Class 12 English Chapter - The Last Lesson - A brief Introduction #class12English #eduvictors

Class 12 English Chapter - The Last Lesson - A Brief Introduction

"The Last Lesson" takes place during the Bismarck-led Franco-Prussian War. After defeating France, Prussia took control of the French provinces of Lorraine and Alsace.

Franz and Mr Hamel, the story's two protagonists, are both from Alsace. Franz is a student of Mr Hamel, a teacher of French. The war's significance in their lives is at the centre of the narrative.

The last lesson‘ written by Alphonse Daudet narrates the year 1870 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. Now Mr Hamel could no longer stay in his school. Still, he gave lessons to his students with utmost devotion and sincerity as ever.

Franz who dreaded French class and Mr Hamel‘s iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson on participles.

But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in his fine Sunday clothes and the old people of the village sitting quietly on the back benches.

It was due to an order from Berlin. That was the first day when he realized for the first time how important French was for him, but it was his last lesson in French.

The story depicts the pathos of the whole situation about how people feel when they don‘t learn their own language.

It tells us about the significance of one‘s language in one‘s life for the very existence of a race and how important it is to safeguard it. 

👉See Also:

The Last Lesson (Q & A)

My Mother at Sixty Six (Q & A) 
My Mother at Sixty Six (Comprehension Based Q & A)
My Mother at Sixty Six (Competency-Based Questions)
Aunt's Jennifer Tiger (Q & A)  Aunt's Jennifer Tiger (Q & A -2)
Indigo (Q & A-1)   Indigo (Q & A - Part-2)
An elementary classroom in a school (Q & A)