The Last Lesson

Why did Mr. Hamel write ‘Vive La France’ on the blackboard?

M. Hamel wrote ‘Vive La France!’ on the blackboard because of his love for the country. It could also be considered an expression of rebellion against the imposition of the German. Mr. Hamel wrote ‘Vive La France’ as a tribute to his country which had lost the war to Prussia. He wanted to remind everyone…

What was M. Hamel’s regret on the day of the last lesson?

M. Hamel’s regret on the last day of the last lesson was that he had to leave France after giving forty years of service and his students had not learned the language properly. Mr. Hamel reproached himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress because he often sent his students on personal errands, for example, to water…

How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?

Franz was overcome with a feeling of remorse and regret when he heard that henceforth only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. He wished that he hadn’t spent so much time in trivial pursuits like seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding in the Saar. The books that seemed such…

‘But the thing that surprised me most was to see …….’. What surprised Franz most in the class?

The thing that surprised Franz the most was to see on the back benches, that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like the students; the old Hauser, with his three cornered hat, the former Mayor, the former Postmaster, and several others. Besides, everybody looked sad. M. Hamel was dressed in formal attire which…