Question

draw a character sketch of franz

Answer 1

Franz was a very young boy living in Alsace district of France. He had a layman's attitude to studies. At the beginning we find him feeling tempted to skive his school. However, we also come to know his inner strength of character when he overcomes that temptation. 

We come to know his patriotism and love for his teacher after he comes to know about the sad news of the new order according to which teaching of French had to be replaced with German. He is shocked to know that that was M. Hamel's last lesson. 

We see him getting remorseful for having ignored learning French. He wants to learn all the French in just one period. He is very sad at the departure of his teacher.

Answer 2

The story portrays a lively depiction of Franz. He loved to spend his day out of doors rather in the classroom because the brightness of the sunshine, the chirping of the birds and the liveliness of the nature fascinated him. He was not much in interested in studies. However, he got saddened when he came to know of the order from Berlin that French would no more be taught in school. Suddenly, he realised what he was going to lose. To lose one's language is nothing less than losing oneself. He knew he had not yet learnt even the participles clearly. His power of self analysis led him to conclude that the lessons of French were never difficult. It was he who never paid attention. Now, when he understood the language, the authorities restrained this learning. He got disturbed to see the exploitation of one human race by another. This made him ask "Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”. Franz turns out to be a character that grows mature in the course of the story. From a negligent school boy he finally becomes a self analysing citizen.