Presentation

on chapter by:
(Suraj Saw)
THE LAST
LESSON

Lesson by-
Alphonse Daudet
(1840-1897)
01 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alphonse Daudet was born on 13
May 1840 in Nimes in France to
Vincent Daudet, a silk
manufacturer. He began his
career as a school teacher but
later took to writing. Daudet is
remembered chiefly as a
shortstory writer and novelist of
sentimental tales of provincial
life in France.
02
BACKGROUND
The story is set at the backdrop of
OF THE STORY : the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71)
in which France was defeated by
Prussia led by Otto von Bismarck
(1815–1898), the first Chancellor
of Germany. Prussia then consisted
of what now are the nations of
Germany, Poland and parts of
Austria. In this story the French
districts of Alsace and Lorraine
have passed into Prussian hands.
03
THEME, SUB- Theme – The pain that is inflicted
on the people of a territory by its
THEME, PLOT conquerors by taking away the
right to study or speak their
language

Sub-Theme – Students’ and

teachers’ attitude to learning and
teaching respectively

Plot – The order from Berlin – The

Last Lesson delivered by M Hamel
– Its Impact
1. M.Hamel 3. Watcher
04 A teacher (a strict
disciplinarian)
The blacksmith

CHARACTERS
2. Franz 4. Villagers
The narrator (a Old Hauser,
school boy, Former Mayor,
truant) Former
Postmaster and
several others
01 MONSIEUR HAMEL M. Hamel was highly respected both by his
students and the village elders. He had
completed 40 years in the same school. The
He is presented in the mould of a traditional village elders came to pay their respect to
school-master. He always kept his 'terrible' such a grand teacher. M. Hamel loved
ruler under his arm. Mr Hamel was a hard France and French from the core of his
task-master. We see the other side of M. heart. He
Hamel's character after the order from Considered French as the most beautiful
Berlin came. He was a transformed person language
now. He became extra soft and gentle in the world.
'towards his students. He didn't scold Franz He asked the
for coming late. Nor did he use his ruler people to guard
when Franz got mixed up and confused. He it among
declared that it was his last lesson in themselves
French. and never
to forget it.
02 FRANZ
However, Franz had to change his opinion
Little Franz was a student of a school in about M. Hamel. An order had come from
Alsace. M. Hamel was his schoolmaster. Berlin. German language was imposed on
Franz was not a brilliant student. He didn't the people in Alsace. When he came to
prepare his lesson on participles. When he know that it was the last lesson of Mr.
was asked to recite, he got mixed up and Hamel, his views about him changed. He
confused. He was always in began to respect him. He had spent 40 years
dread of the great in the same school. He felt sorry that he had
ruler that M. Hamel neglected learning French. He shared M.
kept under his Hamel's views about French. It was the
arm. Franz knew most beautiful language in the world. He
how cranky listened to M. Hamel's last lesson with rapt
M. Hamel attention and respect.
was.
03 WATCHER

Blacksmith:
A blacksmith in a village in the
French region of Alsace-
Lorraine. As he hurries to school,
the narrator, Franz, passes
Wachter standing in front of the
town hall bulletin-board.
Wachter tells him not to go so
fast, and Franz thinks the
blacksmith is making fun of him.
Old Hauser:
04 VILLAGERS One of the elder villagers who gathers with the
children in M. Hamels’s classroom to hear the
last lesson. He brings his old primer, an
elementary reading textbook, with him to the
class, and uses it to help the youngest students
read their letters. Like the other villagers and
school children, including the story’s
narrator Franz, Hauser is devastated at news
that the Prussian authorities who have
occupied the French region of Alsace-Lorraine,
where the village is located, have forbidden the
teaching of French in schools. He cries as he
helps the young children read and makes
everyone else in the classroom want to cry and
laugh at once.
WHEN M.HAMEL
CALLED FRANZ
TO RECITE.

Learning lessons from

The Last Lesson:
P ro te ct /G ua rd your la nguage before
1.
its too late.
2. Time is Precious.
05 SUMMARY
‘The Last Lesson’ written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about the year 1870 when the Prussian
forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. The French districts of Alsace and
Lorraine went into Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of
French in the schools of these two districts The French teachers were asked to leave. Now M.
Hamel could no longer stay in his school. Still he taught his students with utmost devotion and
sincerity as ever. One such student of M. Hamel, Franz who dreaded French class and M.
Hamel’s iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not
learnt his lesson on participles. But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in his fine
Sunday clothes and the old people of the village sitting quietly on the back benches. It was due
to an order from Berlin. That was the first day when he realised for the first time how important
French was for him, but it was his last lesson in French. The story depicts the pathos of the
whole situation about how people feel when they don’t learn their own language. It tells us
about the significance of one’s language in one’s life for the very existence of a race and
how important it is to safeguard it.
THANK
YOU!