The Last Lesson (Alphonse Daudet)

Franz was expected to be prepared with the rule for participles for school that day. He says M. Hamel had said he would question them on participles, and Franz did not know them.

Franz noticed that the school was not in its usual bustle. Instead of noise, desk-opening, and lessons repeated in unison, everything was still, quiet, and solemn. He also saw that the village people were sitting on the back benches, which was unusual.

Franz saw a crowd in front of the bulletin-board when he passed the town hall.

The order from Berlin brought several changes. French was stopped in Alsace and Lorraine, and German was to be taught from the next day. Because of this, the day became the last French lesson. M. Hamel wore his Sunday clothes, the village people came to the classroom, and the usual school noise disappeared. The whole room felt still, serious, and sad. Everyone realised the importance of the language and their lost country.

At first Franz was in great dread of M. Hamel because he was afraid of being scolded for not knowing participles. But when he learned that it was the last lesson, his feelings changed completely. He felt sorry for not studying earlier and began to think of his books and grammar as old friends. He no longer saw M. Hamel as merely cranky; instead, he felt respect and affection for him, especially when he understood that the teacher was giving his best on his last day.

The story shows this through several signs. Franz regrets not learning his lessons earlier, and M. Hamel speaks भावुकly about French as the most beautiful language and the key to freedom. The village elders come to school, sit quietly, and look sad. Everyone listens carefully, even the old man Hauser, who tries to spell the words and cries. This sudden love for the language happens because they are told that French will no longer be taught. When people are about to lose something, they understand its value more deeply.

Franz’s words are a figurative way of showing how deeply he feels about his homeland. He imagines that the Prussians may force German on people, but he cannot imagine that they could change even the natural life of the birds. The pigeons’ cooing seems part of France itself. So the line suggests his sadness and disbelief that even the most ordinary, natural things may be affected by the occupation.

Yes. History gives many examples where conquerors tried to impose their own language. For example, in many British colonies, English was made the language of administration and education. In occupied areas, local languages were sometimes discouraged or even punished. The chapter itself gives the example of Alsace and Lorraine, where German was ordered to be taught instead of French. Such policies were used to control people and weaken their identity.

A linguistic minority in a state may find that the majority language dominates schools, offices, and public institutions. Its language may become less visible, and younger people may slowly stop using it. To keep the language alive, people should speak it at home, use it in their community, teach children to read and write it, and preserve its books, songs, and traditions. Regular use is the best way to protect a language.

Yes, it is possible to carry pride too far. Being proud of one’s language is natural and good, but linguistic chauvinism means believing that one’s own language is superior and treating other languages with disrespect. That is harmful because it creates division and unfairness. Respect for one’s language should go along with respect for other languages.

The origins are:
- tycoon — Chinese
- barbecue — Caribbean
- zero — Arabic
- tulip — Turkish
- veranda — Portuguese/Spanish
- ski — Norwegian
- logo — Greek
- robot — Czech
- trek — Afrikaans/Dutch
- bandicoot — Telugu