The Last Lesson

Chapter – 1 | Flamingo

Made by Asif Kamal

Alphonse Daudet
“The Last Lesson”, beautifully brings
out the human tendency to postpone
the learning of things feeling there is
plenty of time to do so but they don’t
realize when the doomsday will dawn
and bring an end to our hopes and
aspirations.
'The Last Lesson', written by Alphonse Daudet narrates
about the happenings in the year 1870-71 when the
Prussian forces under Bismarck attacked and captured
France.
The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into
Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers discontinued
the teaching of French in the schools of these two
districts.
The French teachers were asked to leave. The
story describes the last day of one such
French teacher, M. Hamel. M. Hamel had been
transferred and could no longer remain in his
old school.
Still he gave the last lesson to his students with
utmost devotion and sincerity as ever.
The story depicts the pathos of the whole situation about
how people feel in not learning their language and losing
an asset in M. Hamel.
One of his students Franz came to the school thinking he
would be punished as he had not learned his lesson.
On reaching the school, the changes he noticed were:
• Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as quiet as
Sunday morning.
• All students were already in the classroom.
• Mr. Hamel, the French teacher did not scold him and

told him very kindly to take his seat

• But he found Hamel dressed in Sunday clothes and all the village elders
sitting there on the back benches of the class-room.
• It was all due to an order on the bulletin board which had come from
Berlin. It said that French was not going to be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine, instead German would be taught from the next day.
Hence,
it was the last lesson of French language to be taught that day
by Hamel, who was leaving for good the next day. In his parting
words, he tells them the importance of one's language.
Now he realizes the reason why teacher is dressed in his
Sunday best and villagers sitting at the back to pay tribute to M.
Hamel for his 40 years of sincere service and also to express
their solidarity with France.
M. Hamel realizes that all three, the children, the parents and he
himself are to be blamed for losing respect and regard for the
mother tongue.
He praised the French language as it was one of the
most beautiful and sweetest languages of the world. He
stressed on the need for preserving one's language:
everyone must learn his her language.
The last lesson is a fitting tribute to one's mother tongue,
in this case French.
• Atmosphere in class: teacher teaching sincerely and
patiently, students and others studying with utmost
sincerity.
• Franz wondered sarcastically if Prussians could force
pigeons to coo in German. M. Hamel overcome with
emotions could not speak and wrote on the black board
“Long Live France” and dismisses the class.
• Atmosphere in class: teacher teaching sincerely and
patiently, students and others studying with utmost
sincerity.
• Franz wondered sarcastically if Prussians could force
pigeons to coo in German. M. Hamel overcome with
emotions could not speak and wrote on the black board

“Long Live France” and dismisses the class.

Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not learnt participles.
He wants to enjoy beauty of nature. The bright sunshine, the
birds chirruping in the woods, Prussian soldiers drilling but
resisted.
Bulletin board: all bad news, lost battles, the drafts and orders of
the commanding officers: wondered what it could be now
• The changes he noticed in the school.
• - Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as quiet as
Sunday morning
• - The teacher does not scold him and told him very
kindly to go to his seat
• - The teacher dressed in his Sunday best.
• Villagers occupying the last benches- To pay tribute to
M. Hamel for his 40 years of sincere service and also to
express their solidarity with France.
• M. Hamel making the announcement that that would be
the last French lesson; realizes that, that was what was
put up on the bulletin board.
• Franz realizes that he does not know his own mother
tongue
• Villagers occupying the last benches- To pay tribute to
tongue
M. Hamel for his 40 years of sincere service and also to
express their solidarity with France.
• M. Hamel making the announcement that that would be
the last French lesson; realizes that, that was what was
put up on the bulletin board.
• Franz realizes that he does not know his own mother
• Regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.
• Also realizes the reason why teacher was dressed in his
Sunday best and villagers sitting at the back.
• M. Hamel realizes that all three, the children , the parents and
he himself are to be blamed for losing respect and regard for
the mother tongue.
• Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the
key to the prison of slavery.
• Regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.
• Also realizes the reason why teacher was dressed in his
Sunday best and villagers sitting at the back.
• M. Hamel realizes that all three, the children , the parents and
he himself are to be blamed for losing respect and regard for
the mother tongue.
• Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the
key to the prison of slavery.
• Atmosphere in class: teacher teaching sincerely and patiently,
students and others studying with utmost sincerity.
• Franz wonders sarcastically if Prussians could force pigeons to
coo in German.
• M. Hamel overcome with emotions could not speak and wrote
on the black board “Long Live France”.
Thank You