Class 12 English - The Last Lesson - Question and Answers #FlamingoProse #Class12English #eduvictors

Class 12 English - The Last Lesson - Question and Answers

Book: Flamingo (Prose)

Q1: Who is the author of 'The Last Lesson'?

Answer: Alphonse Daudet

Q2: What is the background of the story?

Answer: 'The Last Lesson' is set during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), in which France was defeated by Prussia under Bismarck's leadership. Prussia was made up of what are now the countries of Germany, Poland, and parts of Austria. The French territories of Alsace and Lorraine have fallen into Prussian hands in this novel. This story also depicts the impact of the occurrence on routine school life. It also emphasises the suffering inflicted on the people of the territory by invaders who took away their rights to learn and speak their native tongue.

Q3: Why did Franz not want to go to school that day?

Answer: That day, Franz considered skipping school because his instructor, Mr Hamel, had ordered them to prepare a chapter on participles, and he hadn't done so. Furthermore, he was running late for school and was terrified of being scolded by Mr Hamel. The weather was very pleasant, prompting him to skip school.

Q4: Educating children is the responsibility of society. Justify the statement in view of ‘The Last Lesson.

Answer: Adults in society play a critical role in encouraging young people to pursue higher education. They have been through this time and can guide us in the appropriate direction based on their personal experiences. This can also be seen in Alphanso Daudet's lesson "The Last Lesson." This is the story of Franz, a young man who saw his studies as a burden, and M. Hamel, a teacher who took the wonderful profession of teaching for granted.

During the latter portion of the story, however, it was only M. Hamel who made Franz feel guilty for not taking the French language seriously and went on to praise the language as the most rational and clear. This demonstrates that M. Hamel was the one who inspired young Franz to think positively about the language and devote his undivided attention to the Last Lesson.

Q5: What did Franz see when he passed the town hall?

Answer: When Franz passed the town hall, he saw that there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board.

It displayed bad news received from the commanding officer.

Q6: After sitting down at his desk, what unusual thing did Franz observe about Mr Hamel?

Answer: Mr Hamel was dressed in his best clothing, which he only wore on exceptional occasions, Franz noted. He was also more conciliatory that day.

Q7: What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?

Answer: The thing that startled Franz the most was to see the village residents sitting calmly like students on the rear seats, which were always empty; the old Hauser, with his three-cornered hat, the former Mayor, the former Postmaster, and numerous more. Furthermore, everyone appeared to be depressed. Mr M. Hamel was also dressed in formal clothes, which he usually wears on inspection days or award ceremonies.

Q8: What was the bulletin board news that caused a change in the school?

Answer: Franz dubbed the directive from Berlin a thunderclap since it came as a shock to him to learn that the study of French had been banned in Alsace and Lorraine schools and that only German would be taught there. It was a surprising turn of events.

Q9: The order from Berlin created great enthusiasm in the school. Comment (150- 180 words)

Answer: The atmosphere in the school on the day of the last session was significantly different from usual in Alphonse Daudet's short story "The Last Lesson." Due to a Berlin edict stating that only the German language would be taught in Alsace and Lorraine schools, there was a lot of melancholy and solemnity in the classroom. M. Hamel, the French teacher, was upset and distraught at having to leave the school after forty years of teaching his home tongue. His demeanour had also changed dramatically, and he was more pleasant than normal.

He displayed his zeal and enthusiasm toward the French language by calling it the most beautiful, clearest, and logical language. He asked his students to guard their mother tongue among them and never forget or lose it under any circumstances. He asked the students to take a sense of pride in their native language. He supported his views because when the people of a country are enslaved and forced to use a foreign language, their mother tongue holds the key to their prison.

He'd also brought new copies for the students, with the words "France, Alsace, France, Alsace" scrawled in lovely round handwriting. As a demonstration of respect for their mother tongue, the village elders who were attending the lesson sat on the backbenches of the classroom.

Q10: Why did the elder of the village attend the last lesson?

Answer: The elders of the village attended the last lesson to show their affection for the French language and to pay respect to the teacher, M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service. The elders occupied the last benches of the classroom.

Q11: Everybody during the last lesson was filled with regret. Comment

Answer: The story "The Last Lesson" takes place during the Franco-Prussian War, when Prussia took control of the French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The Prussian government then declared that only German would be taught in Alsace and Lorraine's schools. This directive had a negative impact on the local population, and everyone was remorseful for wasting time and not learning French. Each student in the class expressed regret. The school itself seemed solemn and odd. M. Hamel, a French language teacher, felt bad about assigning his students to accomplish his personal responsibilities. Parents of students never bothered to send their children to school, preferring instead to have them work on the farm or in mills. Even the oldest in the room, such as old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postman, and other village elders, expressed sorrow for not learning French or encouraging their children to do so.

Q12: What is linguistic chauvinism? How can you point out M. Hamel’s love for French?

Answer: Linguistic chauvinism is an inflated sense of pride in one's language. M. Hamel adored the French language, but his adoration did not equate to linguistic chauvinism. He does, however, emphasise the significance of mastering one's native tongue. The people of Alsace and Lorraine, on the other hand, were victims of learning German.

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