The Last Lesson
Alphonse Daudet
About the Author:
.jpeg "Alphonse Daudet") |
| Alphonse Daudet |
About the Lesson: The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He dislikes studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel. After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France, Berlin has ordered that German language instead of French be taught in the schools there. It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there for forty years. He is full of grief, nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village men also attend his ‘last lesson’. They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French in their childhood. Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French. Now, suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day! He develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel and respects him for his sincerity and hard work. He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of participles. M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager enough to learn, putting it off to the next day. He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely. His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful and most logical language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being close to one’s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in getting free from the Germans. They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been defeated by the Germans because of their illiteracy. Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s language from a person as it is natural to each being, may it be the “coo” to the pigeons or “French” to the Frenchmen.
1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer: The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had fallen into Prussian hands. As a result, they received an order from Berlin mandating that only German be taught in Alsace and Lorraine schools. It was at that point that they all realise the importance of their language. The students’ sincerity was evident by the fact that they all began working quietly. The only sound in the room was the scratching of pens across the paper. Even the villagers came in and sat quietly as students in the class. Everyone appeared to be depressed. M. Hamel, who was otherwise disliked, instilled in the students a sense of regret. Franz regretted not paying close attention to him, whereas M. Hamel, who was heartbroken at the prospect of leaving, had never explained everything with such patience. He almost seemed to want to tell them everything he knew before leaving. In his words, he adequately captured the mood. ‘We all have a lot of things to be ashamed of.’
2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
Answer: Franz’s question about whether pigeons can sing in German demonstrates that humans can impose their will on other humans but cannot impose it on nature. It suggests that human power is always limited. They cannot have complete control over the world. Similarly, Prussians can control their schools and learning patterns, but they cannot kill their pride in their country and language.
Talking About The Text:
1. “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
Answer: “When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.” Examples of conquered people having their language taken away or having a language imposed on them can be found throughout history.
1. Imposition of English in India during colonization by Britain.
2. Imposition of Chinese in Tibet
4. Imposition of French in Britain
5. Turkish imposed on Kurds
2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive? For example:
Punjabis in Bangalore
Tamilians in Mumbai
Kannadigas in Delhi
Gujaratis in Kolkata
Answer: In any state, the linguistic minority is easily identified and faces the same discrimination as religious, social, or ethnic minorities. However, there is a significant disparity between the treatment meted out and the level of acceptance displayed by the majority community in that region. Some cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, have a cosmopolitan outlook.
The linguistic minority attempts to preserve its identity through intimate contact, interaction, and language preservation in social gatherings, family functions, and regional festivals. Adherence to social customs and traditions in family gatherings and women’s meetings fosters unity among members of the linguistic minority. In a nutshell, they have built a mini-Punjab in Bangalore, a mini-Chennai in Mumbai, a mini-Bangalore in Delhi, and a mini-Surat in Kolkata.
3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?
Answer: People often take quite enough pride in their native tongues and repress others. This is incorrect as we should treat all languages and cultures equally.
Linguistic chauvinism refers to a person’s excessive pride in their native language. Being overly aggressive and fanatical about one’s language is referred to as carrying pride.
Working with words:
1. English is a language that contains words from many other languages. This inclusiveness is one of the reasons it is now a world language, For example:
petite – French
kindergarten – German
capital – Latin
democracy – Greek
bazaar – Hindi
Find out the origins of the following words.
tycoon barbecue zero
tulip veranda ski
logo robot trek
bandicoot
Answer:
2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meaning.
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
The words were
(i) loud and clear.
(ii) startling and unexpected.
(iii) pleasant and welcome.
Answer: “When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.” Examples of conquered people having their language taken away or having a language imposed on them can be found throughout history.
1. Imposition of English in India during colonization by Britain.
2. Imposition of Chinese in Tibet
4. Imposition of French in Britain
5. Turkish imposed on Kurds
2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive? For example:
Punjabis in Bangalore
Tamilians in Mumbai
Kannadigas in Delhi
Gujaratis in Kolkata
Answer: In any state, the linguistic minority is easily identified and faces the same discrimination as religious, social, or ethnic minorities. However, there is a significant disparity between the treatment meted out and the level of acceptance displayed by the majority community in that region. Some cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, have a cosmopolitan outlook.
The linguistic minority attempts to preserve its identity through intimate contact, interaction, and language preservation in social gatherings, family functions, and regional festivals. Adherence to social customs and traditions in family gatherings and women’s meetings fosters unity among members of the linguistic minority. In a nutshell, they have built a mini-Punjab in Bangalore, a mini-Chennai in Mumbai, a mini-Bangalore in Delhi, and a mini-Surat in Kolkata.
3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?
Answer: People often take quite enough pride in their native tongues and repress others. This is incorrect as we should treat all languages and cultures equally.
Linguistic chauvinism refers to a person’s excessive pride in their native language. Being overly aggressive and fanatical about one’s language is referred to as carrying pride.
Working with words:
1. English is a language that contains words from many other languages. This inclusiveness is one of the reasons it is now a world language, For example:
petite – French
kindergarten – German
capital – Latin
democracy – Greek
bazaar – Hindi
Find out the origins of the following words.
tycoon barbecue zero
tulip veranda ski
logo robot trek
bandicoot
Answer:
| Word | Origin |
|---|---|
| Tycoon | It originated from the Japanese word “taikun”, which means great lord. |
| Barbecue | It originated from the Caribbean word “barbacoa”, which refers to a wooden structure used to cook. |
| Bandicoot | Telugu word pandikokku, means pig-rat |
| Zero | The word zero has French origins but it originated from Arabic ‘cipher’. |
| Tulip | It originated from French but has its origins in Persian dulband means flower shaped turban |
| Veranda | It originated from Hindi ‘baranda’ which means railing |
| Ski | Norwegian ‘snowshoe’ |
| Logo | It has its origins in Greek logos means ‘imprint’ |
| Robot | It originated from Czech word ‘forced labour’ |
| Trek | South African word means to travel in Dutch |
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
The words were
(i) loud and clear.
(ii) startling and unexpected.
(iii) pleasant and welcome.
Answer: (ii) unexpected and quite startling.
(b) “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison”
It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they
(i) do not lose their language.
(ii) are attached to their language.
(iii) quickly learn the conqueror’s language.
(b) “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison”
It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they
(i) do not lose their language.
(ii) are attached to their language.
(iii) quickly learn the conqueror’s language.
Answer: (ii) are attached to their language.
(c) Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time.
You will get to your school
(i) very late.
(ii) too early.
(iii) early enough.
(c) Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time.
You will get to your school
(i) very late.
(ii) too early.
(iii) early enough.
Answer: (iii) early enough.
(d) I never saw him look so tall.
M. Hamel
(a) had grown physically taller
(b) seemed very confident
(c) stood on the chair
Answer: (b) seemed very confident.
Noticing Form:
Read this sentence
M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles. In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first part is used to indicate an “earlier past”. The whole story is narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb and say why this form has been used.
Answer: Five sentences in the past perfect tense:
1. For the last two years, all our bad news had come from there- the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer, I thought to myself. In this sentence, first the information had come and then Franz thought to himself.
2. I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen.
In this sentence, first he got scared and then he tried to get to the desk without being seen.
3. I had to open the door and go in before everybody.
In this sentence, he had to open the door before getting in.
4. When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had key to their prison.
In this sentence, they had their key to prison before they were enslaved.
5. But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last.
This tense has been used because in the story, the incidents are happening at two different points of time. In this sentence, he had the courage and so, he listened to the lesson to the end.
Writing:
1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could be an announcement of a forthcoming event, or a requirement to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.
Answer:
NOTICE
ABC Public School
Essay Competition
On 05 – 20 – 2021, the school will host an essay competition. “The Qualities I Admire in My Favorite Teacher” is the topic. All interested students should contact the undersigned by September 2, 2021.
Secretary,
School Literary Club,
Your Name
2. Write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.
Answer: In most of the states in India, students have to study three languages at school. One of them is the mother tongue, the second is Hindi (the national language) and the third is English (the international or link language). In Hindi speaking region, a South or East Indian language—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam or Bangla, Oriya, Assamese etc is taught. The three language formula helps in national integration by acquainting young students about the social customs, rituals, culture and traditions of the various parts of the country. It also focuses on the principle of unity in diversity. The only drawback in this system is that it puts an excessive burden on the minds of the young learner. To alleviate their problem, the courses of study in the three languages may be structured suitably.
3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.
Answer: Facts are sometimes stronger than fiction. Many occurrences of life come as eye-openers. Such an experience occurred the previous day which led me to change my mind about our hostel warden Miss Angela Thomas. Overnight the terrible titan was transformed into a loving and affectionate elder sister full of milk of human kindness. Now when I remember how I disliked her and invented nicknames and pranks to tease her, I feel ashamed of myself. Yesterday, I had a terrible nightmare and I cried and wept. My room-mate failed to console me and reported the matter to the warden. God knows how long I remained unconscious! When I came to my senses I found my head in the lap of Miss Angela Thomas. Her eyes were red with tears and bps moving in prayer. She had really proved an angel for me and saved me.
(d) I never saw him look so tall.
M. Hamel
(a) had grown physically taller
(b) seemed very confident
(c) stood on the chair
Answer: (b) seemed very confident.
Noticing Form:
Read this sentence
M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles. In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first part is used to indicate an “earlier past”. The whole story is narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb and say why this form has been used.
Answer: Five sentences in the past perfect tense:
1. For the last two years, all our bad news had come from there- the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer, I thought to myself. In this sentence, first the information had come and then Franz thought to himself.
2. I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen.
In this sentence, first he got scared and then he tried to get to the desk without being seen.
3. I had to open the door and go in before everybody.
In this sentence, he had to open the door before getting in.
4. When people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had key to their prison.
In this sentence, they had their key to prison before they were enslaved.
5. But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last.
This tense has been used because in the story, the incidents are happening at two different points of time. In this sentence, he had the courage and so, he listened to the lesson to the end.
Writing:
1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could be an announcement of a forthcoming event, or a requirement to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.
Answer:
NOTICE
ABC Public School
Essay Competition
On 05 – 20 – 2021, the school will host an essay competition. “The Qualities I Admire in My Favorite Teacher” is the topic. All interested students should contact the undersigned by September 2, 2021.
Secretary,
School Literary Club,
Your Name
2. Write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.
Answer: In most of the states in India, students have to study three languages at school. One of them is the mother tongue, the second is Hindi (the national language) and the third is English (the international or link language). In Hindi speaking region, a South or East Indian language—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam or Bangla, Oriya, Assamese etc is taught. The three language formula helps in national integration by acquainting young students about the social customs, rituals, culture and traditions of the various parts of the country. It also focuses on the principle of unity in diversity. The only drawback in this system is that it puts an excessive burden on the minds of the young learner. To alleviate their problem, the courses of study in the three languages may be structured suitably.
3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.
Answer: Facts are sometimes stronger than fiction. Many occurrences of life come as eye-openers. Such an experience occurred the previous day which led me to change my mind about our hostel warden Miss Angela Thomas. Overnight the terrible titan was transformed into a loving and affectionate elder sister full of milk of human kindness. Now when I remember how I disliked her and invented nicknames and pranks to tease her, I feel ashamed of myself. Yesterday, I had a terrible nightmare and I cried and wept. My room-mate failed to console me and reported the matter to the warden. God knows how long I remained unconscious! When I came to my senses I found my head in the lap of Miss Angela Thomas. Her eyes were red with tears and bps moving in prayer. She had really proved an angel for me and saved me.
Things to Do:
Q.1. Find out about the following (You may go to the internet, interview people, consult reference books or visit a library.)
(a)Linguistic human rights
(b)Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.
Answer:
(a)Linguistic human rights: Linguistic rights are the human and civil rights concerning the individual and collective right to choose the language or languages for communication in a private or public atmosphere. Linguistic rights include, among others, the right to one's own language in legal, administrative and judicial acts, language education, and media in a language understood and freely chosen by those concerned. Linguistic rights in international law are usually dealt in the broader framework of cultural and educational rights. Important documents for linguistic rights include:
(b)Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.
Answer:
(a)Linguistic human rights: Linguistic rights are the human and civil rights concerning the individual and collective right to choose the language or languages for communication in a private or public atmosphere. Linguistic rights include, among others, the right to one's own language in legal, administrative and judicial acts, language education, and media in a language understood and freely chosen by those concerned. Linguistic rights in international law are usually dealt in the broader framework of cultural and educational rights. Important documents for linguistic rights include:
- Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (1996)
- European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (1992)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
- Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1988)
- Convention against Discrimination in Education and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
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