38.The Last Lesson (25)(GE/HS 2nd Yr)

1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Ans:- Franz was expected to be prepared with participles for school that day.

2. What had been put on the bulletin-board?

Ans:- The Germans had put the order from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This news was put on the bulletin-board.

3. How did Franz's feelings about M. Hamel and school change?

Ans:- Franz came to know that it was going to be their last lesson in French that day in school. He felt very sorry for not taking lessons properly earlier. For the first time his feelings about his teacher M. Hamel changed whom he did not like earlier. He realized that now he was never going to get French lessons or M. Hamel again.

4. Who was Wachter? What did he ask Franz and why? How did Frantz react?

Ans:- Wachter was a blacksmith. He was reading the bulletin-board. He asked Frantz not to go fast to his school and added that the little boy would get to his school in plenty of time. Frantz thought that Wachter was just making fun. So, he ran to the school and reached there breathless.

5. What three things in school surprised Franz most that day?

Ans:- The three things that surprised Franz most that day was- first, M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes which had beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and an embroidered black silk cap. Second thing noticed by him was that the whole school seemed quite strange and solemn. Thirdly, the villagers were sitting on the back benches inside the classroom like school children.

6. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Ans:- Franz was afraid of getting scolded at school for not preparing the lesson on participles. Besides, the bright weather, the chirping of birds and watching the drill of Prussian soldiers tempted Franz to stay away from school.

7. Franz thinks, "Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?" What does this tell about Franz?

Ans:- This shows that Franz had the capacity to think well. He had sensitivity and depth. He realized that man can force man to change language but cannot do same with birds or animals.

8. Why does Hamel blame the parents?

Ans:- Hamel blamed the parents because the latter preferred children to work in farms instead of paying attention to studies and learning.

9. What does 'Vive la France' mean?

Ans:- 'Vive la France' means long live France.

10. What is linguistic chauvinism?

Ans:- Linguistic chauvinism means having excessive pride in one's language. It goes to inordinate level that one thinks other languages as inferior.

11. What are M. Hamel's views about the French language?

Ans:- M. Hamel told the students and others present in the class that French was the most beautiful language in the world. It was the clearest and the most logical language.

12. What was the name of the blacksmith in The Last Lesson?

Ans:- The name of the blacksmith in The Last Lesson was Wachter.

13. Who wrote The Last Lesson?

Ans:- Alphonse Daudet wrote The Last Lesson.

14. What would Franz love to do on that sunny morning instead of going to school?

Ans:- Franz had no interest in learning his lessons. On that sunny morning Franz would love to keep away from school and spend his day out of doors instead of going to school. It was very warm and bright outside. The birds were chirping at the edgw of the woods. He would like to seek for bird's eggs, sliding in the Saar and would love to run at the edge of the open field.

15. What was the great trouble with Alsace?

Ans:- The great trouble with Alsace was that its people thought that they had plenty of time and so put off learning until tomorrow. They were also not fond of learning and kept on deferring it until they realized it when the Prussian soldiers captured it and replaced the learning of French with the learning of German.

16.What was the mood in the classroom when Hamel gave his last lesson?

Ans:- When M. Hamel was giving his last French lesson the mood in the classroom was solemn and serious. When he announced that this was their last French lesson everone was suddenly filled with patriotism and love for their French language. They truly regretted that they ignored their mother tongue.

17. Who was the narrator in the 'The Last Lesson?'

Ans:- Franz was the narrator in 'The Last Lesson.'

18. How did Franz react when Hamel declared that it was their last French lesson?

Ans:- When Hamel declared that it was their last French lesson, Franz realized that he had so much more to learn. He regretted for wasting away his time and skipping school. He was also deeply pained that his teacher M. Hamel was leaving forever.

19. What was thunderclap to Franz?

Ans:- When Hamel mounted on the chair and announced that he was there to give his last French lesson, Franz was shocked. These words were like thunderclap to Franz.

20. What kept Franz away from school?

Ans:- The bright weather, woods, fields, chirping of birds and watching drills of the Prussian soldiers kept Franz away from school. He also kept himself busy with collecting birds eggs.

21. Why had the bulletin-board become a center of attention during the last two years?

Ans:- The bulletin-board had become a center of attention because for the last two years all the bad news had come from there. It was the bulletin-board board which informed the citizens of Alsace with the bad news of the lost battles and the orders from the German commanding officers.

22. What the homework given by M. Hamel for the school's last day?

Ans:- M. Hamel's last homework was grammar lesson on participles.

23. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?

Ans:- A notice had been put up on the bulletin-board informing the people of Alsace about the order from Berlin which declared that only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. They had also been informed that a new German teacher would arrive the next day.

24. Describe the last day in the class.

Ans:- On the last day of the French lesson in the class everyone was very serious. M. Hamel, the teacher had put on his best special dress. The village elders had come too and sat on the last benches to witness the last French class. Hamel called the French language the most beautiful language in the world and asked them all to guard the French language among themselves and never forget it.

25. Who were the Prussians?

Ans:- The Prussians were the Germans and people of parts of Austria in Europe. They had defeated the French and occupied Alsace and Lorraine.