The Last Lesson (Prose)

Class 10 | English | Unit 6 | Prose | Alphonse Daudet

Historical Background: This lesson is set in the days of the France-Prussian war. France was ruled by Bismarck. Prussia then consisted of what now are the nations of Germany, Poland, and parts of Austria. The Prussians defeated the French and the districts of Alsace and Lorraine fell into the hands of the Prussians. The oppressors not only wanted the territory but dominated over the language and culture of the people, thus taking away their identity. Read the lesson to find out what impact this had on life at school.

The Story

I started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles, and I did not know the first word about them. For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school.

When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For the last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, "What can be the matter now?"

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.

Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher's great ruler rapping on the table. 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.

But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly,

"Go to your place quickly, little Franz. We were beginning without you."

a. What kind of news was usually put up on the bulletin board?

b. What was the usual scene when school began every day?

I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher 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. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves; old Hauser, with his three-cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides. Everybody looked sad; and Hauser had brought an old primer, thumbed at the edges, and he held it open on his knees with his great spectacles lying across the pages.

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."

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! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn anymore! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds' eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn't give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.

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.

c. Other than the students, who were present in the class?

d. Why did M. Hamel say it was the last French lesson?

While I was thinking of all this, I heard my name called. It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for the participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake? But I got mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to my desk, my heart beating, and not daring to look up.

I heard M. Hamel say to me,

"I won't scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad enough. See how it is! Every day we have said to ourselves, 'Bah! I've plenty of time. I'll learn it tomorrow.' And now you see where we've come out. Ah, that's the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, 'How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?' But you are not the worst, poor little Franz. We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with." "Your parents were not anxious enough to have you learn. They preferred to put you to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. And I? I've been to blame also. Have I not often sent you to water my flowers instead of learning your lessons? And when I wanted to go fishing, did I not just give you a holiday?"

Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy! I think, too, that I had never listened so carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away, and to put it all into our heads at one stroke.

e. What was Franz asked to tell? Was he able to answer?

f. Why did M. Hamel blame himself?

After the grammar, we had a lesson in writing. That day M. Hamel had new copies for us, written in a beautiful round hand — France, Alsace, France, Alsace. They looked like little flags floating everywhere in the school-room, hung from the rod at the top of our desks. You ought to have seen how everyone set to work, and how quiet it was! The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper. Once some beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not even the littlest ones, who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks, as if that was French, too. On the roof the pigeons cooed very low, and I thought to myself, "Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?"

Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little school-room. Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him, just like that. Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof. How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave the country next day.

But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last. After the writing, we had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Down there at the back of the room old Hauser had put on his spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands, spelled the letters with them. You could see that he, too, was crying; his voice trembled with emotion, and it was so funny to hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson!

g. What did M. Hamel say about the French language?

h. How many years had M. Hamel been in the village?

All at once the church-clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows. M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair. I never saw him look so tall.

"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."

"Vive la France!" — is an expression used in French to show patriotism. It is difficult to translate the term literally into English, but it generally means "Long live France!"

About the Author — Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897)

Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist and short-story writer. The Last Lesson is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) in which France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. Prussia then consisted of what now are the nations of Germany, Poland, and parts of Austria. In this story the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine have passed into Prussian hands.

Glossary

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning
chirping	verb	Making a short, sharp high-pitched sound (usually by small birds or insects)
bustle	verb	Move in an energetic manner
unison	noun	Simultaneous utterance of words
rapping	verb	Striking with a series of rapid audible blows
thumbed	verb	A book which has been read often and bearing the marks of frequent handling
Saar	noun	A river in northeastern France and western Germany
cranky	adjective	Strange; irritable
Angelus	noun	A Roman Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Jesus and including the Hail Mary, said at morning, noon, and sunset

Textbook Exercises

A. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences.

1. Why did Franz dread to go to school that day?
2. What were the various things that tempted Franz to spend his day outdoors?
3. Why was the narrator not able to get to his desk without being seen?
4. What was Franz sorry for?
5. Why were the old villagers sitting in the last desk?
6. What were the thoughts of the narrator's parents?
7. Why does M. Hamel say that we must guard our language?
8. M. Hamel was gazing at many things. What were they?
9. When and how did M. Hamel bid farewell to the class?

B. Answer the following questions in about 100–150 words.

1. We appreciate the value of something only when we are about to lose it. Explain this with reference to the French language and M. Hamel.
2. Give an account of the last day of M. Hamel in school.

Vocabulary

C. Idiomatic Phrases — Match Column A with Column B

Column A (Idiomatic Phrase)	Column B (Equivalent Single Word)
go far	succeed
blow up	explode
show up	reveal
call on	visit
break off	finish
knuckle under	submit

D. Frame sentences using the idiomatic phrases above.

Phrase	Sample Sentence
go far	If you work hard, you will go far in life.
blow up	The balloon will blow up if you fill it with too much air.
show up	The truth will show up sooner or later.
call on	The teacher will call on you to read the next paragraph.
break off	They decided to break off the meeting early.
knuckle under	He refused to knuckle under to the bully's demands.

E. Find the meaning of the following idiomatic phrases.

Phrase	Meaning
put on	To wear; to pretend
walk away	To leave without difficulty; to win easily
come in	To enter; to become relevant
time out	A short break from an activity
try again	To make another attempt
go on	To continue

Writing — Posters

What is a Poster?

Posters are placards displayed in a public place announcing or advertising something. Posters are notices, advertisements, and invitations — all in one.

Purpose of a Poster

It is to create social awareness about current problems and needs, or to advertise or invite and display something.

Layout of a Poster

• It should be attractive, colourful, and tempting.
• The title should be catchy.
• Slogans or jingles should be used.
• Sketches or simple drawings may be used.
• Letters may be of different sizes and shapes.
• Proper spacing should be given.

Content of a Poster

• The theme or subject
• Descriptions along with it
• Essentials like time, date, venue etc. (in case of an event)
• Names of issuing authority / organisation

I. Create posters for the following situations.

1. You are Raja/Ranjani. Draft a poster to create awareness about the harmful effects of using plastics, in not more than 50 words.
2. Say 'No to Drugs' – Design a poster for it in not more than 50 words. You may use slogans/phrases.
3. "Save our Earth" is the need of the hour. Draft a poster with attractive slogans/phrases for the same in not more than 50 words. Use attractive drawings.
4. You are Sita/Sudhan. Design a poster in not more than 50 words to focus on not wasting water. Be creative.
5. Good handwriting is the index of an individual. Design a poster on the importance of good handwriting. Use catchy slogans or phrases. Your poster should not exceed 50 words.

Writing — Letter to the Editor

This is a formal type of letter. The format is as follows:

• Sender's address
• Date
• Receiver's address
• Salutation (Sir / Madam)
• Subject
• Main body (Introduction → Causes → Effects → Suggestions → Conclusion)
• Subscription: Yours faithfully + Signature + Designation

Useful Expressions

• Through the esteemed columns of your daily/newspaper, I wish to bring to your kind notice ____
• In my opinion …
• This is a very shocking/disturbing use of ____

J. Draft Letters for the following situations.

1. You are Ajeet, living in a remote village in Tirunelveli. Write a letter to the editor stating the need to organise health and hygiene camps.
2. You are Sanjay. Write a letter echoing the importance to conserve and preserve solar energy.
3. You are Sadasivam. Write a letter to the Editor highlighting the poor condition of a family temple in Vellore.
4. You are Sudha. Write a letter to the Editor highlighting the nuisance of a neighbour's pet dog barking continuously.
5. You are Raja. Write a letter to a newspaper about the street lights not working properly in your area.

Grammar — Subject–Verb Agreement

The subject and verb of a sentence should be in agreement with each other. A verb agrees with the subject in number and person. A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Rules

Rule	Example
Two or more singular subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb.	You and I love music.
When two subjects are joined by "as well as", the verb agrees with the first subject.	Her cousins as well as she are hard working.
Either, neither, each, every and everyone are followed by a singular verb.	Each of them is lovable.
When two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be singular.	My sister and friend has come.
When two subjects express one idea, the verb is in the singular.	Three and three make six.
When a plural noun expresses a specific quantity considered as a whole, the verb is singular.	Thirty litres of milk is too much for payasam.
With "with", "together with", "and not", "besides", "no less than" the verb is singular.	He and not she is to blame.
The verb agrees with the nouns that follow the verb.	There are ten students in the crowd.
Some nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take a singular verb.	News never comes too late.
A plural noun that is the name of a country, province, or book is followed by a singular verb.	Around the World in Eighty Days is an adventure novel.
A collective noun takes a singular verb.	The whole class is attentive.
A relative pronoun must agree with its gender, number, and person.	It is I, who is to write.

A. Fill in the blanks appropriately.

Sentence	Answer
1. Mahatma Gandhi ___ the father of our nation.	is
2. There ___ ten dogs in my street.	are
3. They ___ to write the exercises neatly.	have
4. Butter milk ___ good for health.	is
5. Fruits ___ good for health.	are

B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb.

Sentence	Answer
1. The quality of dal ___ not good.	is
2. The horse carriage ___ at the door.	stands / is
3. My friend and teacher _____ come.	has
4. ___ your father and mother at home?	Are
5. Honour and glory ___ his reward.	is
6. The ship with its crew ___ sailing good.	is
7. Gulliver's Travels ___ an excellent story.	is
8. Neither food nor water ___ found here.	is
9. Mathematics ___ a branch of study.	is
10. Fifteen minutes ___ allowed to read the question paper.	is

C. Change the singular nouns to plurals.

Singular	Plural
leaf	leaves
lorry	lorries
bat	bats
clock	clocks
table	tables
lamp	lamps
doll	dolls
biscuit	biscuits
knife	knives
loaf	loaves

Grammar — Non Finites

Verbs are action words. They are divided into two: Finite and Non Finites.

Finite Verbs

• Act as the main verb of a sentence or a clause.
• Indicate number, person, and tense.
• Are used in the present tense and the past tense.
• Have to agree with the subject and change accordingly.

Non Finite Verbs

• Do not act as the main verb of a sentence.
• Act as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Do not indicate number, person, or tense.
• Are usually gerunds, infinitives, or participles.

Types of Non Finites

Type	Form	Example
Full Infinitive	to + verb	Pushpa eats lunch with me. (to eat)
Bare Infinitive	verb without 'to'	Reena will help me.
Gerund	verb + ing (functions as a noun)	Reading is a good habit.
Present Participle	verb + ing	The baby singing in the room is my child.
Past Participle	verb + d/ed/en	She is a retired Principal.
Perfect Participle	having + past participle	Having finished the work, he went home.

D. Identify the non-finites in the following sentences and underline them.

Sentence	Non-Finite Identified
Children love eating chocolates.	eating (gerund)
Roshan dreams of becoming an architect.	becoming (gerund)
We must aim at fulfilling Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's dream.	fulfilling (gerund)
Taking the children to the museum is Seema's responsibility.	Taking (gerund as subject)
Having finished the work, the manager decided to return home.	Having finished (perfect participle)
Travelling with her family, Tara enjoyed every minute of it.	Travelling (present participle)

E. Fill in the blanks with the correct participles.

Sentence	Answer
1. ______ the flute, Krishna returned it. {played / having played}	Having played
2. We wish she continues ______ healthy. {being / be}	being
3. The doctor advised him against ______ in the sun. {wander / wandering}	wandering
4. I like ______ rasam. {drinking / drink}	drinking
5. ______ the scissors I returned it to her. {using / having used}	Having used

F. Tick the correct sentences.

#	Option A	Option B	Correct
1	I had desired to eat a cake.	I had desired to have eaten cake.	A
2	My son is fond of music.	My son is fond to music.	A
3	Sreena avoids eating fruits.	Sreena avoids to eat fruits.	A
4	Bravery is not to pick a quarrel.	Bravery is not picking a quarrel.	B
5	It is easier to say than do.	It is easier said than done.	B

Practice Practice Exercises

1. You are Raja/ Ranjani. Draft a poster to create awareness about the harmful effects of using plastics, in not more than 50 words

2. Say 'No to Drugs' - Design a poster for it in not more than 50 words. You may use slogans/ phrases.

3. “Save our Earth” is the need of the hour. Draft a poster with attractive slogans/ phrases for the same in not more than 50 words. Use attractive drawings.

4. You are Sita/ Sudhan. Design a poster in not more than 50 words to focus on not wasting water. Be creative.

5. Good handwriting is the index of an individual. Design a poster on the importance of good handwriting. Use catchy slogans or phrases. Your poster should not exceed 50 words.

1. You are Ajeet, living in a remote village in Tirunelveli. You participated in a health camp organised by your school. You were surprised to observe that most of the residents were unaware of health and hygiene. As a concerned citizen, write a letter to the editor stating the need to organise such camps focusing on the importance of health and hygiene.

2. You are Sanjay. Your colony utilises solar energy to light the common areas. You find many friends of your colony forgetting to switch off the lights in the common area. As a responsible citizen, write a letter to a newspaper, echoing the importance to conserve and preserve solar energy.

3.You are Sadasivam. You recently visited your native town in Vellore. You happened to accompany your grandmother to your family temple. You were shocked to notice the poor condition and maintenance of the temple. Write a letter to the Editor of local newspaper highlighting the poor condition of the temple. Also give some suggestions and request the HRC to take steps to improve the situation.

4. You are Sudha. Your neighbour has a pet dog that barks continuously. Write a letter to the Editor of a weekly newspaper of your locality, highlighting the nuisance and noise pollution created thus. Also suggest ways to solve the problem.

5. You are Raja. The street lights of your area do not work properly. As a responsible citizen, write a letter to the newspaper enlightening them about the problem and also suggest ways to brighten the area.

1. Mahatma Gandhi the father of our nation.

2. There ten dogs in my street.

3. They to write the exercises neatly.

4. Butter milk good for health.

5. Fruits good for health.

1. The quality of dal not good.

2.The horse carriage at the door.

3. My friend and teacher come.

4. your father and mother at home?

5.Honour and glory his reward.

6.The ship with its crew sailing good.

7.Gullivers Travels an excellent story.

8. Neither food nor water found here.

9. Mathematics a branch of study.

10. Fifteen minutes allowed to read the question paper.

1. Roshan dreams of becoming an architect.

2. We must aim at fulfilling Dr APJ Abdul kalam's dream to make India the most developed country by 2020.

3. Taking the children to the museum is Seema's responsibility.

4. Having finished the work, the manager decided to return home.

5. Travelling with her family, Tara enjoyed every minute of it.

1. on the flute, Krishna returned it. {played/having played}

2.We wish she continues healthy. {being /be}

3. The doctor advised him against in the sun. {wander / wandering}

4. I like rasam. {drinking / drink}

5. the scissors I returned it to her. {using / having used}

a. What kind of news was usually put up on the bulletin board?

b. What was the usual scene when school began everyday?

c. Other than the students, who were present in the class?

d. Why did Mr. Hamel say it was the last French lesson?

e. What was Franz asked to tell? Was he able to answer?

f. Why did Mr.Hamel blame himself?

g. What did M. Hamel say about the French language?

h. How many years had M. Hamel been in the village?

1. Why did Franz dread to go to school that day?

2. What were the various things that tempted Franz to spend his day outdoors?

3. Why was the narrator not able to get to his desk without being seen?

4. What was Frank sorry for?

5. Why were the old villagers sitting in the last desk?

6. What were the thoughts of the narrator's parents?

7. Why does M. Hamel say that we must guard our language?

8. M. Hamel was gazing at many things. What were they?

9. When and how did M. Hamel bid farewell to the class?

1. We appreciate the value of something only when we are about to lose it. Explain this with reference to the French language and M.Hamel.

2. Give an account of the last day of M.Hamel in school.

Student B : (NJ) -

Student B : (NJ) - I have an alternative .

Student B : (NJ) - .

Student B : ( NJ) - .

(a) is the festival

(b) is referred to as a festival of sacrifice.

2. What kind of joy is unfurled during the festival of sacrifice?

3. How can we make our life worth living?

4. What does the poet mean by 'Festival of flowers'?

5. When are we in a state of trance?

6. What do the people do when the festival of Music is celebrated?

7. What makes us happy and free, according to the poet?

8. Find out the rhyme scheme employed in the fourth stanza.

9. Pick out the rhyming words from the first stanza of the poem.

(a) Festival of Flowers

(b) That spreads treasures on a tree