The Last Lesson by Sukhpreet Singh

The Last Lesson

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow:

1.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

i.                     Why was the narrator in hurry and where was he heading to?

ii.                   “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!” Why did Wachter say so?

iii.                  What impact did Wachter’s statement had on Franz?

      2. 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.

i.                     What was the atmosphere of the school usually?

ii.                   ‘Iron ruler’ of the teacher symbolizes impatience of the teacher. Comment.

     3. 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.”

i.                     What was Franz wondering about?

ii.                   How did the announcement by M. Hamel impact Franz?

iii.                  The announcement by M. Hamel cleared the air of doubt for Franz. Comment.  

         4.  “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.”

i.                     What choked M Hamel?

ii.                   What does the content written on the board mean?

iii.                  How was ‘dismissal of the school’ today different from earlier dismissals?

Understanding the text

     1. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?

Or

We disvalue the things when we own them; but value them when lost. Elucidate in context to Franz’s situation.

It is a fact that humans barely value the things when they have them; but the moment these things are snatched from them, they start feeling the value of the same and try to get it back. This feeling of taking things for granted, at certain times, leaves them with nothing, but repentance. Same is the case with the people of Alsace and Lorraine, who barely paid heed to learning their mother tongue. Franz, who represents students having delinquent attitude towards their mother tongue and studies, feels ashamed of himself when he learns that it’s the last day of French language teaching. He feels even more embarrassed at this thought that he cannot write in French language as he never paid attention to his teacher.

Besides this, we also come across the careless and laid back attitude that the teacher carried earlier. He used to send students for watering his plants or fishing for his dinner, instead of working hard on them to improve their language proficiency.

Villagers too are to be held accountable for this, as they cared less to send their children to school, but sent them to fields for work. On the last day of French language teaching, the class was full to brim, students were sitting attentively in a proper way, and villagers were also sitting at the back benches having sadness conspicuous on their visages; because they have now realized that how important it is for the one to learn one’s mother tongue as it is a key to the prison of slavery. Alas! Now they can’t do anything to get rid of the shackles of slavery as they have not learnt their language properly. 

      2.  Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean? (There could be more than one answer.)

Here, solidarity of the birds and animals has been extolled and difference in humans has been mocked. Franz, a little boy, is able to perceive that birds and animals irrespective of their country, speak the same language unrestricted; but humans are divided on many grounds. Linguistic chauvinism is vivid when Berlin orders ban on French language and imposition of German language of the inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine. This dialogue of Franz shows his unwillingness to learning the imposed language and he wonders up to what level Germans would go in their attempts of linguistic chauvinism.

Extra Question Answers

      1. What does Franz’s starting late for school reveal to us?

It reveals that Franz is least interested to attend school. Besides this, he is not prepared with the test on participles and hence, in dread of his teacher, he wishes to indulge in truancy. He lingers on his way to the school to pass time. His not learning his test also brings to fore his trait of procrastination.

     2. What was more tempting to Franz than to attend the school?

Adoring the scenic beauty of the countryside and enjoying himself watching Prussian soldiers drilling was more tempting to Franz than to attend the school. He wishes to keep out of the school and remain and indolent spectator.

      3. What was Franz in dread of and why?

Franz was in dread of getting severely reprimanded by his French language teacher M Hamel for not learning his test of participles. Franz is even unaware of the basics of French language. He lacks understanding of it and does not even clear his doubts from his teacher as he is scared of the iron ruler that the teacher carries daily.

     4. “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”, who said this and why? What does it reveal to us?

This is being said by Wachter, the ironsmith. As Franz narrated in the story that it had been two years since only bad news about lost battles etc. had come from the bulletin board.  5.  What did Franz notice when he pass the town hall?

He noticed that there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board. There was a bulletin board in town hall to spread news amongst commoners. We also come to know that all bad news like lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer, come from this bulletin board.

 6. What was unusual about the school that day?

7.    Franz was expecting to get scolding from his teacher for being late, but he was treated nicely by the teacher. Why?

8.    “But now it was all so still!”. Why was school so still? What did Franz feel about it?

9.   What difference did Franz notice in the teacher?

10.   What assumptions about the dress of M.Hamel were put forward by Franz?

11. What other eccentric factors did Franz notice?

12.  “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.” How did this statement affect Franz and others?

13.  ” 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! “ Explain.