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 12 English syllabus for students studying under Assam Board (AHSEC).
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Think as you read I
1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer: Franz was supposed to be ready for school the next day with participles.
2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer: The silence in the school that day was unusual. The village elders’ presence was only noticed on that particular day.
3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
Answer: The order for German language imposition was posted on the bulletin board.
Think as you read II
1. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Answer: The school was dark and gloomy, the children were quiet, village elders were present, and M. Hamel was dressed in his special attire.
2. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Answer: Franz’s feelings toward the school and his teacher changed when he learned that it was the last day of French classes at school, as well as the last day for M. Hamel. He would probably never see his teacher again.
Understanding the text
1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer: The events of the last day of French class demonstrate how the people in the story suddenly realise the value of their language. The silence in the school was deafening. Village elders, who had never considered learning their language to be important, were in class, frantically trying to learn the basic alphabet. This happened because Prussia defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War (consisting of Germany, Poland,d and parts of Austria). Alsace (the location of the incident) and Lorraine, two French border districts, were the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Berlin had issued an order mandating German as the only medium of instruction in these districts. As a result, the Alsatian people lost their language.
2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
Answer: When Franz heard the pigeons on the roof cooing sweetly, he became concerned that the Germans might now have control over the birds as well.
Franz also believed that the birds of France sang in French. As a result, the imposition would also apply to them. Franz understood the gravity of the situation and pity for the birds, believing that the transition would be just as difficult for them as it would be for people.
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