THE LAST LESSON
Alphonse Daudet
Alphonse Daudet’s ‘The Last Lesson’ is set in Alsace,
a territory that was dispatched between- France and Germany (than a part of
Prussia) France has been defeated by Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War and
Alsace and Lorraine had been handed over to Prussia. This is an account of the
students who were there to study German. The students and other citizens who
identify themselves as French had not valued their mother tongue. The lesson
renders a torching and emotional adieu to the identity of the French who were
being deprived not only of their political freedom but also their identify
NOTES
v Franz fears while going to school
·
Late
for school.
·
Afraid
of scolding
·
Had
not learnt lesson on participle
·
Thought
of running away and spending the day outside because the day was bright and
warm.
·
Birds chirping
·
Tempted
to watch drilling of Prussian soldiers
·
Overcome
temptation and rushed to school
v Scene at the town hall
·
Bulletin
board a, source of bad news
·
A
crowd an front of Bulletin board
v Usual scene at school
·
Hustle
and bustle
·
Notes
of opening and closing desk.
·
Repetition
of lesson in unison
·
Striking
of teachers rule again not the table
v Changes in school noticed by Franz
·
Everything
was silent
·
M.
Hamel was in occasional dress
·
Classmates
were already in their places
·
Surprising
things in classroom
·
Kindness
of M. Hamel
·
Serious
look of the school
·
Village
elderly people sitting on back benches.
v M. Hamel's addressing to students
·
M. Hamel
demanded full attention
·
Last
lesson of French
·
German
will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine
·
Franz
felt sorry for ignoring his lesson
·
Deeply
pained at the thought of M. Hamel going away
v A Tribute to Teacher by the villagers
gathered in the class room.
·
Repentance
for not having attended in the school.
·
To
thank the master for 40 years’ service.
·
As a
mark, of respect for the country.
v Lack of learning : Hamel's view
·
Parents
ignorant; not anxious to have their children learn
·
Children
preferred to be put to work on farms or mills.
·
Also
blamed himself for sending children on errands
v M. Hamel teaches his last lesson.
·
Calls
the French language the most beautiful language.
·
Gives
them their lesson in grammar
·
Wants
to teach them everything in one go
·
Gives
a lesson in writing
v Student's attention
·
Set to
work very quickly
·
Pin
drop silence.
·
Even
beetles fail to distract them.
v M. Hamel's dedication.
·
Served
school for forty year
·
Nothing
had changed
·
Desks
and benches had worn smooth
·
Walnut
trees grow taller, hopvine reached to the roof
v M. Hamel's courage
·
Delivers
his lost lesson in history
·
Tears
roll down from the eyes of listeners
·
Everyone
gets emotional
v M. Hamel spirit of patriotism
·
Church
clock strikes twelve
·
Trumpets
of the Prussian soldiers sound-under the window
·
M. Hamel
writs ° vive la France' to dismiss the last class
·
Dismissed
school by making a gesture with his hand
VALUE BASED
QUESTIONS
5 Marks
100 Words
The Last
Lesson
Q. Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel
and school changed gradually by the end of the text, though he had a great
disliking for both the beginning of the story. It is said that first impression
is the last impression. Is it true in context of “The Last Lesson”? Definitely
not.
Write a small paragraph of about 100
words penning down your views on, ‘A person can be best judged in his first
appearance only’.
Ans: A well-known dictum states
that ’appearances are deceptive’. In fact, it is true that one cannot be judged
in just one meeting. Actually, one or more meetings are not enough to judge a
person’s personality. Every person reacts differently on different situations
at different times. So it is not a matter of single appearances to form a
judgment about a person. It might be a prejudice.
Now-a-days every person appears to be
social and gentle. They want to be presentable in the society. No matter what
their background is. One’s clothes, gestures, habits, etc. do not de4fine one’s
personality in just one appearance. Due time should be taken to form opinion
about a person. Different situations reveal different aspects of one’s
personality. Sometimes a life remains short to know a person. But sometimes
even a few seconds are enough to know one’s real face. Hence, it is not a
matter of first or last impression but the issue of time, needed to know one in
one’s right colours.
Q. While
speaking his mouth choked and wrote, ‘Vive La France’ and finally by gesture he
said: “School is dismissed – you may go.”
These lines show
that M Hamel was greatly attached to his motherland, profession and mother
tongue. In other words, one should be attached to his own land, cultures and
customs. But today’s Indians are drowned in the western colours. It shows that
there is need to spread awareness about the feeling of patriotism and other
related factors. Write a paragraph in about 100 words highlighting the issue.
Ans. Patriotism-An
Unmatched Spirit
Patriotism
is defined as one’s love for one’s customs, culture, mother tongue, motherland
and everything what is associated with one’s motherland. One should be proud of
what one’s country has given to him. In Indian context, people have started
adopting western culture. They are in the race of being ‘Mod’. This is really
surprising as well as pathetic. As an Indian, we own a rich and diversified
culture which has attracted foreigners too. Many patriots have sacrificed their
lives in the name of their country which has attracted foreigners too. Many
Patriots have a feeling that cannot be filled in the hearts of Indians but it
should be arisen and inculcated among the future generation of the country. The
students or the youth of the country need to be indianised. Adaption of
different cultures is not bad. But forgetting our own culture for sake of other
ones is not done. The need of the hour is to inculcate the moral values,
virtues, love for humanity and motherland among the Indian youth. Patriotism is
an undying and unmatched spirit that cannot be sacrificed for anything.
Q. Read the following question and
answer the question that follows:
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!”
Abraham Lincoln, a former president of
America said’
“I like to see a man proud of the
place in which he lives.
I like to see a man live so that his
place will be proud of him.”
After reading the lesson and the above quote of Abraham
Lincoln you being to reflect on the lost spirit of patriotism amongst the youth
in India due to which there is no respect for once countrymen and no
determination amongst the youth to lead the country to be a better future.
Write an article in about 100 words
for a national magazine on the need for revival of patriotic spirit amongst the
youth of India.
ANS: The
Need for Revival of Patriotic Spirit amongst the Youth in India”. India has been the land of proud
martyrs who embraced the gallows for their ideals, where every drop in freedom
fighter’s blood fought not for itself but for nation. Today, the same India
stands famished and starved of the true patriotic spirit. Our youth appears to
be driven more by a crazy love for a superficial self-advancement than anything
else for our young boys and girls, country holds on better value than just a
geographical identity. Undoubtedly, ‘patriotism’ needs to be redefined and
revived in India.
We probably find our patriotic spirit stirred
up when there is an Indo-pak cricket match or when terrorists bomb our trains.
But we definitely forget it when we cast our vote in the elections, when a
hungry beggar asks for a rupee, when we shamelessly throw garbage on the roads
and so on….
Patriotic emotions cannot be engendered in a
windfall. They will have to be engraved on tender hearts that will remain
placid. Our education policies thus needed to be revalued and reformed. More
national awareness and respect should be embedded into the scholastic
curriculum. This could be nothing more than a sincere devotion for making a
peaceful-loving, uncorrupt, crime-free, unpolluted and patriotic India. Small
actions persuaded with a notion of doing good to other countrymen is true
patriotism. Today, our country wants awakened citizens to move forward and it
is in this sphere where we have to exercise our true patriotic spirit.
Q. ‘When a
people are enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language it is as if
they had the key to their prison.’
This
statement is given before the students by their teacher M. Hamel in his last
lesson. After reading the lesson, what do you think about the ‘Role and
Importance of Language in the lives of countrymen’? Write your views in the
form of an article in about 100 words to be published in your school magazine.
Q. ‘The Last
Lesson’ by Alphonse Dauet throws light on the feeling of patriotism among
countrymen as well as their love towards their language and the role this
language plays in their lives.
Taking
referenced from the text write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or
against having to study three languages at school.
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