Short Questions Q1: Why Franz was afraid of going to school that day? A: The teacher M.

Hamel had asked students to prepare for a test on Participles and Franz even didnt know even a single word of it, so he was not feeling to go to school that day. Franz was afraid of M Hamels cruel iron rule, which he usually kept under his arm and he was taken as very sticked teacher. Q2: What unusual changes did Franz notice in school that day? A: As French entered in school premised he was surprised to notice the unusual silence as if it was a Sunday morning. No noise of lesson chanting, no noise opening and closing of desk drawers. All students were already in class. Teacher was wearing the fancy dress which he would usually wear only on special occasions like prize ceremonies etc.

Q3: What was the notice from Berlin and how did it affect class? A: The notice, which was served from Berlin, was about that no French language would be taught in schools of Alsace and Lorraine cities only German would be taught instead. So M. Hamel, the French teacher was asked to vacate his place for a new German teacher. The notice affected very badly, everybody was repenting on wasting the time and not learned the French. Q4: Describe the impact of notice on Franz, M. Hamel and villagers? A: The notice affected everybody deeply, Franz thought why he wasted his time on leisure activities instead of learning his own language, the books which would seem him as a burden now those books seemed to be old friends to him. H. Hamel was feeling guilty to sending students for his person tasks and allowing them on holidays whenever he wanted to go to fishing and villagers were feeling guilty why they did not send their children to study instead of sending them on the farm for earning money.

Q5: Why did the feelings for M. Hamel were changed in Franzs mind? A: The impact of notice and fact that the teacher would be going away and he will never be able to see him again in class made Franzs feeling soften for Mr Hamel. Earlier Franz would feel fear from his teacher because of his cranky nature and his iron ruler but now all those feelings were totally vanished up for him.

Q6: Why older villagers were presented in the class that day? A: The older villagers were presented in class as they were sorry for not sending their children to study in school instead they sent them to the farms and mills to earn extra bucks. One more reason for their presence was that they wanted to pay their respect to the teacher who served them for forty years.

Q7: How did Mr M Hamel describe the French language? A: M. Hamel, the teacher described French language as worlds most beautiful, clearest and logical language. He also told that the love with ones own language can be proven as the key to the prison for the people who live in enslaved country. Q8: Write a brief character sketch of M. Hamel? A: M. Hamel was taken as a strict teacher, students were afraid of his iron ruler. He was very sincere and dedicated teacher who served for forty long years in his service as a teacher to the village in Alsace. When he got the notice to vacant his place to make the space for new German teacher. He was totally broken. He remained sad throughout the last class. This changed his behavior, he behaved rather very politely and patiently. When Franz was not able to say his lesson correctly instead of scolding him he just made him understand about the relevancy of learning the mother tongue.

1)Whywas Franz late for school thatday? Franz was instinctively not interested in learning French language. That day he had to learn the rules of Participles and he was least prepared for that and was therefore afraid of his teacher, M. Hamel. Moreover, he was allured by the attractions on the way to school. 2)What attracted Franz on his way to school? Franz was attracted by the warm weather outside. The birds that chirped at the edge of the forestand the Prussian soldiers who were drilling also slowed down his interest to go to school. 3)WhatdidWatchermean bysaying Franz wouldget tohisschool inplentyof time? Watcher, the blacksmith, meantit ironically. He meant there was no more French taught in theschool as per the ban imposed by the Prussians and it would take a long time to get it back andtherefore there was no need tohurry tohis school. 4)Describe the atmosphere of the school on usual days. On usual days the school no longer looked like a school. The noises inside the school could beheard out in the street. Children were in a playful mood, opening and closing their desks and shouting their lessons in chorus.The teacher had to usehis ruler tosilence the class . 5)How did the classroom look different that last day? Whose presence was extraordinary? For the first time in its existence, M. Hamel's classroom looked like a classroom. There was a deep silence in the class. No one spoke a word. All were sad. Besides, the presence of the villagers there was extraordinary. 6)Why was that class to be the Last Class? Alsace was conquered by the Prussians and as a result a new order came from Berlin to ban teaching of French in the schools ofAlsace.Theorder further said that all the French teachers likeM. Hamel had to leave the territory within a day and therefore that class was to be the last class. 7)How had Franz' books become 'old friends for him? Friends become sweeter when they depart from us.With the ban on French,his books were alsogoing to separate from Franz and therefore they seemed to be old friends for him.

8)Franz related theextraordinary changes in the classroom to the ban onFrench that had beenpublished on the bulletin board. How? When Franz passed the bulletin board at theTown Hall,hedidn't know what was so curious about it.Later,when he reached his school there were changes and curiosity there too. Finallywhen he wastold ofthe ban on Frenchand of M. Hamel's transfer, he connectedtheorder on the bulletin boardand the extraordinary changes in theclassroom. 9)Whatdid M. Hamelmean by, 'And now you seewhereweve comeout!' The people ofAlsace were generally unwilling to learn their language. They left learning to anotherdayand did all except that. Suddenly the banon French wasimposed by the Prussians and the people had no time left to learn their mother tongue 10).How does M. Hamel blame the parentsof his students? The parentsofhis students were,in M. Hamel'sopinion, greedy for money. They consideredlearning less important that making a living. They used to send their children to work in the farms and mills to earn an extra amount ofmoney. 11)How is a nation's language important for its citizens beyond the mere use for communication? Language is primarily important for communication. Besides, it has the amazing power to bind a nation together. Once a nation is thus united it can stand against all foreign aggressions and safeguard its freedom. 12)The dead reaction to the beetles that flew into the classroom clearly said the children's resentmentto the ban on French. Explain. In M.Hamel's school beetles used toswarm in andchildren used to take that for fun, too. But thatday there was anamazing change in the usual reactions to the beetles. Due to the shock and sadness caused by the ban on French even the little children took no notice of the beetles. 13)What changes hadhappenedin andoutside the classroom during the forty years of M. Hamel'sservice? How do they speak of his incompetence? M Hamel was sent to teach the Alsace population. Forty years passed yet Alsace remainedilliterate. Only the desks and bencheshad been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden weretaller,and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined aboutthe windows to the roof. Yet therewas no changeor growth in the literacy and education levels of the people. **14)How does the author present a nation's love for its lost freedom? For the people ofAlsace being conquered by another country wasnt a new thing. But they hadnever foreseen that their freedom to learn theirown language would be taken away from

them oneday. They had a teacher to teach them French but they never tookhim seriously.They used to put off learning foranotherday butone day came withoutanotherday to follow.Their freedom to learn their own language takenaway from them, the people of Alsace realized its importance. Everyone, young andold, reflected the lossof something whose importance they realized only when it wastakenaway from them.They wanted their freedom back. Theywished to learn their language as intensely as their teacher wished to teach them in an hours time. The usually boisterous classroom becamea peaceful place of learning. Some felt a sudden love for their books that were once burden for themwhile others wept with their books in hand. The teacher became emotional and accepted his failurein teaching thepeopleand his students strove to learn French inanhour.Theyhated the Prussiansand themselvesfor their lost freedom. 15)How far is a language important for a nation's freedom? A nation that stands separated cannot stand against its enemy. Language is one of the mostpowerful elements that boosts the unity ofa nation. If a nationhasa single languageit is said to beunited and no aggression can conquer it. 16)How was the last class a new lesson for Franz? Franz was a typical child ofAlsace. He too, like theothers,hadputoff learning for another day. ToFranz learning Frenchwas very difficult.He loved anything excepthis own language.But when hewas told that therewas no more chance to learn ofhis own language, Franz felt guiltyof not havingtaken keen interest to learn it. It is obvious that Franz knew any French, ifat all to readand write.Allof a suddenhis love for learning his language grewpowerfulinhim.He paidhis full attention tohismaster Hamel. He understood every rule of the grammar, every sentence, every words . The teacher no longer appeared to him cranky nor his terrible ruler any more terrorizing. He loved to learn French inan hour. He felt very sorry for not learning. The last class was unforgettable for Franz.