The Last Lesson Summary Class 12 English
The Last Lesson is an important chapter in Class 12 English. Questions from this chapter are always asked in examinations for Class 12. Students should read through the summary for The last lesson provided below. This will help the students to learn or revise the entire chapter easily. Our teachers have made the following summary based on the latest NCERT textbook for Class 12 for the current academic year. You should read the last lesson summary and important questions provided below just before your examinations. This will help you to understand the concepts and help you get more marks in Class 12 board English exams.
The Last Lesson Summary
for Class 12, Theme, Explanation and FAQs
'The Last Lesson' written by Alphonse Daudet portrays the circumstances in the year 1870 when France was invaded by the Prussian Force, under Bismarck's guidance. The Last Lesson primarily revolves around the love for the mother tongue. The mother tongue of the native languages of a country is its identity. Therefore, it's the responsibility of every citizen to safeguard it. The story portrays the condition of France after its defeat by the Prussian Force.
The Prussian Force desired to have their hands on the complete control of the kingdom and the life and sentiments of the people and prohibited them from learning their mother tongue. These practices of the ruling force arose a feeling of rebel among the French youngsters, who valued their mother tongues. In a sweet tone, the poet portrays a burning question about 'will the German also make the pigeons sing in their language?'. We will see how the writer raised a linguistic chauvinism feeling in the story later in the last lesson class 12 summary.
The Last Lesson Class 12 Summary
The readers often wonder for a perfect Last Lesson Class 12 Summary. Well, no worries now, as we present you the Last Lesson Class 12 Summary below, and you can also surf for the last lesson summary pdf –
So let's dive into the Last Lesson Summary Class 12 -
The story begins with the narrator, Franz being late for his class, as he wanted to skip the French class because he was not well prepared for the Participles test, but at last, he had to attend the class. Suddenly, the narrator noticed an enormous crowned before the bulletin board in the town hall. Every student believed the board to be a potent of evil news for the last two years. The Bulletin board quite clearly portrayed every of information France defeat in the war against the Prussian Forces. This depressing news leads a tide to silence among the whole school premises, which otherwise is nothing less than a fish market, with hustle bustle all around.
The narrator, Franz, on being late, had to sit on the front bench with utmost fear. But soon after having a conversation with M.Hamel, his strict French teacher, the narrator was surprised to notice an aura of calmness and depression in him. And all of a sudden, M.Hamel with a soft tone, informed the students that it was going to be his last lesson as the order was released from Berlin to employ German as the primary language in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine; therefore, a new German teacher would join soon.
His news slowed the narrator with a tide of shock, and he suddenly experienced a feeling of guilt of nothing giving worth to his native language, French, as he disliked the subject. M.Hamel's depressing tone made the narrator like him, forgetting all his rulers. The writer of the story here tried to portray the importance of the native language and defined French as one of the world's most beautiful languages.
So here is the complete summary of the last lesson, class 12. You may download the last lesson summary pdf for future references.
Video Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why the narrator, Franz, did not want to report to school that day?
Ans – The Last Lesson class 12 Summary portrays the narrator's fear of M.Hamel, his strict French teacher. And as the narrator was not prepared for his Participle test, he did not want to go to the classes, fearing his teacher's ruler. The summary of the last lesson, class 12, highlights the narrator's dislike for his native subject, French, because he desired not to attend the school.
Q2: Why M.Hamel pinned the phase 'Vive La France!' on the blackboard?
Ans – M.Hamel is one of the prominent characters in the Summary of the Last Lesson Class 12. M.Hamel, the strict French teacher in the story, wrote 'Vive La Fon the blackboard to highlight his love and affection towards his culture and his native language, that is, French. Through this term, M.Hamel also attempted to raise a feeling of rebel and anger towards the German Forces on the last day of his teaching job.
Q3: What inspired the narrator to write the 'last lesson'?
Ans - Alphonse Daudet wrote 'the last lesson' on the fronts of the Prussian Battle with the French power. The Prussian forces defeated France and established themselves as the ruler power in France. The German forces ruthlessly played with the people's sentiments, and they imposed a prohibition on their native language French. The writer in the Summary of the Last Lesson Class 12 presents a glimpse of linguistic chauvinism to the readers.
Q4: Why did the narrator fear M.Hamel?
Ans – The narrator, Franz, in the story is sketched as a young high school student, who hates his native language, French. M.Hamel is introduced as the narrator's strict French teacher, whom Franz feared the most, as he had a bad experience with her bearing the teacher's rulers.
Q5: Why is 'The Last Lesson' an essential story for every reader?
Ans – The class 12 students are also availed with the last lesson summary pdf for future reference on the Internet. Apart from academic importance, the story delivers a beautiful message to the readers, portraying the importance of mother tongue and love for culture. The story depicts the French people's feeling of attraction for their culture and native language after the Germans imposed restrictions on them.
Q6: What did the narrator notice on entering the school?
Ans – The narrator, Franz, noticed a huge crowd near the bulletin board on entering the school premises, which was believed to be an evil news portal. When he moved forward, he noticed a hell of silence within the school premises, which otherwise used to be a noisy space, and one could easily hear students reciting their lessons from outside the class.
The last Lesson Additional Points
- Franz started for school very late that morning. He was in great dread of a scolding because M. Hamel had said that he would question them on participles, and he did not know the first word about them.
- Franz thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles. But Franz had the strength to resist the temptation, and hurried off to school.
- When Franz passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For the last two years all bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer. Franz wondered what matter could be now.
- As Franz hurried off to school, the blacksmith, Wachter, who was reading the bulletin, called after him, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!” Franz thought he was making fun of him.
- When Franz reached the school, he saw his classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. So Franz was blushed and frightened as he was very late and did not learn the rule for participles.
- M. Hamel had put on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap – all embroidered. He never wore such clothes except on inspection and prize days. It was in honour of the last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes.
- After the writing and history lessons, the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. The old Hauser, who had put on his spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands, was trying to spell the letters. He was crying; his voice trembled with emotion. It was so funny to hear him that all wanted to laugh and cry.
- M. Hamel blamed the parents as they were not anxious enough about the children’s lessons. They preferred to put them to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. M. Hamel blamed himself also. He often sent the children to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons. And when he wanted to go fishing, he just gave them a holiday.
The Last Lesson Class 12 Summary in Hindi