the last lesson figure of speech

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet | Summary and Analysis

The last lesson summary and analysis.

The Last Lesson : About the story 

The Last Lesson, a short story set in the backdrop of Franco-Prussian War is narrated from the perspective of a little boy named Franz. The story deals with the occupation of Alsace-Lorraine in the year 1870 when Bismarck’s army stormed the area and held it under the Prussian control right until World War I. The story provides us a brief yet memorable glimpse of how one’s language is rooted to one’s identity and what happens when there’s an attempt to slowly severe the tie between a people and its language by a powerful enemy. It also highlights how language comes to the surface in times of crisis when one’s identity is most threatened. The Last Lesson is a great reminder of how we cannot take our language for granted and how important it is to love and learn one’s language in order to protect one’s individual and collective identity.

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The Last Lesson : Summary

     The Last Lesson is a first person narrative whose speaker is a little boy named Franz. The boy is a resident of Alsace-Lorraine district of France that has lately been occupied by the Prussians.

The story begins one fine morning when we find little Franz hurrying off to school. He is quite scared as the French teacher M. Hamel is supposed to question the students on the past participle. Franz hasn’t learnt it yet. With great effort, Franz resists the temptation to bunk his class and goes unwillingly to school. He sees a crowd gathered around a bulletin board, the medium through which all of the bad news had reached Alsace: lost battles, droughts and the orders of the commanding officers. Franz banks heavily on the usual commotion of the class and plans to quietly slip into his bench without attracting the attention of M. Hamel. However, he finds that the garden outside the school is as silent as on a Sunday morning. He peers through the window and sees his classmates in their respective seats. Frightened and ashamed, he opens the door and enters the class. Surprisingly, M. Hamel is rather kind towards him and doesn’t reproach him for being late. Franz goes to his desk and notices that the teacher has put on a green coat, a frilled shirt and his black silk cap – usually worn on special occasions like award ceremonies and inspection. To his surprise, he also sees the residents of his village all huddled up in the classroom. He sees old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and many others sitting on the back bench of the class, all seated with a solemn look on their faces. While Franz begins guessing the reason behind such an unusual day, M. Hamel drops the bombshell:

“My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.”

  This is a terrible shock to Franz. It finally dawns on him what the bulletin on the townhall meant. He regrets at not having taken his French lessons seriously, choosing instead to peek at the birds’ nest and go sliding on the Saar desert. This is to be his last lesson and he doesn’t even know how to write. He also feels sad for M. Hamel, a man who had given forty years of service to the place and who was being told to leave it forever. He understands the regret of the village folks at not having taken their language seriously either.

The recitation of lessons begin and M. Hamel calls little Franz to recite the rules of participle. To his great embarrassment, he fumbles and is completely lost. The teacher doesn’t scold Franz but reveals the sad truth:

“Every day we have said to ourselves, ‘Bah! I’ve plenty of time. I’ll learn it tomorrow.’ And now you see where we’ve come out. Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow.”

Hamel says that in part, it is Franz’ parents and himself who are to blame. He then goes on to describe the beauty of the French language, stating that it is the most beautiful, most logical language in the world and that the people must always be able to guard the language and never forget it. What follows next is one of the most memorable lines of the story :

…because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.

He then begins the grammar lesson. Franz understands it all. It seems that earlier, he hadn’t listened so carefully and M. Hamel hadn’t taught as patiently as he did in his last lesson. The grammar is followed by the writing lesson. Everybody gets down writing and the class is filled with a pin drop silence. Once, some beetles fly in but nobody pays attention to them, not even the little kids. The cooing of the pigeons on the roof makes Franz wonder whether the Germans will make the birds sing in German as well.

When Franz looks up, he sees M. Hamel scanning the entire class as if to imprint the scene in his memory. The writing lesson is followed by the babies’ chanting their ba, be, bi, bu etc. Even Old Hausner joins their recital with tears in his eyes.

Then, the clock strikes twelve. At the same time, the Prussians sound the trumpet and M. Hamel freezes. He tries to say something but is overwhelmed with emotion: “My friends,” said he, “I—I—” But something choked him. He could not go on. He stops and starts scribbling on the blackboard with large letters: Vive La France

The Last Lesson : Analysis

As we have seen in this  summary, The Last Lesson is an intensely poignant story about what it means to speak a certain language and how closely one’s language is linked to one’s identity. The story demonstrates how the linguistic chauvinism of one race can lead to the enslavement of another and what we as individuals can do to overcome such a challenge. Themes of war, identity, linguistic chauvinism, uncertainty and displacement are replete in the story.

Because the story is narrated from the perspective of a little boy instead of an adult figure, the story becomes all the powerful in showing the magnitude of the damage that has been done through neglecting one’s language. This is because a child narrator like Franz represents the future of France and the French language. The fact that this future of France is so unprepared to face the challenges that lie ahead doesn’t bode well for France and her people. Franz’s situation may also be seen as a generational failure – the failure of his parents and the teacher who did not do enough to inculcate the love of language in the new generation. However, everything hasn’t been lost just yet. As long as the memory of the Last Lesson is fresh in Franz’s mind, the language still has a future. And the great detail with which he remembers the Last Lesson is a sign of hope:                                                  “Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson!”

The use of the child narrator is very effective in such stories because it allows one to talk about the most serious matters in the most innocent manner. The simple, straightforward narration by the child narrator sets the reader completely off guard. Furthermore, the character of Franz elicits sympathy and the sincere representation of his joys, fears, apprehensions and embarrassment endears him to the reader. A case in point may be Franz’s musings about the cooing pigeons:

  I thought to myself, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

These seemingly harmless lines present a sharp critique of the linguistic chauvinism of the Prussians and the repressive nature of the Prussian regime. It also hints at the limits beyond which they will never be able to assert their brute force.

The literary device of contrast is employed at the end of the lesson when the striking of the church clock is followed by the recital of the Angelus, a Catholic prayer. Simultaneously, the Prussians sound their trumpet and the two contrasting worlds of peace and violence, faith and force meet at a brief moment in time. And it is in this moment that the last lesson comes to an end.

The deep connection between identity and language becomes prominent when the Prussians, out of their linguistic chauvinism impose their language on a French speaking populace of the districts they have captured. This connection between the two is also expressed in the passage where M. Hamel suggests that by neglecting the language, the residents of Alsace have given up their identity :

Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?’

The theme of uncertainty is seen in the first paragraph of the story through the eyes of the narrator when he learns the inconvenient fact that it is M. Hamel’s Last Lesson. Also, the lines spoken by M. Hamel “she (Alsace) puts off learning till tomorrow” shows the mistake of not recognizing the presence of uncertainty in our lives and taking the present for granted.

Finally, the fact that M. Hamel is being evicted from the place after forty years of service to the very place brings forth the theme of displacement. His emotional suffering is dealt with in most empathic terms:

Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him, just like that… …How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man

M. Hamel’s individuality isn’t taken into consideration when he is displaced. He is just another agent of the French Language that must be replaced with one of the German Language. This is what war effectively does to people. Wars do not recognize the humanity of the individual, whether it be a soldier on the battlefield ground or a teacher in the classroom. Note that M. Hamel wasn’t just a teacher but also a politically dangerous element in the eyes of the Prussian regime. His eviction is not only a linguistic change but careful political decision.

              The Last Lesson is a story as relatable today as it was when it was written. With the imposition of language in different areas by various regimes, it should be amply clear that the need to learn and respect one’s language is of great importance. One should not be as naive as the residents of Alsace as presented in The Last Lesson and commit the same mistake in the 21st century which they did in the 19th. Especially not after having read the story.

The Last Lesson : About the Author

Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist and playwright and was a part of the French Naturalism movement. He started his career as a school teacher but quickly got tired of the vocation. Soon, he gave up teaching and decided to go to Paris to become a journalist. There, he was hired by Le Figaro and wrote some plays which made him popular in the literary circles. He was later hired as a private secretary by the Duke of Morny, a powerful minister of Napoleon III . Daudet later published Lettre de mon Moulin which gained him a sizable readership. He produced works like Le Petit Chose, L’Arlésienne and Aventures Prodigieuses de Tartarin de Tarascon among others. However, it was Fromont jeune et Risler aîné which turned out to be his masterpiece. Daudet died of syphilis on 16th December 1897.

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The Last Lesson

Alphonse Daudet's short story “The Last Lesson” depicts how the impending loss of one's native language and culture can make people realize their immense value and importance.

Meet the Author

• Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist and story writer known for his realistic characterizations of humans that reflect their sufferings and complexities. He remains a significant figure in French literature for his insightful portrayal of life and society.
• Born: May 13, 1840
• Place of Birth: France
• Died: December 16, 1897
• Best Known For: His literary works that celebrated the people, culture, and landscape of southern France, as well as his nuanced psychological portrayals of human experiences and relationships.
• Major Works: Lettres de mon moulin, Le Petit Chose, Tartar in de Tarascon

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Summary of the chapter.

‘The Last Lesson’ by the French writer Alphonse Daudet portrays the story of a young carefree boy Franz who lives in a village in the Alsace region during the Franco-Prussian war. Franz is scared for his French class since he did not try to learn the participle lesson. He was intrigued and distracted by his childhood pleasure but somehow decided to attend the class. Despite knowing M. Hamel's strict behavior, he refused to learn his lessons. This showed his adamant neglect of education.

On his way to school, he observes a bulletin board by the Prussian military forces that reveals only depressing news about the last 2 years. He nonchalantly skipped it as the Prussians controlled the regions of Alsace and Lorraine. After he entered the classroom, he observed a stark contrast in the usual atmosphere of the school. The usual lively ambiance was filled with an eerie silence. This reflects his keen observation skills.

With a load of confusion and fear in his head, he entered the class that was all set to begin. M.Hamel, usually known for his strict demeanor, politely invited him to take a seat and said how could we begin the class without you.

Franz was taken aback by his soft behavior. He also noted the sight of his striking green outfit adorned with a finely embroidered black cap that was usually preserved for special occasions. The bench that normally remains unoccupied was filled by the villagers seated which made him feel unusual.

M.Hamel addressed the children with a soft yet solemn voice that it was going to be his last lesson together. He informed them that an order from Berlin had arrived to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn anymore! I must stop there then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons…

Despite reservations about M Hamel's strict methods like using a ruler to emphasize points, he regrets every moment he resented French lessons. He mourned the lost opportunity to immerse himself in learning and reading his native language to recognize his profound significance too late. The narrator, the young boy who felt guilty and ashamed for not learning French, seemed very interested in focusing on the lessons. This was a clear sign of regret and wished they hadn't thought of education as a burden.

When it was Franz’s turn to explain the participles confidently, he became flustered and messed up his words. Normally such behavior would provoke M.Hamel’s anger, but to his surprise, he didn't seem to notice at all.

This realization prompted M.Hamel’s thoughts about how people procrastinate learning assuming that there was an opportunity available. He hence voiced his concern that education and preservation of language have become a secondary prioritization over earning a living by working in mills. He empathises with his mistake and this shows his emotional quality.

Hamel bids goodbye with his choked words and boldly written line “Vive La France” . This showed how much he respected his motherland and made us realize the importance of cultural heritage.

The style of writing is narrative in this short story. It is narrated by the protagonist himself. It explores the linguistic oppression of foreign control over French people. The student-teacher perspectives of various changes in emotions implicate the subtheme of the story. The young boy’s sudden responsibility towards education has been changed from a carefree boy’s attitude. M.Hamel’s dedication to teaching is symbolized in his determination even after knowing it was his last day.

The story also is a take on the effects of cultural subjugation in times of war. Language is not just a simple marker of cultural heritage but it is the essence of any culture. By stopping the language from being taught, the ruler/governing body is trying to take away the culture and heritage of that place and region.

In ‘The Last Lesson’ by Alphonse Daudet, several figures of speech contribute to enrich the emotional resonance and thematic depth. Commonly used literary devices are mentioned here.

A metaphor helps to explain something or make a comparison though not literally.

An example of a metaphor in the story is:

• “What a thunderclap these words were to me”

A simile compares two things using the words “like” or “as” that highlights the similarities between them. An example of a simile in the story is:

• “They looked like little flags floating everywhere”
• “as if they have the key to the prison”

The irony is we as main readers know what is going to happen that even the main characters are unaware of. The example is the young boy who never knew that day was his last lesson with his teacher. The situational irony highlights the unexpected turns in history.

The writer uses Imagery to bring the scene to life.

Visual imagery: “Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth, the walnut trees in the garden were taller and the hop wine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof”. Here he refers to the passage of time in detail about how little things have changed for both him and Franz visually

Auditory imagery: “You ought to have seen how everyone set to work and how quiet it was”. The eerie silence replaced with the bustling sounds here is amplified as auditory imagery.

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The Last Lesson Questions and Answers

Below are a few questions that you can look out for your examinations and class tests. Stand out with perfectly written answers with help of Aneetta Class.

The news on the bulletin board was about the decree from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

Franz's feelings about M. Hamel and the school initially were a dislike towards the French language. After realizing the importance of education from his teacher, he changed into a more responsible boy.

The final gesture of writing Vive La France on the blackboard depicted a sense of patriotism. It represents the unity, resilience, and love for the French nation.

The Last Lesson

By alphonse daudet, the last lesson symbols, allegory and motifs, the bulletin board (symbol).

The bulletin board outside the town hall in Franz's village is a symbol of Prussian power over the French region of Alsace-Lorraine. Normally used for communicating events and information vital to the townspeople, the occupying Prussian military co-opts the bulletin board as a channel for official decrees from Berlin. Franz becomes inured to the periodic arrival of yet more bad news communicated through the bulletin board, such that he loses interest in what the actual content is and hurries past the board on his way to school. By showing Franz's resigned reaction to the bulletin board, Daudet illustrates how the people of Franz's region are forced to assimilate their new reality living under the control of a foreign power.

Hamel's Garden (Symbol)

The garden Monsieur Hamel cultivates outside the schoolroom is a symbol of the time he has served as a teacher. During the cursive lesson, Franz observes his teacher calmly taking in every detail of the classroom and the view out the window. Franz imagines how heartbreaking it must be for Hamel to be forced by the Prussians to give up the space in which he has lived and taught for the past forty years. Franz comments that the only thing that has changed in that time is the wearing of the benches, the walnut trees Hamel planted growing taller in the garden, and the hops vine twisting around the window frames. In this way, the garden functions as a visual symbol of Hamel's time spent as a teacher.

Mr. Hamel’s Last Lessons (Symbol)

Monsieur Hamel’s commitment to continue teaching his French language lessons despite the futility of knowing it will be his last day of teaching renders the lessons into a symbol for the power of language. Hamel's pride as a teacher is evident when he advises his students and the assembled village people to never relinquish their native language, which he believes is a tool to battle ignorance and overcome oppression. On the eve of their language and culture being erased by the occupying Prussian forces, Hamel humbly and nobly performs the role he has always performed, hoping to instill in his pupils the same sense of duty to the language they have always taken for granted.