The Last Lesson Question Answers (Important)| Class 12 English Flamingo Book

The Last Lesson Important Question Answers

 

CBSE Class 12 English Lesson 1 The Last Lesson Question Answers (Important) from Flamingo Book

The Last Lesson Question Answers  – Looking for The Last Lesson important questions answers for CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Book Chapter 1? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practicing Class 12 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring  Question Answers for Chapter 1: The Last Lesson now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions and CBSE board questions have also been solved. 

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.

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The Last Lesson NCERT Solution

Q1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?

Ans. When the village men realize that their mother tongue, French will no longer be taught to them, they realize its importance. Suddenly, they develop an inclination towards learning.

They attend the last lesson of French, bring their old, torn primers to learn the language which shows their eagerness. They regret putting off learning French to the next day. Now, finally, the last lesson has arrived, and they cannot read their own language. They are ashamed of themselves and realize that the Germans have overpowered them due to their lack of knowing their own language.

Q2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?

Ans. Franz is disheartened when he comes to know that he can no longer learn his language – French. Their district has been captured by Germany and now German will be taught to them. Franz feels that mother tongue comes to a person naturally, he is born with it and no one can snatch it away.

Just like the pigeons make the ‘coo’ sound, irrespective of the country from which they are, similarly, human beings also communicate in their mother tongue. As the Germans are trying to impose their language on the French, so similarly, Franz feels that they will teach the pigeons also to ‘coo’ in German language. He has given this example to highlight his point that language is a natural mode of communication and it cannot be imposed.

The Last Lesson Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A. “My children this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order came from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson.”

 

Question 1. In which language is the last lesson ?
A. German
B. American
C. French
D. British
Answer: C

Question 2. Who is the speaker in the above lines?
A. Franz
B. Hauser
C. M.Hamel
D. Wachter
Answer: C

Question 3. Where has the order come from ?
A. France
B. Berlin
C. Lorraine
D. Alsace
Answer: B

Question 4. Speaker is speaking to _________.
A. Franz
B. villagers
C. class
D. soldiers
Answer: C

Class 12 The Last Lesson Important Question Answers Video

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B. “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 book and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so Easy! “  (QB)

 

1. Which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel’s declaration about the French language?

A. subject expertise
B. nostalgic pride
C. factual accuracy
D. patriotic magnification
Answer: D

2. “I was amazed to see how well I understood it.” Select the option that does NOT explain why Franz found the grammar lesson “easy”.
A. Franz was paying careful attention in class this time.
B. M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his teaching.
C. Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose to learning.
D. Franz had realized that French was the clearest and most logical language.
Answer: B

3. Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he was
A. receptive.
B. appreciative.
C. introspective.
D. competitive.
Ans: D

4. Read the quotes given below. Choose the option that might best describe M. Hamel’s viewpoint.
(i) Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(ii) Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going. – Rita Mae Brown
(iii) A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country. – Ali Ibn Abi Talib
(iv) The greatest propaganda in the world is our mother tongue, that is what we learn as children, and which we learn unconsciously. That
shapes our perceptions for life. – Marshal McLuhan
A. Option (i)
B. Option (ii)
C. Option (iii)
D. Option (iv)
Ans: B

C. “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.”  (QB)

1. Choose the option that might raise a question about M. Hamel’s “faithful service”.
A. When Franz came late, M. Hamel told him that he was about to begin class without him.
B. Franz mentioned how cranky M. Hamel was and his “great ruler rapping on the table”.
C. M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers, and gave a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.
D. M. Hamel permitted villagers to put their children “to work on a farm or at the mills” for some extra money.
Ans: D

2. Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as ‘Poor man!’?
A. He empathizes with M. Hamel as he had to leave the village.
B. He believes that M. Hamel’s “fine Sunday clothes” clearly reflected that he was not rich.
C. He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson.
D. He thinks that M. Hamel’s patriotism and sense of duty resulted in his poverty.
Ans: C

3. Which of the following idioms might describe the villagers’ act of attending the last lesson most accurately?
A. ‘Too good to miss’
B. ‘Too little, too late’
C. ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’
D. ‘Too cool for school’
Ans: A

4. Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following description of the given extract.
The villagers and their children sat in class, forging with their old master a (i) _____ togetherness. In that moment, the class room stood
(ii) _____. It was France itself, and the last French lesson a desperate hope to (iii) ______ to the remnants of what they had known and
taken for granted. Their own (iv) _______.

A. (i) graceful; (ii) still; (iii) hang on; (iv) country
B. (i) bygone; (ii) up; (iii) keep on; (iv) education
C. (i) beautiful; (ii) mesmerised; (iii) carry on; (iv) unity
D. (i) forgotten; (ii) transformed; (iii) hold on; (iv) identity
Ans: C

D. “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!”

 

1. What does the extract say about the narrator’s attitude towards French?
A. French was equally appealing to him as the beauty of nature.
B. He attends the lesson out of compulsion.
C. He was eager to receive the French lesson
D. He lacked interest in the lesson.
Ans: D

2. What can be inferred about the living condition of the place?
A. Everybody lived in peace and harmony.
B. Natives are intimidated by the foreign presence
C. The inhabitants coexisted with external force without qualms
D. There is a sense of uneasiness looming around the environment.
Ans: D

3. Identify the factor that does not serve the purpose of implying the theme.
A. The reference to the bulletin board.
B. The presence of Prussian soldiers
C. The description of nature.
D. The narrator’s stand on French lesson.
Ans:: C

4. Which word from the given extract fits the description?
A person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period at low wages”
A. Prussian
B. Commanding Officer
C. Apprentice
D. Sawmill
Ans: C

E. 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.

 

1. Who are ‘they’ here?|
A. M. Hamel and his sister.
B. Franz
C. Villager
D. Houser
Ans: A

2. Why is M. Hamel’s heart broken?
A. Because he has to leave the country the next day
B. Because of transfer
C. Because of retirement
D. Because of a student’s misbehaviour.
Ans: A

3. Why do they have to leave the country?
A. German would be taught in place of French.
B. French will be taught now.
C. New languages will be taught.
D. He has got a new job.
Ans: A

4. Who is packing the trunks?
A. M. Hamel’s sister
B. M. Hamel’s wife
C. M. Hamel’s father
D.M. Hamel’s servant
Ans: A

F. 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.

 

1. The phrase ‘called after me’ here refers to
A. tease someone.
B. shout at
C. request something
D. to cause embarrassment
Ans: B

2. Who was called ‘bub’ here ?
A. Franz
B. M. Hamel
C. Villagers
D.Postmaster
Ans: A

3. What has M. Hamel’s little garden been referred to in the extract?
A. His country
B. His home
C. His garden
D. His school
Ans: C

4. Which word in the passage means same as ‘sufficient’?
A. breath
B. plenty
C. fast
D. hurried
Ans: B

G. 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.”

 

1. What does ‘Angelus’ refer to?
A. Sound of church bell ringing.
B. Roman Catholic prayer.
C. Sound of thanksgiving.
D. A prayer sung in a group.
Ans: B

2. What does the trumpets of the Prussians imply?
A. Igniting patriotic fervour
B. Playing the band to reduce war stress
C. People of Alsace are now enslaved
D. Prussians cheering up the victory over France
Ans: D

3. Why is M. Hamel pale?
A. He feels emotional and heart-broken.
B. He is unwell.
C. He is annoyed.
D. He doesn’t like the sound of the trumpets.
Ans: A

4. What does Franz mean when he says , ‘”I never saw him look so tall.”
A. M. Hamel had grown physically taller.
B. M. Hamel seemed very confident.
C. Franz had developed a lot of respect for M. Hamel.
D. Franz looked at his teacher in a different way that day.
Ans: C

H. 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.

1. ‘Counted on’ means___________
A. To count numbers
B. To depend on
C. To borrow
D. To think
Ans. B

2. Find a synonym of disturbance
Ans. Commotion

3. Why did the narrator want to reach his desk without being seen?
A. He was afraid of the enemy soldiers
B. He was afraid of being caught by the teacher
C. He was afraid of his classmates
D. He was afraid of his mother
Ans. B

4. Why was everything quiet on a Sunday morning?
Ans. It was quiet on a Sunday morning because it was a holiday in the school.

5. State true or False
The statement “M. Hamel walking up and down” means that he was walking on the wall of the classroom
Ans. False

I. 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.”

1. Who / what is Alsace?
A. A girl
B. A district
C. not mentioned
D. Both a and b
Ans. B

2. Who are ‘those fellows’?
Ans. The enemy German soldiers.

3. Why does he call Franz poor?
Ans. Franz is called poor because he is not learned in his mother tongue the French language.

4. Find a synonym of scold
Ans. Reproach

5. ‘A Great deal’ means
A. A big matter / issue
B. A big business deal
C. both a and b
D. None of these
Ans. A

J. 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.

1. How can we guard a language?
Ans. We can guard a language by not forgetting it and by using it in our daily lives.

2. How is our language the key to the prison of enslavement?
Ans. One’s language or mother tongue helps one remain attached to the mother land and unites all countrymen because it is a unique thing which is common in the people of one country.

3. Why on that day Franz understood the lesson?
A. It was easy
B. He listened carefully
C. Teacher had taught with patience
D. B and C
Ans. D

4. Find a synonym of surprised
Ans. Amazed

Class 12 English The Last Lesson Short Question Answers (including questions from Previous Years Question Papers)

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from the Chapter The Last Lesson for CBSE Class 12 Boards in the coming session. These questions have been taken from previous years class 12 Board exams and the year is mentioned in the bracket along with the question.

 

Q1. What was the order from Berlin and what changes did it cause in the school? (AU India 2013)
or
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school? (Delhi 2012)
or
What was the mood in the classroom when M Hamel gave his last French lesson?(Delhi 2009)
Ans: The order from Berlin stated that only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The order effected many changes, as an unusual silence prevailed in the school, compared to the hustle and bustle earlier. M Hamel became soft in speaking to the students, while the people realised the importance of their language. The villagers even attended the school to show respect to M Hamel.

Q2. Franz didn’t learn French, whom did M. Hamel blame?
Ans: M. Hamel didn’t blame Franz for not learning but his parents who were not anxious to have him learn. Instead they wanted him to work on a farm or at the mill to earn money. Even he blamed himself for sending him to water the flowers instead of learning and for declaring holiday when he wanted to go fishing.

Q3. What was the news which was put up on the bulletin board?
Ans: For the last two years all bad news – the lost battles, the orders of the commanding officer was displayed on the notice board. That day, the news that only German would be taught in school of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice-board which made the crowd gather there to read it.

Q4. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Ans: Franz noticed the absence of the routine hustle and bustle caused by the opening and closing of desks, repeating of the lessons and rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table. The usual hustle – bustle was replaced by a strange stillness that was the characteristic of a school on a Sunday morning.

Q5. What happened when the church clock struck twelve?
Ans: The moment the church clock struck twelve, they started prayer in the church and the trumpet of Prussian soldiers returning from the drill sounded under their window. M. Hamel stood up and tried to speak but his voice was choked. He gathered his strength and wrote on the black board as large as he could Vive La France and dismissed the school.

Q6. What was more tempting to Franz rather than going to school?
Ans: Since Franz was not prepared with participles and was late for the school, he found warm and bright weather with birds songs and Prussian soldiers drill much more tempting than going to school.

Q7. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Ans: The order from Berlin brought to a standstill, all the routine hustle-bustle of school life. M. Hamel taught his lessons with patience and became more sympathetic to his students. The students became more attentive in their classes. The villagers, who were sitting as usual at the empty back benches had come to show their respect and gratitude to M. Hamel, and regretted not going to school more often.

Q8. What did M. Hamel say about the French language?|
Ans: He said that it is the most beautiful language in the world, the clearest, and the most logical. He requested them to guard it so that they could be united and fight back for their freedom.

Q9. What was the narrator’s greatest fear as he moved towards the school?
Ans: Franz had started late for school that day and was afraid of being scolded. His fear gripped him further for he was also unprepared. He had not learnt the rules of participles as instructed by his teacher, thus dreaded the teacher’s anger.

Q10. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What does this tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen? (All India 2011)
Ans: This shows that the Frenchmen were full of hatred and desperation against the Germans. Besides, they feared German atrocities. They thought that they would be forced to read German and no one would be spared.

Q11. How did M Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town? (All India 2012)
Ans: At the end of his ‘Last Lesson’, M Hamel stood up to say farewell to his students and the people of the town. He tried to speak, but overwhelming emotion choked his voice. He then wrote as large as he could on the blackboard ‘Vive La France’; then he dismissed the class with a gesture with his hand.

Q12. What made M Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson? (Compartment 2014)
Ans: M Hamel had taught French at the school for the last forty years. He was emotionally attached to the school and everything in and about it. He was really heartbroken to leave it all. Besides, his own predicament reminded him that his country would soon lose its independence. All this made him cry towards the end of his last lesson.

Q13. What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean? (Compartment 2014)
Ans: Before dismissing the last class, M Hamel turned to the blackboard, and wrote the phrase, ‘Vive La France!’ as large as he could. These words meant ‘Long live France’, and spoke of M Hamel’s great love for his country and his deep sense of patriotism.

Q14. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” What were the words that shocked and surprised the narrator? : (Delhi 2013)
Ans: M Hamel told his students that it was their last French lesson, as an order had come from Berlin that henceforth only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This announcement seemed to be a thunderclap to Franz. He was left in surprise and shock to learn that a new master was going to arrive the next day and they would learn German instead of their mother tongue.

Q15. How was the scene in the school in the morning of the last lesson different from that on other days? (Delhi 2008)
Ans: Usually, there used to be great hustle and bustle when school began. The din of opening and closing of the desks, lessons being repeated in unison and the rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table, could be heard out in the street. But that day, it was all very quiet and still as on a Sunday morning.

Q16. “You realise the true value of a thing only on losing it.” Comment on this statement in the light of the story, The Last Lesson. (SQP 2022-23)
OR
Prussians put a ban on the French language – People realized the importance of holding onto their mother tongue.
Ans: M Hamel was considered strict and the classes/work given by him were not taken seriously. After the invasion of France, the German language was banned. The realization that they may never have the opportunity to learn German again serves to underscore the importance of the lessons they received and the role that M. Hamel played in their lives. The story serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing and appreciating the opportunities we have in life, rather than taking them for granted.

Q17. Comment on the significance of the villagers sitting at the back in M. Hamel’s classroom. (SQP 2020-21)
Ans: The presence of the villagers in Mr Hamel’s class on his last day at school was, in reality, a reflection of their tremendous respect for him. They came to express their gratitude to Mr. Hamel for his forty years of devoted service. Also, they had come to pay respect to the nation that was no longer their own.

Q18. Who did M. Hamel blame when Franz was unable to answer a question on French participles? (SQP 2019-20)
Ans: Hamel blamed the parents for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz because they wanted them to work to earn some money instead of focusing on education. M. Hamel also blamed himself for his negligence in his teaching.

Q19. “We‟ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with” said M.Hamel. Refer to the context and explain what he wanted to convey to his students. (SQP 2018-19)
Ans: M. Hamel said it to Franz when he felt embarrassed at not being able to answer – he consoles Franz by saying everyone in Alsace is to be blamed for them not learning their mother tongue/parents ,teacher and children all are to be blamed for taking their language for granted. 

Q20. If this had been M. Hamel’s first lesson, how do you think the school experience of the students might have been impacted? (QB)
Ans: If it had been Mr. Hamel’s first lesson and Germany had not sent the notice of making German compulsory, then everyone would have been ignorant as always towards their language.

Q21. Little Franz is the narrator of the story. The name ‘Franz’ means ‘from France’. In what way does the story being told as a first-person narrative of Franz impact your reading and understanding of the story? Provide at least one evidence from the text to support your opinion. (QB)
Ans: attempt to learn his own language properly. The very fact the narrator is called Franz which means ‘from France’ re-emphasises the theme of pride in one’s heritage and identity that one’s language imparts.


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The Last Lesson Long Answer Questions

Q1. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Ans: The huge crowd of villagers at and around the bulletin board, their silent presence in class, the absence of the usual commotion at school, and the emotions engulfing M. Hamel and Franz, representing the teacher and the student community respectively, were all signs that the villagers realised how important their language was to them. In the narrative, M. Hamel claimed that people only come to understand the value of someone or something in their lives after it has been taken from them or lost. The people also came to understand the value of their language because of the Berlin regime.

Q2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”
After reading the chapter, you realise that man has an intense desire to subjugate others. You feel that in the modern world, there is a strong need for brotherhood. Write an article in about 120-150 words for a national magazine on this.
Ans: In the chapter ‘The Last Lesson’ , France lost two districts to Germany. The Germans issue the order that the school will now solely offer education in German. Franz hears the pigeons on the roof chirping in a quiet voice as he enters his final French class. He speculates whether the Germans will make the pigeons sing in German as well. This comment was made by a French boy in response to being forced to learn German. This demonstrates how far the Germans would go in their pursuit of linguistic chauvinism. This proves that man has a strong desire to control and impose his will on other people. Compassion, tolerance, and brotherhood are desperately needed in our violent world if we are to find peace and prosperity.

Q3. ‘My Last French Lesson! Why I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn any more! I must stop there, then!
The problem of school dropouts and illiteracy / backwardness still plagues our country. What qualities on the part of the administration, educationists and youth do you think will help to surmount this hurdle?
Ans: India has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. The issue of school dropouts and widespread illiteracy persists despite all government initiatives aimed at improving literacy. Together with a strong political will, the administration and educators in our nation must have a clear vision for how to overcome these issues. They need to raise awareness of the value of education in eradicating illiteracy and backwardness among parents and kids. In this situation, it is crucial that wealthy and successful individuals contribute back to society by supporting the government in such endeavours. By utilising their services, the government may use the educated youth to join the drive to eliminate this roadblock to progress. Giving such students who volunteer for this activity during their breaks a stipend can speed up the process even more.

Q4. After reading ‘The Last Lesson’, can you compare any of your teachers with M Hamel? What values did he possess that every teacher should be endowed with? Was he a patriot?
Are you a true patriot? Explain.
Ans: A teacher should serve as an example to the students, and M. Hamel did just that. He was a stern enforcer who was also well-liked by them. He was a devoted teacher. He expected his students to exhibit the same pride in their language. He was not only the best instructor, but also a patriot. My class teacher, Ms. Tanya is deserving of comparison to M. Hamel because she possesses all the traits that M. Hamel did. Together with Hamel, the villagers also radiated a strong sense of patriotism. Notwithstanding the sad fact that the Germans were occupying their land, they wanted to show their appreciation for their country by doing so. Their devotion for their country deeply affects me.
I find immense inspiration in the lives of martyrs like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Lokmanya Tilak, and numerous more who gave their lives in defence of their country. I also wish to contribute to my nation.

Q5. At the end of his last lesson, M. Hamel decides to leave a little note for each of his students for them to find the next day at their desks. Based on your reading of the story, what might his note to Franz read? (QB)
You may begin like this:
Dear Franz,
I know you have always preferred to run in the open fields …
Ans: Dear Franz,
 I know you have always preferred to run in the open fields, collect birds’ eggs and spend time in nature. But you must also realise the fact that we have our duties that we are responsible about. For example, duties to our family, society, and nation. Ignoring these duties for the sake of pleasure or money, leads to serious consequences.
Learning our mother tongue is our prime responsibility. We, the people of Alsace and Lorraine have not done this duty sincerely. As a result, we have been invaded by the Prussians. Now they have imposed their language on us. Now, we have realised how much we love our language. But mere love without commitment is nothing. I saw in my last lesson that you were greatly hurt at the loss of the freedom to learn French. I appeal to you not to lose heart. Keep making efforts to learn French. Soon we will be free once again. 

Q6. Though tempted by the bright day, Franz stated that he had “the strength to resist, and hurried off to school.” As the story progresses, the reader realizes that Franz, M. Hamel and the villagers would perhaps need “the strength to resist” much larger forces. Discuss how the story provides strategies for resistance and protection of one’s identity and community through its events and characters. Provide relevant textual details to support your argument.  (QB)
Ans: The story is mainly based on procrastination and linguistic chauvinism. In the opening lines of the story, we see that despite being tempted by the bright day and the beauty of nature, Franz decides to go to school. Later on, we come to know that the Germans had captured the cities of Alsace and Lorraine, and the teaching of French would be stopped and German would be implemented. Franz, M Hamel and the villagers require the strength to resist the linguistic chauvinism of Germans and retain their own identity. M Hamel provides us the strategy as he says, “When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had the key to their prison.

Q7. On the day of the last lesson, Franz felt that the “whole school was strange”. Throughout the story, the reader encounters Franz’ account of how school usually was, and what it was like on the last day of class with M. Hamel. This contrast comes across through events, and the actions and viewpoints of various characters.

  • In what way can the story be seen as a comment on schooling in general?
  • Does Franz’ description of school life resonate with your own experience?
  • Do you think the story might also provide advice on what good education entails? Substantiate your argument with relevant instances from the text.

Ans: Through the view of FRANZ:

The school felt strange on the day of the last lesson because :

  • Everything was quiet like Sunday morning.
  • Mr. M. Hamel was being kind.
  • Along with the students the villagers attended the class.
  • Villagers were seated at the end to pay tribute to the teacher for 40 years of his service.
  • School seemed sad and solemn.
  • Pin-drop silence was there in the classroom.

Franz’s usual day was as follows-

  • Great bustle was there.
  • The teacher was harshly rapping his ruler on the table.
  • Noise of opening and closing of desks was there.
  • Lessons were prepared in unison.


Q8. Franz from The Last Lesson and the peddler from The Rattrap demonstrate the importance of learning from our mistakes to evolve into better people. Imagine that Shubhangi, your friend, feels as if she has made a mistake by not taking her academics seriously. Write an essay to Shubhangi in 120–150 words discussing instances from the two texts to give her an insight into the human tendency to make mistakes and learn from them.
You may begin like this:
Shubhangi, all of us have made mistakes at one point or another in our lives. After all, to err is human………..     (SQP 2022-23)
Ans: “Failure is the stepping stone towards success”
Everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable since we are humans. We learn from our mistakes and discover ways to do better in the future. We learned how Franz, who resented school and M. Hamel’s lessons, was suddenly able to grasp and comprehend everything M. Hamel taught on the last day in Alphonse Daudet’s Chapter The Last Lesson.   Franz felt a thunderclap of shock as M. Hamel announced to the class that it was their last lesson. He was shocked by what he heard. He felt guilty about not studying German when he had the chance to learn. Selma Lagerlof’s The Rat Trap chapter demonstrates how people can improve by learning from their failures. After stealing thirty kroners, the peddler became trapped in the rat trap. Elma’s generosity and kindness helped him to see his error. She brought the peddler to his house and treated him like the Captain despite the fact that she was aware that he might have stolen something or escaped from jail. Making mistakes is acceptable as long as we are prepared to evolve from them and are willing to put in the effort to improve.

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CBSE Class XII Board Questions

Q1: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2) [CBSE paper, 2012]

What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school?

Ans: The order from Berlin directed schools in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France to teach German instead of French.

Q2: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)  [CBSE paper, 2013]

How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?

Ans. Franz was shocked and sad when he heard this news. Suddenly he developed a liking for ‘his’ language and was keen to learn French. He was remorseful for not learning well in the past and was sad that his teacher, Mr. Hamel would go away.

Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)  [CBSE paper, 2014]

Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?

Ans: The elders of the village came to the classroom to attend the last lesson of French in the school as a mark of respect to the French teacher Mr. Hamel who had been teaching there for the last forty years. These ‘elders’ had not studied well and could not read and write their mother tongue, French and so as it was the last opportunity for them, they came to attend the class.

Q4. Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)  [CBSE paper, 2015]

The order from Berlin aroused a particular zeal in the school. Comment.

OR

Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6) [CBSE paper, 2016]

Our language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. Describe how regretful M. Hamel and the village elders are for having neglected their native language, French.

Ans: When Berlin ordered that French language would no longer be taught in schools in the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine, it stirred the otherwise lazy Frenchmen. Suddenly, they all had a strong desire to learn how to read and write their mother tongue. It was not only the children who went to school but also the elders of the village who had not studied seriously in their childhood, putting off ‘unimportant’ works to the next day. The day finally arrived as the last day of French language in the schools. They become serious and keen to learn as they feel the German would laugh at them for not knowing their own language. They are ashamed of themselves when the teacher says that this lack of knowledge is the reason for their defeat to the Germans and asks them to guard their mother tongue as being close to one’s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery.

 

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