At the end of last lesson M. Hamel wrote 'Viva la France'in bold letters. why do you think he wrote that and how the people of Alsace and Lorraine to keep their identity intact.{The last Lesson} by alphonse daudet Class XII
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Answers
Answer:
Q.1. What is ‘linguistic chauvinism’? Analyse the order from Berlin in this light.
How do you justify M. Hamel’s views about French and the new-found love of the
people towards their language?
Ans. Carrying pride in one’s language too far leads to ‘linguistic chauvinism’. We can
analyse the order from Berlin in this light. It is nothing but a pure example of linguistic
chauvinism. The imposition of German language over the French speaking population
can’t be justified at all. It is the worst kind of colonialism.
M. Hamel’s love for French is genuine. The shocking order from Berlin arouses patriotic
feelings in him. He loves French and feels it to be the most beautiful language in the
world. He calls it the clearest and most logical language too. He regrets that the people
of Alsace did not pay much heed to the learning of this great language. He asks the
people to safeguard it among themselves. It is the key to their unity and freedom.
The people of Alsace, particularly the village elders, suddenly realise how precious their
language is to them. Students like Franz too are not immune to patriotic feelings. Franz
feels sorry for neglecting the learning of French. He hates the idea of German language
being imposed on them. He remarks sarcastically, “Will they make them sing in
German, even the pigeons?” The last lesson was so impactful that it helped to revive
the love for the language among the people of Alsace.
Q.2. How can you estimate M. Hamel as a man with a ruler and as a man with a
gesture?
OR
How does M. Hamel prove to be an ideal teacher?
Ans. In ‘The Last Lesson’, Alphonse Daudet presents M. Hamel’s character with due
sympathy and respect. Initially, he is presented in the mould of a traditional
schoolmaster. He used his terrible ruler under his arm. Everyone could hear the rapping
of the ‘great ruler’ on the table even outside in the street. Franz reminds us ‘how cranky’
M. Hamel was. The students used to dread their schoolmaster. Franz was scared of
being scolded as he had not prepared his lesson on participles. For a moment he even
thought of running away from school. Mr Hamel was a hard task master. He maintained
discipline in the class. The other side of Mr Hamel’s character is seen after the order
from Berlin came. He had been transformed now. He became soft and gentle towards
his students. He didn’t scold Franz for coming late. He did not even use his ruler when
little Franz got mixed up and confused when his turn to recite came. He declared that it
was his last lesson in French as from the next day German would be taught in the