PROSE-1, THE LAST LESSON

    Alphonse Daudet

 Textual Question     

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

Ans:- He was expected to be prepared with the rules for the user of participles.

Q. 2. What did Franz notice that that was unusual about the school that day?

Ans:- He noticed that it was all very still with no trace of the usual commotion. It was as quiet as Sunday morning.

Q.3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?

Ans:- It was about an order form Berlin that only German was to be taught in the school of Alsace and Lorraine.

Q. 4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

Ans:- There was complete silence everywhere. Everyone looked sad and serious. Old people of the village had come to thank Mr. Hamel for his faithful service of forty years.

Q. 5. How did Franz’s feeling about Mr Hamel and school change?

Ans:- Franz was now very sad for Mr Hamel. He forgot al about his rod and his cranky nature. Now he no longer hated school. He looked upon books as his friends.

Q. 6. The people in the story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them.  What shows you this? Why does this happen?

Ans:- everyone in the class listens carefully to whatever Ms Hamel says. Everyone is sad at his leaving the school. All this happens because Mr Hamel makes then realise that when people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had the key to their prison.

Q.7.Franz thinks, will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons? What could this mean?

Ans:- It means that the German can enslave the French but they can’t take away their love of the French language. It is in their blood and cannot be finished as long as they are alive.

SHOT-ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. What dread did little Franz have when he started for school in the morning ?

Ans:- Franz was late school that morning. He feared the teacher would scold him .Also, the teacher was to ask question on participles. But Franz did not know a Word about participles. Naturally, he was in great fear.

Q.2. What thought came to Franz’s mine while going to school in the morning? Why?

Ans:- Franz was late for school. He feared the teacher would scold him. Also, the teacher was to ask question on participles. But Franz did not know a work about participles. So he thought of running away and spending the day out of doors.

Q .3. What sights did Franz see on his way to school?

Ans:- First of all, he says Prussian soldiers drilling in an open field. Then he passed by the town hall. A crowd stood in front of the bulletin board. Franz wondered what the matter could be on the news.

Q.4. why did Franz think of running away and spending the day out of doors?

Ans:- Franz was late for school. He feared the teacher would scold him.  Also, the teacher was to ask questions on participles. Franz did not know a word of them. So he thought of running away and spending the day out of doors.

Q.5. what things tempted Franz to keep away from school?

Ans:- It was a warm and bright day. Birds were chirping in the trees. Some Prussian soldiers were drilling in an open field. For Franz, it was far more tempting than going to school.

Q.6. what did Franz see when he passed by the town hall?

Ans:- Franz says a crowd in front of the bulletin board. For the last two years, all bad news had come from there. Franz wondered what the matter could be there that day. However, he did not stop there. He hurried by as fast as he could.

Q.7.What did the blacksmith say to Franz?

Ans:- Franz was late for school. He was going as fast as he could. The blacksmith was going with standing in front of the bulletin board at the town hall. On seeing Franz, “Don’t go fast, boy. You’ll get to school in plenty of time!”

Q.8. what was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Ans:- The teacher had said that would ask questions on participles. So Franz was expected to be prepared with the rules for the use of participles. But poor Franz didn’t know a word of them.

Q.9. what usual noises could be heard in the street when the school began?

Ans:- One could hear the opening and closing of desk. Then there was the loud noise of lessons repeated in unison. The teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table could also be heard.

Q.10. how was the scene in the school in the morning of the last lesson different from that on other day?

Ans:- There were usually noises when the school began. For example, there was the opening and closing of desk. The sound of teacher’s great rural rapping on the table could be heard. But that day it was all very quiet. it was as quiet as Sunday morning.

Q.11. what did Franz see through the window when he reached his school?

Ans:- Franz saw that his classmates were already in their places. His teacher, Mr Hamel, Was walking up and down in the classroom. He was holding his terrible iron ruler under his arm.

Q.12. Did Mr. Hamel gets angry with Franz for being let?

Ans:- No Mr. Hamel did not get angry with Franz. Rather he said very kindly. “Go to your place little Franz. We were beginning without you.”

Q.13. How was Mr. Hamel dressed on his last day in school?

Ans:- It was Mr. Hamel dressed in his best clothes. He was in his beautiful green coat and a frilled shirt. He was wearing a little black silk cap. He never wore this dress except on inspection and prize days.

Q 14. What words of Mr. Hamel was a thunderclap to Franz?

                                                      Or

Q. What a thunder clap these words were to me!” which were the words that shocked and surprised Franz?

                                                     Or

Q. What announcement did Mr. Hamel make? What was the impact of this on Franz?

Ans:-  Mr Hamel announcement in the class that it would be his last lesson. Order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the school of Alsace and Lorraine. He said the the new teacher was coming the next day. These words came like a thunderclap to Franz.

Q.15. what had been put up on the Bulletin board?

Ans:- It was an order from Berlin. It said that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new teachers were coming the next day.

Q.16. What change did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

Ans. It was all quiet. There were no noises. It was quiet as Sunday morning. Mr Hamel said it would be his last lesson. Everybody looked sad. The village people had come to thank Mr Hamel for his forty years of faithful service

Q.17. How did Franz feel when Mr Hamel said that it was his last lesson at school?

                                                                  Or

“This is your last French Lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of Mr Hamel ?

                                                                 Or

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

Ans:- Franz was shocked .He cursed the Prussian rulers. He cursed himself also. He cursed himself for not learning his lesson. He used to call his books a nuisance. But now he was sorry that he would never see Mr Hamel again.

Q.18. How did Franz’s feelings about Mr Hamel and his school change?

                                                              Or

“What changes came over little Franz after he heard Mr Hamel’s announcement?”

Ans:- Franz was shocked when he heard that Mr Hamel was leaving the school fo0r ever. His feelings changed altogether. He cursed himself for not learning his lesson. He forgets all about Mr Hamel’s ruler and his cranky nature.

Q.19. what did Mr Hamel ask Franz to recite and how did Franz fare in it?

Ans:- Mr. Hamel asked Franz to recite the rule 0of principles. But Franz got mixed up on the first words. He just stood there, holding on to his desk. His heart was beating fast and he di8d not dare to look up.

Q.20.Who did Mr Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz?

Ans:- Mr Hamel blamed the parents of the boys like Franz. He said that they didn’t care about their studies. They were anxious to put their children to some work and thus have a little more money. Mr Hamel blamed himself also. He said, “Have i not often sent you to water my flowers instead of learning your lesson.

Q.21.What did Mr Hamel say about the French language?

                                     Or

“What did Mr Hamel tell the students about the French language? What did he asked them to do and why?”

Ans:- He told them French was the most beautiful language in the world. He said that it was the clearest and the most logical language. He wanted his people to keep it alive and never forget it.

Q.22. what happened when the church clock struck twelve?

Ans:- There were sounds of the midday prayer (Angelus) .At the same moment; the sound of trumpets by Prussian soldiers was heard. They were returning from their drill. Mr Hamel stood up to say something. But something choked him and he could say nothing. He took a big piece of chalk and wrote in big letters, “Long live franc!”

Q.23. what was the mood in the classroom when Mr Hamel gave his last French Lesson?

Ans:- There was mood of sadness in the classroom. There was complete silence everywhere. Even the old people of the village had come to attend the last lesson .Everyone in the class listened attentively to whatever Mr Hamel said.

Q.24. how did Mr Hamel say farewell to his stu8dents and the people of the town?

Ans:- Mr. Hamel was too choked with emotion to say anything. He just stood up from his chair, took a piece of chalk, and wrote on the blackboard in large word: “Long live France!” Thus he said farewell to his students and the people of the town.

Q.25. who occupied the back benches in the classroom on the day of the last lesson? Why?

Ans:- It was the village people who occupied the back benches in the classroom .They had come to attend the last French lesson that Mr Hamel Was going to give to his class. It was also a mark of their respect for him.

Q.26. why did Mr Hamel write ‘vive La France ‘on the blackboard?

Ans. ‘Vive La France ‘ means ‘Long Live France ‘ .Mr Hamel wrote these  word  on the blackboard because he was too emotional at that time to be able to say anything .

Q.27. ‘We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with,” said Mr Hamel Comment

Ans:- Hamel regrets the fact that the French, in spite of pretending to be Frenchmen, could neither speak nor write their own language . The fault lay with them only because they never really cared to learn own language. Hamel’s comment shows how dearly he loved his country and the language of his country.

LONG-ANSWER TYPE QUESTION

Q.1.Reproduce in your own word what Franz did or though on his way to school?

Ans:- Franz was late for school. He feared that his teacher, Mr Hamel, would scold him .Moreover, the teacher had said he would ask question on participles .But Franz did not know a word about them. So he thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was a warm and bright day. He saw the Prussian soldiers drilling in the open field. It was a tempting sight. However, he hurried off to school. When he passed by the town hall, he saw a crowed in front of bulletin board. The village blacksmith was reading the bulletin. He called after Franz, saying, “Don’t go so fast, boy. You’ll get to your school in plenty of time!” Franz thought the blacksmith was making fun of him. He continued going fast. When he reached his school, he was all our breath.

Q.2. what changes did the narrator FIND IN HIS SCHOOL WHEN THE ORDER FROM Berlin came?

Ans:- The narrator found the whole atmosphere of the school change. The scho0ol usually began with a great bustle. Lots of noises and sound coming from inside the school could be heard in the street. For example, the opening and closing of desks could be heard. During the school hours, children could be heard repeating their lesson loudly in unison. The rapping of the teacher’s rod on the table could also be heard. But now it was all quiet. It looked like a quire. Sunday morning. And then the narrator found that everything inside the class had also changed. And biggest shock that come to the narrator was when Mr. Hamel told about the order had come to teach the student only German. So it was Mr. Hamel’s last day at school. A new teacher was a take his place. The whole atmosphere of the school had thus changed from gaiety to gloom.

Q.3. describe the effect on the life at school, produced by the passing of Alsace and Lorraine into Prussian hand.

Ans:- The whole atmosphere in the school was now changed. The school usually began with a great bustle. Lots of noises and sound coming from the school could be heard in the streets. For example, the opening and closing of desks could be heard. Children repeated their loudly in unison. The rapping of the teacher’s rod on the table could also be heard. But now it was all quiet. It looked like a quiet Sunday morning. The teacher, Mr. Hamel, Didn’t have his iron rod in his hand. Now it was under his arm. And he was not in his usual dress. It was the dress that he wore on the day of inspection only. Today he was wearing it because it was hi s last day at that school. Now there was going to be on teaching of French there. The country had passed in to Prussian hands and orders had come that only German would be taught in the school. Everybody was crestfallen at this unfortunate change.

Q.4. what particular thing s did Franz when he took his seat in the classroom?

Ans. The first thing Franz noticed was his teacher’s very fine dress. He was wearing a beautiful green coat and a frilled shirt. He had a little black silk cap. It was all embroidered. Mr Hamel never wore it except on inspection and prize days. The whole school seemed very strange. But the thing that surprised Franz most was at the black of the room. The village people were sitti9ng there on the back benches. They were as quiet as the children in the classroom. They included old Hauser, the former may, the former postmaster. He was holding it open on his knees. His great spectacles were lying across the page.

Q.5. How was Mr. Hamel a different teacher while giving his last lesson?

Ans:- While giving his last lesson, Mr. Hamel was different both in his dress and behaviour. That day, he was wearing a dress that he wore only on the days of inspection and prize-giving. He was in a beautiful green coat and a frilled shirt. He had a little black silk cap that was all embroidered, usually; Mr. Hamel had an iron rod in his hand. But today he had it under his arm. Usually, he was very strict, but now he was quite soft in his tone and words. While giving his lessons, Mr. Hamel always looked full o0f energy, but that energy, but that energy was all gone now. He knew that French would no longer be taught there and his student would forget all that he had taught them so far. Naturally, he was different while giving his last lesson.

Q.6. what were Mr. Hamel’s opening words to the class and what effect did these words have on Franz?

Ans:- Mr. Hamel said in a very gentle tone, “My children, this is the last lesson i shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the school of Alsace and Lorrain. The new master comes tomorrow; this is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.” These words were to Franz like a thunderclap. It was going to be his last lesson and he hardly knew how to write. He was full of regret for not learning his lesson. His books had always seemed to him a nuisance. He thought them too heavy to carry. But now he saw them as old friends that he could not give up. It was a big shock to him that Mr. Hamel was going away and he would never see him again. He forgot all about his cranky nature. He was to him now a very lovable and respectable person.

Q.7. Reproduce in our own word the thing that took place after the church clock had struck twelve?

Ans:- When the church clock struck twelve, there was sound of Angelus (midday Roman Catholic Prayer0. At the same moment, the trumpets of the Prussian soldiers were heard. They were returning from their drill. Mr. Hamel stood up from his chair. He was looking very pale and tall. He began to say, “My friends, I...I....” But something choked him. He could not go on. He turned to the blackboard and took a piece of chalk. Then using all his might, he wrote as large as he could, “Long Live France!” what a great patriot Mr. Hamel was!

Q.8 what did the French teacher tell his student in his last French lesson? What impact did it have on them? Why?

Ans:- In his last French lesson, the teacher told his student about the beauty of the French language. He said that it was the most beautiful language in the world. He called it the clearest and the most logical of all languages. He said that when the people are enslaved, they can be said to have the key to their prison as long as they hold fast to their language. Then the opened a book of French grammar and red out his last lesson. After his lesson in grammar, the teacher gave a lesson in writing. Everyone set to work in writing. Now it was very quit. Even the all people of village had come to thank the teacher for his services. And the teacher’s last lesson had a deep impact on them. The students listened to him with rapt attention and learning French seemed to them to be so easy.

Q.9. everybody during the last lesson is filled with regret. Comment.

Ans:- A shocking order has come from Berlin. According to this order, only German is to be taught in thought in the school of Alsace and Lorraine, the to French speaking districts. So Mr Hamel, the village come to school to thank Mr Hamel for his forty years of faithful service. They site on last benches with students about the beauty of the French language. Everyone in the class listen to him with rapt attention and learning French seems to them to be very easy. They had never been serious in learning French in their life. So them can neither speak nor write their own language properly. And now, there will be no teaching of French in their districts. This is the reason why everybody is filled with regret during the last lesson

Q.10. How different from usual was the atmosphere at the school on the day of the last lesson?

                                           Or

“How did the order from Berlin change the situation?

Ans:- The whole atmosphere in the school was now changed. The school usually began with a great bustle. Lots of noises and sound coming from the school could be heard in the streets. For example, the opening and closing of desks could be heard. Children repeated their lesson loudly in unison. The rapping of the teacher’s rod on the table could also be heard. But now it was all quiet. It looked like a quiet Sunday morning. The teacher, Mr. Hamel, didn’t have his iron rod in his hand. Now it was under his arm. And he was not in his usual dress that he wore on the days of inspection only. Today he was wearing it because it was his last at that school. Now on, there was going to be no teaching of French there the country had passed into Prussian hand and orders has come from Berlin that only German would be taught in the school. Everybody was crestfallen at this unfortunate change.