauser, former Mayor, former Postmaster and several others.
Q.3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
Ans: Government orders and important news were put up on the bulletin board. For the last two years such bad news as lost battles, the draft, and the order of the commanding officers were put up on the bulletin- board. The latest news was about introducing the German language instead of French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
Think as You Read-II
Q.1. What change did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Ans: The order that came from Berlin was that only German, not French, would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This order caused great trouble in the school that day. M. Hamel was disappointed. The village people and even the students were sorry and upset.
Q.2. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Ans: On the day of the last lesson when the teacher M. Hamel had announced that in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine only German, instead of French would be taught, then Franz’s feeling changed about M. Hamel and school. Since that moment Franz developed a strong fascination for his language and his school. He began to feel his French books to be his old friends. And about M. Hamel he developed a strong respect and forgot all about the teacher’s cranky behaviour.
The Last Lesson Question Answer
Assitional Question Solutions
Q.1. What is the name of the blacksmith mentioned in ‘The Last Lesson’?
Ans: The name of the blacksmith mentioned in ‘The Last Lesson’ is Wachter.
Q.2. What did Franz think for a moment?
Ans: Franz thought for a moment to run away from home and spending the day out of doors without going to school.
Q.3. What is the name of the river mentioned in ‘The Last Lesson’?
Ans: The name of the river mentioned in ‘The Last Lesson’ is Saar.
Q.4. What would Franz love to do on that sunny morning instead of going to school?
Ans: Instead of going to school, little Franz would like to enjoy the bright day, the chirping of the birds and the drill of the Prussian soldiers that day.
Q.5. What according to M. Hamel is the great trouble with Alsace?
Ans: The great trouble with Alsace was that it was conquered by the Germans and they imposed German culture and language on the people of that province. But the people did not like them.
Q.6. ‘Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons’? What does this sentence suggest?
Ans: After conquering Alsace and Lorraine- two provinces of France, the shrewd German imposed the German language on the people of that provinces. Resultantly, the French people had to lose their mother tongue. It was a pathetic matter for the people of France. When the teacher M. Hamel announced, after an order from Berlin, that only German, not French language would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine then the little Franz became so sorry and thought that the shrewd Germans might impose German language on the pigeons. It suggests Franz’s deep regret and sorrow for losing their motherland.
Q.7. What was written in the new copies brought by M. Hamel for the students in a beautiful round hand?
Ans: The two words ‘France, Alsace’ were written in the new copies brought by M. Hamel for the students in a beautiful round hand.
Q.8. What did M. Hamel write at the end of the class?
Ans: At the end of the class the teacher M. Hamel took a piece of chalk in his hand and wrote ‘Vive La France’ (Long Live France) on the blackboard.
Q.9. Who is the author of the short story ‘The Last Lesson’?
Ans: Alphonse Daudet is the author of the short story ‘The Last Lesson’.
Q.10. ‘I started for school very late that morning. Who is the ‘I’ here?
Ans: Here ‘I’ refers to Franz, a little student.
Q.11. How long did teacher M. Hamel teach in the school?
Ans: The teacher M. Hamel taught in the school for forty years.
Q.12. What did M. Hamel pronounce to the students, mounting from his chair?
Ans: M. Hamel, mounting from his chair, pronounced to his students that it was the last day of his teaching in the school. He said that an order had come from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the following day. He expected that the students would be very attentive as it was his last day at the school.
Q.13. What did M. Hamel do when he went for fishing?
Ans: M. Hamel just gave a holiday to the students when he went for fishing
Q.14. What did M. Hamel write on the blackboard just before the school was dismissed on the day of the last lesson? What did they mean?
Ans: As the church-bell struck twelve, M. Hamel took a piece of chalk in his hand and bearing it with all his might, wrote ‘Vive La France’on the black-board. The phrase means, ‘Long Live France!’
Q.15. What did M. Hamel want to give his students before leaving the school?
Ans: M. Hamel wanted to put all the knowledge that he knew into the head of the students at one stroke.
Q.16. Why did Franz want to spend his day out of doors that day?
Ans: That day Franz started for school very late and was in great dread of getting M. Hamel’s scolding because the teacher said that he would question the students on Participles but he did not read about them. So to get rid of the scolding from the teacher, he wanted to spend the day out of doors that day.
Q.17. Usually, how was the atmosphere of the school when it began?
Ans: Usually when the school began, there was a great bustle that could be heard out in the street. The bustle was made of the sound of the opening and closing of desks, the lesson repeated by the students in unison and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table.
Q.18. What does the phrase ‘Vive La France’ mean?
Ans: The phrase ‘Vive La France’ means ‘long live France’.
Q.19. Why was the lesson called ‘The Last Lesson’?
Ans: It was called ‘The Last lesson’ because an order had come from Berlin that only German, not French, would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine from the next day.
Q.20. What was M. Hamel’s opinion (views) on the French Language?
Ans: M. Hamel’s opinion on the French language was that it was the most clear, most beautiful and most logical language of the world.
Q.21. Why did Wachter, the blacksmith, tell Franz that he would reach school in ‘Plenty of time’?
Ans: Wachter, the blacksmith told Franz that he would reach school in plenty of time because Franz was in a hurry to reach school. He even did not have any interest to read the news of the bulletin board. Seeing this, Wachter told him so.
Q.21. Who were responsible for the students’ inability to read and write their own language correctly?
or
How does M. Hamel make the people realize how they, the students and he have been responsible for not learning their language well?
Ans: According to M. Hamel the following people were responsible for the student’s inability to read and write their language correctly as:
First, the parents of the students were not anxious enough to have their children learn more. They preferred their children to work on the farm or in the mills to earn some money.
Secondly, the teacher himself was responsible because he just gave a holiday when he went for fishing and he sometimes put the students to water his flower plants instead of making them learn their lessons.
Q.22. Draw a character sketch of M.Hamel as it is shown in ‘The Last Lesson’.
Ans: M. Hamel was a school teacher at a school in the province of Alsace. The story writer has portrayed him fully in the story. He is shown as a strict disciplinarian. He often punished and rebuked the students. The students were also afraid of his cranky nature. But sometimes he himself broke the school discipline as he gave a holiday to the students when he went for fishing. Sometimes he put the students to water his garden instead of making them learn their lesson. But above all, he was a very good teacher and rendered his faithful service for forty years in the school. He was very patriotic also. He felt sorry for losing their motherland in the hand of the Germans. He hoped that one day they would get freedom. As his sign of patriotism, he wrote ‘Vive La France’ on the Blackboard as large as he could. 0 0 0.
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The Last Lesson Question Answer
Summary
“The Last Lesson” by Alphonse Daudet is a short story set in a small village in Alsace, a region historically caught between French and German influence. The story unfolds during the Franco-Prussian War, when Alsace is about to be annexed by Germany. The protagonist, Franz, is a young schoolboy who wakes up one morning feeling a sense of reluctance to go to school, as it is a beautiful day outside. He dawdles on his way to school, noticing the absence of other schoolmates and the strange quietness in the village.
When Franz arrives at school, he is shocked to see that the classroom is full of villagers, young and old, gathered solemnly. He realizes that this is no ordinary day—it’s the last day of French lessons before the school will only teach in German, as decreed by the new Prussian authorities. Monsieur Hamel, the elderly teacher whom Franz often found strict and unkind, is unusually gentle and sad.
Monsieur Hamel begins the lesson by expressing his sorrow at not having realized the importance of one’s native language and culture until it was too late. He talks about the beauty of the French language, its history, and its significance in maintaining their cultural identity. He regrets that the children, including Franz, did not appreciate the value of learning French and their heritage while they still could.
As Monsieur Hamel continues the lesson, Franz listens intently, understanding the gravity of the situation. He notices the maps on the walls, which he had always found intimidating, now seem like old friends he will miss. The lesson goes on, and each moment feels precious as the inevitability of the change sinks in.
At the end of the lesson, Monsieur Hamel gives the students a heartfelt farewell, expressing his hope that they will carry their love for learning and their language wherever they go. He urges them never to forget their native Alsace, despite the new rulers and the new language.
As Franz leaves the school, he reflects on how he had previously taken his education and his language for granted. He resolves to cherish and preserve his French heritage from now on, knowing that he can no longer learn in his own language in school.
“The Last Lesson” is a touching story that highlights the importance of language, culture, and the impact of historical change on individual lives. It serves as a reminder of how quickly things can change and how important it is to appreciate and preserve one’s cultural identity and heritage.
The Last Lesson Question Answer
About the Author:
Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist and short story writer known for his vivid portrayal of Provence and keen observations of human nature. Born on May 13, 1840, in Nîmes, France, he grew up in a bourgeois family where his father worked as a silk manufacturer. Daudet initially pursued studies for priesthood at a seminary in Lyon but left due to a lack of vocation, returning to complete his secondary education in Nîmes.
Moving to Paris in 1857 to pursue writing, Daudet began his career as a journalist, publishing poems and stories in various newspapers and magazines. His early works, influenced by romanticism, often drew upon his experiences in Provence.
Daudet’s literary career flourished with notable works such as “Lettres de mon moulin” (Letters from My Windmill), a collection of stories published in 1869 that celebrated the charm of Provence. This was followed by “Tartarin de Tarascon” in 1872, a novel satirizing provincial life, and “Fromont jeune et Risler aîné” in 1874, which explored love, marriage, and business in Parisian society.
His other significant works include “Les Contes du Lundi” (Monday Tales), another collection of short stories published in 1873, and the novel “Sapho” in 1884, which portrayed a tragic love affair. Daudet also wrote “L’Immortel” in 1888, a satire on the French Academy and literary fame.
In his later years, Daudet suffered from syphilis, which affected his health but did not diminish his literary output. His works often depicted the hardships of life, poverty, and the complexities of human relationships with empathy and humor.
Alphonse Daudet passed away on December 16, 1897, in Paris, leaving behind a rich literary legacy that continues to be appreciated for its realism and social commentary. His ability to blend realism with sentimentality and his skill in portraying human emotions secured his place as one of France’s notable writers of the 19th century.
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