Title of the Chapter
Title: The title of the chapter “The Last Lesson” shows teaching from the side of teacher to his students to import the significance of mother tongue. This chapter is written by the Writer Alphonse Daudet.
Theme of the Chapter
Theme: The Theme of the chapter deals with mainly two things first human nature of procrastinating things and another one is freedom and patriotism. Author try to convey these ideas by showing one’s love for mother tongue and says that we must respect and hold fast to our mother tongue.
Summary of the Chapter
Synopsis: This is a story set up during France Prussian war. When two France district, Alsace and Lorraine went in German hands. Due to which teaching French was discontinued in the school of those two district.
The story revolves around mainly two characters M. Hamels, a French language teacher and Franz who fear to go to school that day as he had not prepared his lesson on participles. He wanted to enjoy the beauty of nature light, Chirping of birds and Prussian soldier drilling. He observe that huge crowd gathered in front of bullet-in-board that had given all the bad news related to war.
On reaching school Franz observe strange silence which was unusual and on entering in the classroom. He saw his teacher was wearing fancy clothes which he used to wear during Sunday Inspection day or Price Distribution Day. The next thing which he noticed was last benches were occupied by elderly people. M. Hamel announced that today was the last class in French language. Franz shocked completely regretting that why had he understood, why his was well dressed and why villagers were at the back benches of classroom.
M. Hamel says that it is our fault that we procrastinated things and for this three of us are responsible that are parents, students and teacher as well. At last M. Hamel tried to make everyone understand that as long as you have to hold fast to your mother tongue. Hamel got emotional and wrote “Long Live France” and dismissed the class.
Question and Answers
What tempted Franz to stay away from School?
On that day Franz is not willing to go to school. He wanted to enjoy the beauty of nature like chirping of birds, drilling of Prussian soldiers and moreover he had not prepared his lessons on participles asked by his teacher previous day.
Explain the order comes from Berlin is a thunderclap by Franz?
The order from Berlin is that French language is to be discontinued in the school of Alsace and Lorraine and German language will be taught. Franz is in a complete shock because he does not know how to read or write his mother tongue as he has procrastinated his mother tongue.
Who were sitting at the backbenches during M. Hamel’s last lesson? Why?
The respectable villagers were sitting at the back benches of the classroom to pay tribute to the teacher for giving 40 years of service to the school dedicatedly. Moreover as it was the last lesson in French language and to give respect to their mother tongue.
What did M. Hamel tell them about the language? What did he ask to do and why?
M. Hamel said that the French language is the most beautiful, the most logical and the clearest language in the world. He asked to hold it fast because it is a key to the prison of slavery.
What unusual things franz noticed that day after reaching school?
On that day Franz noticed three things first one sheer silence in the school, his teacher wearing fancy clothes which he used to wear on special occasion and at last villagers were sitting at the backbenches of the classroom.
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