Here, you will find a summary, textual solutions, questions, answers, notes. pdf, extras to the chapter “The Last Lesson” by Alphonse Daudet which is a part of Class 10 English (Tresure Chest) syllabus for students studying under ICSE.
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Evergreen workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions
(i) The story ‘The Last Lesson’ is written by:
A. G. B. Shaw B. Alphonse Daudet C. William Faulkner D. Ray Bradbury
Answer: B. Alphonse Daudet
(ii) What was Franz’s fear as he was going to school?
A. fear of the bullies B. scolding by M. Hamel C. punishment for being late D. none of the above
Answer: C. punishment for being late
(iii) What seemed tempting to Franz while going to school?
A. playing with the village boys B. swimming in the river C. enjoying open nature and chirping of birds D. going to a friend’s house
Answer: C. enjoying open nature and chirping of birds
(iv) The bulletin board showed
A. cheerful B. horrible C. routine D. sad news.
Answer: D. sad news.
(v) Who was Wachter ?
A. Franz’s classfellow B. Franz’s father C. a blacksmith D. school gardener
Answer: C. a blacksmith
(vi) What dress was M. Hamel wearing ?
A. a formal Sunday dress B. dress worn on inspection days and prize days C. casual dress D. funny dress
Answer: B. dress worn on inspection days and prize days
(vii) Who among these was not there on the back benches ?
A. former mayor B. former postman C. the headmaster D. old Hauser
Answer: C. the headmaster
(viii) What came as ‘a thunder clap’ to Franz ?
A. scolding by the teacher B. Berlin order against teaching French C. Franz’s failure in the exams D. defeat of the French forces
Answer: B. Berlin order against teaching French
(ix) Which of these was difficult to learn for Franz ?
A. History lesson B. German language C. Mathematical formulae D. Participles
Answer: D. Participles
(x) What was written in the new copies in the handwriting of M. Hamel?
A. Country’s slogans B. France C. Freedom D. France, Alsace, France, Alsace
Answer: D. France, Alsace, France, Alsace
Comprehension passage
Passage 1
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 saw-mill the Prussian soldiers were drilling.
(i) Why did the narrator think of running away?
Answer: The narrator thought of running away because he was afraid of being punished for not learning his lessons.
(ii) What do you think about the narrator?
Answer: The narrator seems to be a young schoolboy who is carefree and easily distracted. He does not take his studies seriously.
(iii) What was tempting to the narrator? What did he dread?
Answer: The warm, bright day and sounds of nature like chirping birds were tempting the narrator to run away. He dreaded being punished by his teacher for not learning his lessons.
(iv) Why were the Prussian soldiers doing their drills?
Answer: The Prussian soldiers were occupying Alsace after defeating France in the Franco-Prussian war. They were doing military drills as part of their occupation.
(v) What temptations did the narrator overcome? Where was he going?
Answer: The narrator overcame the temptations of the pleasant weather and sounds of nature. He resisted running away and instead headed to school.
Passage 2
Through the window I saw my classmates, already in this 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) Who is the narrator? What does he teach?
Answer: The narrator is a young schoolboy named Franz. M. Hamel is his French teacher.
(ii) What was M. Hamel doing when Franz looked through the window? Was it a pleasant sight?
Answer: M. Hamel was walking with an iron ruler under his arm which frightened Franz. It was not a pleasant sight.
(iii) Why was Franz frightened?
Answer: Franz was frightened because he was late for school and had not learned his lessons. He expected to be punished by M. Hamel.
(iv) Did the teacher punish Franz? What happened when Franz entered the classroom?
Answer: No, M. Hamel did not punish Franz. He kindly asked Franz to take his seat when he entered the classroom.
(v) Which kind of dress was M. Hamel wearing? Why?
Answer: M. Hamel was wearing his formal dress that he wore only on inspection days and prize days. This was unusual for an ordinary school day.
Passage 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) Who is the narrator and where is he?
Answer: The narrator is Franz, a young schoolboy. He is in his French class in school.
(ii) Who was M. Hamel? How would he treat his students?
Answer: M. Hamel was Franz’s French teacher. He generally treated his students strictly but was also gentle and kind at times.
(iii) Why was it his last lesson?
Answer: It was M. Hamel’s last lesson because of the order from Berlin to stop teaching French in Alsace and Lorraine schools after France’s defeat.
(iv) What did M. Hamel wish his students to do?
Answer: M. Hamel wanted his students to be very attentive in his last French lesson.
(v) In which mood was M. Hamel? Why?
Answer: M. Hamel was in a grave and sad mood because he had to give up teaching French which he loved.
Passage 4
Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning 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 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.”
(i) What do you learn about the speaker?
Answer: The speaker is M. Hamel, Franz’s French teacher. He is patriotic and cares deeply about teaching the French language.
(ii) What is the regret in his mind?
Answer: M. Hamel regrets that the people of Alsace have neglected learning French properly and taken their language for granted.
(iii) Who are those ‘fellows’? How would they mock at the villagers?
Answer: ‘Those fellows’ refers to the Prussian rulers. They would mock the villagers for being French yet not speaking proper French.
(iv) Who were to be blamed for the present situation, according to the speaker?
Answer: According to M. Hamel, the villagers, parents, and even he himself as a teacher were to be blamed for not taking French language learning seriously enough.
(v) Later, what does speaker say about the French language?
Answer: Later, M. Hamel says French is the most beautiful language, logical and clear. He urges the people to preserve it as their key to freedom.
Passage 5
“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 ?”
(i) Who is addressing and whom, and on what occasion?
Answer: M. Hamel is addressing his students on the occasion of his last French lesson.
(ii) Who were put to earn more money for the parents? What does it show about them?
Answer: The students were put to work on farms or mills by parents to earn more money. It shows parents prioritized money over their children’s education.
(iii) What made the speaker blame himself?
Answer: M. Hamel blames himself for often sending students to do his personal chores instead of teaching them lessons.
(iv) What do you think of the speaker?
Answer: The speaker M. Hamel seems to be a dedicated teacher who cares about his students’ learning, even though he was sometimes strict.
(v) According to the speaker, what is the importance of learning our mother tongues?
Answer: According to M. Hamel, it is very important to learn our native languages well as they are a key part of our identity and freedom.
Passage 6
…. 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.
(i) Which language is being referred to here? What is the occasion of this observation?
Answer: French language is being referred to here. M. Hamel is addressing his students in his last French lesson.
(ii) What does the speaker think of the language being referred to?
Answer: The speaker M. Hamel thinks French is the most beautiful, clear and logical language in the world.
(iii) What is his advice to the listeners?
Answer: M. Hamel advises his students to preserve the French language and never forget it.
(iv) Why should the enslaved people not forget their language?
Answer: Enslaved people should not forget their language because it is key to preserving their identity and winning their freedom.
(v) What had been the attitude of the people earlier about their own language, according to the speaker?
Answer: Earlier the people of Alsace had neglected learning French properly and taken their language lightly.
Passage 7
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 ?”
(i) Where did the beetles fly in? How did the students react?
Answer: The beetles flew into the classroom. But the students were so focused on their work that they ignored the interruption.
(ii) What was being done, and by whom and where?
Answer: The students were practicing their French writing of the words France and Alsace in their classroom.
(iii) What made even the children do their work with full concentration?
Answer: M. Hamel’s announcement that this was their last French lesson made the students value the language and work diligently.
(iv) Who is ‘I’ referred to here? What thought did he have?
Answer: ‘I’ refers to the narrator Franz. He wondered if the Prussian rulers would even force the pigeons to coo in German.
(v) What is the tone in, “Will they make them……….?” What literary device is used here?
Answer: The tone is ironic. The literary device used is irony to highlight the extent of the Prussian rulers’ cultural domination.
Passage 8
“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 !”
(i) Who is ‘he’? Why was he so sentimental?
Answer: ‘He’ refers to M. Hamel, Franz’s French teacher. He was sentimental because this was his last French lesson.
(ii) What could he not do? Why?
Answer: M. Hamel could not speak further as he was choked with emotion.
(iii) What did he write on the blackboard; and why?
Answer: He wrote “Vive la France!” (Long live France) on the blackboard to express his love for France.
(iv) What do you think of this person?
Answer: M. Hamel seems to be a deeply patriotic person who truly cares for the French language and culture.
(v) ‘Vive La France’. What does it mean and symbolize? What does it show about the speaker?
Answer: It means “Long live France” and symbolizes M. Hamel’s patriotism. His act shows he deeply loved teaching French and was sad to give up.
Morning Star workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions II
1. Who is ‘I’ referred to in the first paragraph of the story?
A. The teacher, M. Hamel
B. Old Hauser
C. The narrator, Franz
D. The former mayor
Answer: C. The narrator, Franz
2. Why did the narrator dread going to school?
A. He had not learnt the poem
B. He had not studied about participles
C. He had forgotten his assignment at home
D. None of the above
Answer: B. He had not studied about participles
3. What was the first thought that came to the narrator’s mind when he started for school?
A. Spending the day outdoors
B. Going back home
C. Walking along the Saar river
D. None of the above
Answer: A. Spending the day outdoors
4. What was the usual thing that was missing when the narrator entered the school?
A. Absolute silence
B. Great bustle
C. Guards at the door
D. No students
Answer: B. Great bustle
5. What sort of attire was donned by Franz’s teacher during his last French class?
A. Worn on special occasions
B. Worn during sad events
C. Worn by the French soldiers
D. Worn to war
Answer: A. Worn on special occasions
6. Name the figure of speech used in the line given below:
“Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn.”
A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Metaphor
D. Alliteration
Answer: D. Alliteration
7. Why were the village people sitting on the back benches in the class?
A. To attend M. Hamel’s last class
B. To thank M. Hamel for his services
C. To show their respect for their country
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
8. Why did M. Hamel say that it would be his last lesson?
A. He had been transferred to Prussia
B. French language would be replaced by German in the schools
C. He had been dismissed from his service
D. He was going to Germany to learn German
Answer: B. French language would be replaced by German in the schools
9. “The new master comes tomorrow.” Who was supposed to be the new master?
A. The teacher who would teach them the German language
B. The Prussian administrators
C. The new Principal of the school
D. None of the above
Answer: A. The teacher who would teach them the German language
10. “What a thunder-clap these words were to me!” The words were:
A. Loud
B. Pleasant
C. Startling
D. Soft
Answer: C. Startling
11. Choose the option that lists the sequence of events in the correct order.
- The news M. Hamel gave the class seemed as a thunder-clap to Franz
- Franz thought of skipping his class and spending the day outdoors.
- Franz saw the back benches in his class occupied by the village people
- In his school that day, everything was as quiet as Sunday morning.
A. 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 4, 3, 2, 1
C. 2, 4, 1, 3
D. 2, 4, 3, 1
Answer: D. 2, 4, 3, 1
12. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between statements (1) and (2):
- How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?
- Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar!
A. 2 is the cause for 1
B. 1 is an example of 2
C. 1 is independent of 2
D. 1 is a contradiction of 2
Answer: A. 2 is the cause for 1
Context questions and answers
Extract 1
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 saw-mill 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.
(i) Who is referred to as “I” in the extract? Where was he? Why does he think of running away?
Answer: The “I” referred to in the extract is Franz, the narrator. He was on his way to school. He thought of running away because the weather was inviting, and it seemed far more enjoyable to be outdoors than attending school and studying grammar.
(ii) Why does he want to spend the day outdoors? Which of his characteristic traits is revealed from his wish?
Answer: Franz wanted to spend the day outdoors because it was warm and bright, and he was tempted by the pleasant sights and sounds of nature. His wish reveals his tendency to procrastinate and avoid unpleasant tasks, like studying.
(iii) What is the presence of Prussian soldiers a reference to, which is revealed later in the story? How does their presence affect the people?
Answer: The presence of the Prussian soldiers is a reference to the Franco-Prussian War, after which the regions of Alsace and Lorraine were annexed by Germany. Their presence signifies the occupation of the region, which deeply affects the people by imposing the new law to teach German instead of French.
(iv) What does the narrator find more tempting than the rule for participles? Does he fall for the temptation? What does he do?
Answer: The narrator finds the warm, sunny day and the chirping birds more tempting than the rule for participles. However, he does not fall for the temptation and instead hurries off to school.
(v) Explain briefly the characteristics of the person referred to as “I” in the extract.
Answer: The person referred to as “I,” Franz, is shown to be easily distracted and inclined to avoid his responsibilities, such as schoolwork. However, he also shows determination, as he ultimately resists temptation and fulfills his duty to go to school.
Extract 2
‘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) Who is addressing whom in this extract? How has the narrator described his tone before the beginning of this extract?
Answer: M. Hamel is addressing his students, including Franz. The narrator, Franz, describes M. Hamel’s tone as grave and gentle before this moment, which contrasts with his usual strictness.
(ii) Why does the narrator say that it would be his last lesson? Which lesson is he talking about?
Answer: M. Hamel says it would be his last lesson because an order from Berlin has decreed that only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. He is referring to the last lesson in French.
(iii) What order has come from Berlin? Why?
Answer: The order from Berlin mandates that only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine, as the region has been annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War.
(iv) Who is referred to in the extract as ‘the new master’? How would this ‘new master’ affect the people of Alsace and Lorraine?
Answer: The ‘new master’ refers to the German teacher who will take over after M. Hamel. This new master symbolizes the loss of the French identity for the people of Alsace and Lorraine, as they will no longer be taught in their native language, furthering their assimilation into German culture.
(v) Explain briefly how ‘The Last Lesson’ is an appropriate title for the story.
Answer: ‘The Last Lesson’ is an appropriate title because it refers to the final French lesson that M. Hamel gives his students, symbolizing the end of an era for the people of Alsace and Lorraine. It reflects the loss of their language and cultural identity due to the German occupation.
Extract 3
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?’
(i) What has Franz done for which M. Hamel said that he would not scold him? Why?
Answer: Franz had not prepared for the participle lesson, and M. Hamel said he would not scold him because the circumstances were already so sad, and Franz must have felt guilty enough for neglecting his studies.
(ii) To whom is M. Hamel referring to by using the pronoun ‘We’? What is suggested by it?
Answer: M. Hamel is referring to the people of Alsace, including himself and Franz, by using ‘We’. It suggests a collective procrastination in valuing and learning their own language.
(iii) What have they said every day to themselves? What are its consequences?
Answer: Every day they have said to themselves that they had plenty of time and would learn tomorrow. The consequence is that they never properly learned their language, and now they face the prospect of losing the opportunity to learn it at all.
(iv) Who are the ‘fellows’ referred to in this extract? What will they say to them? Are they right in saying so? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: The ‘fellows’ referred to are the Germans who will take control of Alsace and Lorraine. They will say that the people pretend to be French but cannot speak or write in their language. They are somewhat right because the people of Alsace neglected learning French, despite identifying as French.
(v) Explain briefly the theme indicated in this extract.
Answer: The theme in this extract is the importance of valuing one’s language and culture before it is too late. It highlights the regret of procrastination and the consequences of neglecting education and cultural identity.
Extract 4
Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on a 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.
(i) What does M. Hamel say about the French language?
Answer: M. Hamel says that the French language is the most beautiful, clearest, and most logical language in the world. He stresses the importance of preserving it, as it acts as a key to freedom for an enslaved people.
(ii) What happens to people when they do not learn their language? How does the language act as a ‘key’ to the prison of the enslaved?
Answer: When people do not learn their language, they lose a vital part of their identity and freedom. Language acts as a ‘key’ because it preserves a sense of unity and culture, allowing people to hold on to their heritage even in times of oppression.
(iii) Why did Franz feel that he was able to clearly understand the last lesson taught by M. Hamel quite easily? Why could he not understand it earlier?
Answer: Franz was able to understand the lesson because, for the first time, he listened attentively and recognized the value of what was being taught. Previously, he had not paid attention or cared enough to understand.
(iv) Why did M. Hamel put extra effort to teach the students in his last class?
Answer: M. Hamel put extra effort into his last class because he wanted to pass on as much knowledge as possible before leaving. He knew it was his last opportunity to teach French to the students.
(v) Explain briefly how M. Hamel was a patriot who wanted to instill among his students the love for their language and respect for their country.
Answer: M. Hamel was a patriot because he believed that preserving the French language was essential for maintaining the people’s identity and pride in their country. Through his teaching, he tried to instill in his students a love for their language and a sense of national pride.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
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