The Last Lesson

Very Short Question : 1 Mark

Question : "I started for school very late that morning."  Who is 'I' here ?

Ans : Here 'I' is Little Franz.

Question : Who is the writer of the essay "The Last Lesson" ?

Ans: Alphonse Daudet.

Question : Mention the names of two districts indicated in the essay ?

Ans: Alsace and Lorraine.

Question : What is the name of the river mentioned in the essay ?

Ans : The Saar.

Question : What did the former mayor bring with him ?

Ans: An old primer.

Question : What did M. Hamel do when the student were unable to give his answers?

Ans: M. Hamel scold them.

Question : What did M. Hamel keep in his hand ?

Ans: An Iron ruler.

Question : How did little Franz pass his time ?

Ans: By seeking birds' eggs and sliding on the Saar.

Question : What were the trees M. Hamel plant in his garden?

Ans. The walnut, Hopvine etc.

Short Question :- 2 Marks

Question :- What is Bulletin Board ?

Ans:- Bulletin Board is a news agency where the bad news had been published, from there, for the last two years - the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer etc. It is the scandal spreading centre whose chief attitude was to create problem.

Question : What were the subjects and topics taken up by M. Hamel ?

Ans. On the day of the last lesson, M. Hamel taught his students some important subjects. Grammar, History, Writings were the subjects. He taught them in such effective way that everybody understood them well from beginning to end.

Question : Who were the village people present in the class ?

Ans. Besides the students of the school, there are some village people were present in the class. They were the former mayor, the former post master, and several others. They sat in the classroom as the students. Old Hauser brought an old primer with him to read for the last time.

Question : What unusual things that Franz noticed in the classroom ?

Ans :- Little Franz noticed some unusual things in the classroom. The silent situation of the classroom, the dress of M. Hamel, the mild and gentle behaviour of M. Hamel, the presence of village people in the classroom were the common unusual things noticed by Franz on the day of the last lesson.

Question : Why were the village people present in the class ?

Ans: The village people were the guardian of the school of M. Hamel. It was their duty to come to school to take the news of the school. But they did not come. On the day of the last lesson, the village people came to school to do their duty. They wanted to give farewell to m. Hamel and to show their respect to the country which was theirs no more.

Question : Why did M. Hamel wear his fine Sunday clothes ?

Ans. On the day of the last lesson, M. Hamel wore his fine Sunday clothes. Generally, he wore it on inspection and prize days. But that day he wore this dress because that was his last lesson and class and after that day, he would take departure from that school forever. Therefore, he wore his fine Sunday clothes that day.

Question : What did the order come from Berlin ?

Ans. An order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. For this purpose the newly appointed teacher was coming in the next day.

Question : Why was the lesson called the Last Lesson ? Or
   Why was it a last lesson given by M. Hamel ?

Ans- The lesson was last lesson because an order had come from Berlin to teach only German language instead of French language in those schools after that day. Thus, the lesson was called The Last Lesson.

Question : Why did Franz think of running away and spending the day out of doors ?

Ans: Little Franz thought of running away and spending the day out of doors because of scolding. M. Hamel wanted to ask questions on participles. But Franz did not know the first word about that. When he would be unable to give the answer, the teacher would rebuke him. That is why Franz thought that way.

Question : What sort of dress did the teacher wear on that day ? Or
    How was the teacher dressed ?

Ans: On the day of the last lesson, the teacher wore his best Sunday clothes. He had dressed with his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and the little black silk cap, all nicely embroidered. M. Hamel never wore these dresses except on inspection and prize days.

Question : What kind of commotion did Franz anticipate while coming to class ?

Ans - When the school opens usually a great bustle could be heard. The noise of opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated by the students in unisons, very loud and the teacher's great ruler rapping on the table could be heard. Franz anticipated such commotion while coming to his class room.

Question. What had been put up in the bulletin board ? Or
    Why was there a crowd in front of the bulletin board 2

Ans. For the last two years all bad news, the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer were displayed on the bulletin board. That day, the news that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice-board which made the crowd there to read the news.

Broad Question : 5 Marks

Question : Describe the behaviour of M. Hamed on the day of the last Lesson.

Ans: On the day of the last lesson, M. Hamel's behaviour was quite separate than other day. He became kind and sympathetic. His manner, attitude, thinking and the art of teaching was totally different than other day. He did not scold Franz either for being late or for inability to learn participles.

    The teaching of M. Hamed was very effective that day. He explained everything with so much patience. All the students were so surprised to see how they understood well.

    M. Hamel wore his best dress on that day. He never wore these fine clothes except the inspection and prize days. He wore his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and the black silk cap, all embroidered and he took his classes with a plenty of devotion.

   He was seemed pathetic, sorrowful, and motionless. His heart broke with emotion and his voice trembled. He could not speak clearly because something chocked him. At the end, he was unable to dismiss the class and declared it only by gesture by his hands. Such depression seen in him which brought after his faithful service to this school. Such unusual behaviour was noticed in him on the day of the
last lesson.

Question : Describe the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson.

Ans: Little Franz noticed many unusual things on the day of the last lesson. First, he was greatly surprised at the unusual calmness and quiet atmosphere of the school. On that day, everything was quiet still. There was no noise of opening and closing of desk, the lessons read in unison and the rapping of the teacher's ruler. 

Next, Franz wondered at the extreme polite manner of the teacher M. Hamel told him to entered the class in an unusually gentle voice. Then he was astonished at the dress of the teacher, M. Hamel had worn his best clothes, the beautiful green coat, frilled shirt, and a little black silk cap adorned with embroidered which he never wore except on prize and inspection days.

Franz also noticed that on the back benches, that were always empty, but some village people were sat there on that day. He noticed old Houser, the former Mayor, the former post master and several others. All of them looked sad. So, these were the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson.