THE LAST LESSON BY ALPHONSE DAUDET

COMPLETE SOLUTION OF THE LAST LESSON 

Q1. What is the name of the author of “The Last Lesson”?

Ans: - Alphonse Daudet is the author of “The Last Lesson”

Q2. Who was Alphonse Daudet? When was he born?

Ans:- Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist as well as a short story writer. He was born in 1840.

Q3. By which country France was defeated?

Ans:- France was defeated  by Prussia  led by Bismarck.

Q4. What were names of those two districts of France?

Ans:- Those two districts of  France were Lorraine  and  Alsace.

Q5. What was the name of Franz’s teacher?

Ans:- M. Hamel was the name of Franz’s teacher.

Q6. Who was Franz? Why was he in hurry?

Ans:- Franz was a young boy. He had already been late for school. That’s why he was in hurry for school.

Q7. What was the home work that day for Franz to recite?

Ans:- M. Hamel had given home work in participles to recite.

Q8. Who were drilling the field to pitch the tent?

Ans:- The Prussian soldiers were drilling the field to pitch their tents.

Q9. What did Franz see in front of the bulletin board?

Ans:- Franz saw a huge crowd of people standing in front of the bulletin board.

Q10.  Who made fun of Franz while going to school?

Ans:- The blacksmith made fun of Franz while his going to school.

Q11. What did usually use to be in the school before the class?

Ans:- Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could  be heard out from the street.

Q12. How did Franz realize when he arrived near the school?

Ans:- Franz flabbergasted, when he arrived near the school, he realized  a pin drop silence all around the school like Sunday morning.

Q13. What did Franz look through the open window?

Ans:- Through the window Franz saw his classmates, already in their places, and  M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.

Q14. Why was Franz afraid before getting inside the class?

Ans:- Franz had already been late for school, and another hand he hadn’t  remembered even  A B C in participles. So, Franz was feared before getting inside his class.

Q15. What changes did Franz see in his teacher M. Hamel?

Ans:- That day Franz saw M.Hamel  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.

Q16. How did Franz realize when he came in his class?

Ans:- Franz felt, the whole class seemed so strange and solemn.

Q17. What did Franz see the most surprising thing in the class that day?

Ans:- The thing that surprised Franz most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like Franz’s classmates; old Hauser, with his three cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides.

Q18. What did Franz look upon villagers’ faces?

Ans:- They were sad, there was tear in everyone’s eyes and everyone looking so sad.

Q19. What order had come from Berlin the capital of Germany?

Ans:- The order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of  Alsace and Lorraine.

Q20. How did M.Hamel draw the attention of his students in his class?

Ans:- M.Hamel drew the  attention of his students by saying them; My children, this is your last French lesson, I shall give you. Because the order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine since tomorrow, the new master comes tomorrow. So, I want you to be very attentive this last French lesson.

Q21. How did Franz feel when he came to know that his mother-tongue has been changed?

Ans:- As soon as Franz heard that his mother-tongue has changed, he felt like a wretch and ruined himself.

Q22. Did Franz know writing his mother-tongue French?

Ans:- Not at all.

Q23. Where did Franz spoil his time besides school?

Ans:- Franz spoiled his most of time, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the saar.

Q24. How did Franz’s feelings change about his nuisance books?

Ans:- Those books of Franz that seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, his grammar and his history of the saints, were old friends now. He couldn’t give up them.

Q25. Why was M.Hamel in his beautiful Sunday clothes?

Ans:- It was in honour of that last lesson, so, M.Hamel had put on his beautiful Sunday clothes.

Q26. Why were villagers sitting on the back benches in the classroom?

Ans:- It was because they were sorry, too, that they hadn’t gone to school  more. It was their way of thanking their master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

Q27. What did M.Hamel say about French language?

Ans:- M.Hamel said, French language is the most beautiful language in the world, the clearest , the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it.

Q28. How did Franz feel while having that last lesson of M.Hamel?

Ans:- Franz felt quite amazed while having that last lesson of M.Hamel. He was understanding everything more easily far better than other days. All that M.Hamel said seemed so easy, as if he had never heard so carefully ever before.

Q29. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Ans:- Franz was expected to be prepared with questions on participles for school that day.

Q30. Which did Franz listen while writing?

Ans:- There was a pin drop silence in the classroom, everyone was quite mum. The only sound that Franz heard was the scratching of the pens over the paper.

Q31. Since how long had M.Hamel been teaching in the school?

Ans:- M.Hamel had been teaching in the school for last forty years.

Q32. What did Franz think having heard “cooed” of the Pigeons on the roof?

Ans:- Franz thought having listened “cooed” of the Pigeons on the roof up to his head, “Will they make them sing in German, even the Pigeons?

Q33. Who was sitting motionless on the chair?

Ans:- M.Hamel was sitting motionless on the chair.

Q34. How did Franz’s feelings about M.Hamel and school change?

Ans:- Before this day of the last lesson, Franz had never been seemed serious about his study, neither he had been serious about his school nor ever he admired M.Hamel. He was of course, feared from his teacher M.Hamel and his iron ruler. He had often bunked school for enjoying himself. He always kept himself busy seeking birds’ eggs or going sliding on the saar instead of learning his lesson. But that day he felt sorry for all more, his heart suddenly changed towards his school and M.Hamel too. He started loving both M.Hamel and school too.

Q35.  Summary of “The Last Lesson”.

Ans:- There was a boy named Franz, once he gets late for his school, hence he hurries for school, he is quite afraid, dread of scolding by M.Hamel his teacher, especially because M.Hamel had said that he would question on Participles, and Franz doesn’t know even the first word about Participles .He thinks goes on heading to the school beside the town hall where he looks a crowd in front of the bulletin board.

 For the last two years all the bad news had come from there- the lost battle, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer. Franz thinks for a moment without stopping, “What can be the matter now?” but he doesn’t have time to think over it. When he reaches near the school, he feels quite queer beyond his expectation like Sunday morning, a pin drop silence all around the school. He doesn’t hear any commotion as usually used to be when school began. But when he reaches nearer the school, he peeps through the window; Franz looks his classmates, already in their places, and M.Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. Somehow he opens the door and gets into the class by holding fear of scolding by M.Hamel but nothing happens.

 Franz feels many changes in his class, his classmates were quiet, M.Hamel was in his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the

little black silk cap, that he didn’t wear except on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemes so strange and solemn. The village people are sitting on the back benches that often used to be empty and he sees many more. But very soon Franz comes to know the reason of a pin drop silence of his classmates and villagers, M.Hamel, thus Franz’s heart breaks into pieces; he repents of not learning his mother tongue French. He feels sorry because neither he could read nor write properly French. 

Franz realizes his mistakes of not being serious about his study ever before. He turns humble towards his school and M.Hamel whom he hated the most, he starts loving those books, M.Hamel, the school that he had never been serious about. M.Hamel keeps on teaching and saying after one by one. And everyone hears that last lesson more attentively as if M.Hamel has never taught such attentively ever before. That day everyone looks grave about study and getting understand more easily. But everyone was sad due to the order from Berlin to teach only German in every school of Lorraine and Alsace. No one wills of changing their mother tongue and to impose German language at them. At last, M.Hamel turns to the black board, he takes a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he writes as large as he could

                                                “Vive La France!”

And then he makes the school dismiss.