NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English (Flamingo) The Last Lesson: Alphonse Daudet (NCERT 2026–27)
Complete solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Prose Chapter 1 – “The Last Lesson” by Alphonse Daudet: an original summary, theme and message, word meanings, and every textbook exercise (Think as you read, Understanding the text, Talking about the text, Working with words, Noticing form, Writing, Things to do) answered in full. The questions below are reproduced exactly as printed in the NCERT Flamingo textbook; the answers are written originally in exam-ready CBSE style.
Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897) was a French novelist and short-story writer, admired for his warm, vivid and gently ironic style. He is best remembered for his collections of short stories, including Lettres de mon moulin (Letters from My Windmill) and Contes du lundi (Monday Tales), from which “The Last Lesson” is taken. The story is set during the days of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), in which France was defeated by Prussia (led by Bismarck) and the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine passed into Prussian hands. Through the eyes of a small schoolboy, Daudet captures the deep emotional cost of losing one’s homeland and the right to learn one’s own language.
Summary
Franz, a young schoolboy who would rather play than study, sets out late for school one warm morning, dreading a scolding because he has not learnt the rule for participles. On his way he notices a crowd before the town-hall bulletin-board, from where all the bad news of the war has come, but he hurries on without stopping. Reaching school, he is surprised to find it strangely quiet – no usual bustle of opening desks and lessons repeated aloud. M. Hamel, instead of being angry, speaks to him very kindly.
Once seated, Franz notices that his teacher is wearing his fine Sunday clothes – the green coat, frilled shirt and embroidered black silk cap he wore only on special days. On the back benches sit the village elders, including old Hauser with a worn primer on his knees. M. Hamel then announces that an order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine; this is their last French lesson. The news strikes Franz like a thunderclap. Suddenly he regrets wasting his time, and his hated grammar books seem like old friends he cannot part with.
When his turn to recite comes, Franz falters, but M. Hamel does not scold him. Instead, he gently blames everyone – the parents, himself, and the people of Alsace – for always putting off learning. He praises French as the most beautiful, clearest and most logical language, urging them to guard it, for a captive people who keep their language hold the key to their prison. The class listens with rare attention. As the church-clock strikes twelve and the Prussian trumpets sound, M. Hamel, too overcome to speak, turns to the blackboard and writes in large letters “Vive La France!” before dismissing the class with a silent gesture.
Theme & message
The central theme of the story is the pain of losing one’s language and homeland to a conqueror, and the deep link between language, identity and freedom. Through the symbolic ‘last lesson’, Daudet shows that we often value most what we are about to lose. A sub-theme is the importance of learning on time and the careless attitude of both students and teachers towards education. The story also conveys a strong note of patriotism – M. Hamel’s words and his final “Vive La France!” remind us that holding fast to one’s mother tongue is itself an act of resistance and a key to liberty.
Word meanings
Word / Expression
English meaning
Hindi meaning
in great dread of
very much afraid of
भयभीत
counted on
depended on; expected
भरोसा किया
thumbed at the edges
worn out by frequent handling
किनारों से घिसा हुआ
in unison
all together, at the same time
एक साथ
a great bustle
a lot of noisy activity
चहल-पहल
reproach (ourselves) with
to blame oneself for
स्वयं को दोषी ठहराना
scolding
angry telling-off
डांट
participles
verb forms used as adjectives
कृदंत (व्याकरण)
drilling
doing military exercises
कवायद अभ्यास
bulletin-board
notice board
सूचना पट्ट
commotion
noisy confusion
हलचल
solemn
serious and grave
गंभीर
thunderclap
a sudden, shocking blow
वज्राघात
wretches
contemptible people
नीच/दुष्ट लोग
cranky
bad-tempered
चिड़चिड़ा
faithful service
loyal, devoted work
निष्ठावान सेवा
enslaved
made into slaves
गुलाम बनाया गया
the Angelus
a Catholic prayer / its bell
(गिरजाघर की) प्रार्थना-घंटी
gesture
a movement of the hand/head
संकेत
primer
a beginner’s reading book
प्रारंभिक पुस्तक
frilled
decorated with frills
झालरदार
Think as you read
(These are the in-text “Think as you read” comprehension-check questions printed within the lesson, in order.)
1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
ANSWERFranz was expected to be prepared with the rule for participles, because M. Hamel had said that he would question the class on participles that day. Franz, however, did not know the first word about them.
2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
ANSWERThe school was unusually still and silent. Normally there was a great bustle – desks opening and closing and lessons being repeated aloud in unison – but that day it was as quiet as a Sunday morning. M. Hamel spoke very kindly, wore his fine Sunday clothes, and the village elders sat silently on the usually empty back benches.
3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
ANSWERThe order from Berlin had been put up on the bulletin-board – that from then on only German, and no longer French, would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. All the village’s bad news during the war had come from that same board.
4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
ANSWERThe order made that day’s lesson the very last French lesson. M. Hamel dressed in his Sunday best, taught with great patience and feeling, and the village elders came to attend out of respect. A new German master was to arrive the next day, so the whole atmosphere of the school turned solemn and sorrowful.
5. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
ANSWERFranz, who had earlier disliked his books, his teacher and his lessons, suddenly began to value them all. His grammar and history books now seemed like old friends he could not give up, and he felt deep sorrow at the thought of M. Hamel leaving forever. He forgot all about the teacher’s ruler and crankiness, and felt sorry for him.
Understanding the text
1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
ANSWERSeveral details show this sudden realisation. The village elders – old Hauser, the former mayor and postmaster – come to sit through the last lesson, and Hauser brings a worn primer and even tries to spell out the letters, with tears in his eyes. M. Hamel calls French the most beautiful and logical language and urges everyone to guard it. Franz, who hated his lessons, now wishes he had learnt them and listens with rare attention.This happens because the order from Berlin has banned the teaching of French; the people now stand to lose their language forever. We tend to value something deeply only when we are about to lose it. The threat of losing their mother tongue awakens in them a sense of its true worth as the very mark of their identity and freedom.
2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean? (There could be more than one answer.)
ANSWERThe remark is a child’s ironic, indignant response to the order banning French. It can mean several things:(i) It mocks the absurdity of the Prussian order. The conquerors can force people to change the language of their schools, but they cannot control nature – birds will go on cooing in their own ‘language’.(ii) It expresses the natural human resistance to oppression: just as no power can make pigeons sing in German, language and freedom cannot really be crushed by force.(iii) It is a gentle satire on the foolishness of imposing a language by decree, suggesting that one’s mother tongue is as natural and unforced as a bird’s song.
Talking about the text
1. “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.” Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
ANSWERYes. History offers many such examples. In British-ruled India, English was made the language of administration, higher education and the courts, pushing Indian languages into the background. The Spanish and Portuguese imposed their languages across much of South America, where many native tongues were lost. In parts of Africa, colonial rulers replaced local languages with French or English. As in the story, conquerors knew that controlling a people’s language was a powerful way to control their minds – while those who kept their mother tongue alive kept alive their hope of freedom.
2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive? For example: Punjabis in Bangalore / Tamilians in Mumbai / Kannadigas in Delhi / Gujaratis in Kolkata
ANSWERA linguistic minority often has to use the dominant local language at work, in markets and in school, so their own language risks fading, especially among children. To keep it alive, members of the community can speak their mother tongue at home, celebrate their festivals and read their literature, run cultural associations and language classes, publish newspapers or magazines, and pass on songs, stories and traditions to the young. For example, Tamilians in Mumbai or Gujaratis in Kolkata often form community groups that organise functions and classes to preserve their language and culture.
3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?
ANSWERYes, pride in one’s language can be carried too far. Linguistic chauvinism means an excessive, aggressive pride in one’s own language together with contempt for other languages and the belief that one’s own is superior. While love for one’s mother tongue is healthy and natural, linguistic chauvinism can lead to intolerance, discrimination and conflict between communities. The ideal is to take pride in one’s own language while respecting and learning others, so that languages enrich rather than divide us.
Working with words
1. English is a language that contains words from many other languages. … Find out the origins of the following words: tycoon, barbecue, zero, tulip, veranda, ski, logo, robot, trek, bandicoot.
ANSWERtycoon – Japanese (from taikun, ‘great lord’)barbecue – Spanish (from barbacoa), originally from a Caribbean (Taino) wordzero – Arabic (from sifr), via Italian/Frenchtulip – Turkish/Persian (from tulband, ‘turban’)veranda – Hindi/Portuguese (English took it through Hindi varanda)ski – Norwegian (Old Norse skith)logo – Greek (from logos, ‘word’)robot – Czech (from robota, ‘forced labour’)trek – Afrikaans/Dutch (from trekken, ‘to travel’)bandicoot – Telugu (from pandi-kokku, ‘pig-rat’)
2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meaning.
ANSWER(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” → (ii) startling and unexpected.(b) “…it is as if they had the key to their prison” → They have the key as long as they (i) do not lose their language.(c) “Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time.” → You will get to your school (iii) early enough.(d) “I never saw him look so tall.” → M. Hamel (b) seemed very confident.
Noticing form
Read this sentence: M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles. … The verb form “had said” is used to indicate an “earlier past” (the past perfect). Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb and say why this form has been used.
ANSWERThe past perfect (had + past participle) is used for an action completed before another past action or before the main events of the story. Five examples from the story:1. “For the last two years all our bad news had come from there.” – the news arrived in the period before the present moment of the story.2. “…the village people sitting quietly… old Hauser had brought an old primer.” – Hauser had brought the primer before Franz noticed him.3. “It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes.” – the dressing was done earlier than the moment Franz understood the reason.4. “…the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows.” – the planting happened long before the time of the lesson.5. “Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat.” – overcoming the fright happened before he noticed the coat.In each case the past perfect marks an action finished before another past action, making the time sequence clear.
Writing
1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could be an announcement of a forthcoming event, or a requirement to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.
SAMPLE NOTICEGREENFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTICE Date: 12 August 2026 INTER-HOUSE DEBATE COMPETITION An Inter-House Debate Competition will be held in the school auditorium on 26 August 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The topic is “Mother tongue should be the medium of instruction in schools.” Interested students of Classes XI and XII may give their names to the undersigned by 20 August 2026. Two speakers per house will be selected. Sd/- (Name) Cultural Secretary
2. Write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.
SAMPLE (FOR)Studying three languages at school is a great advantage in a diverse country like India. The mother tongue keeps us rooted in our culture and helps us think clearly. A national link language such as Hindi lets us connect with people across the country, while English opens doors to global knowledge, science and careers. Learning several languages sharpens memory, builds tolerance and helps us appreciate different cultures. Though it means extra effort, the benefits far outweigh the burden. A child who can move easily between three languages is better prepared for a connected world and is also more respectful of other communities. (About 100 words.)
3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.
SAMPLEFor a long time I disliked our mathematics teacher, who seemed strict and unsmiling, and I dreaded his class as much as Franz dreaded his lessons. My opinion changed during the term I fell badly behind. One afternoon he quietly called me aside, not to scold but to help, sitting with me until I understood a difficult chapter. I realised that his strictness came from a genuine wish for us to do well. Slowly his class became my favourite, and I began to enjoy solving problems. That experience taught me not to judge people too quickly, for behind a stern face there is often real care.
Things to do
1. Find out about the following: (a) Linguistic human rights (b) Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.
ANSWER(a) Linguistic human rights are the rights of individuals and groups to use, learn and develop their own language freely – to be educated in their mother tongue, to use it in public and official dealings, and not to suffer discrimination because of the language they speak. International bodies such as UNESCO support mother-tongue education and the protection of endangered languages.(b) Constitutional guarantees in India: The Indian Constitution protects linguistic minorities through several provisions. Article 29 gives every section of citizens the right to conserve its own language, script and culture. Article 30 gives minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Article 350A directs the State to provide facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage, and Article 350B provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities. The Eighth Schedule also lists the recognised languages of India.
2. (Given a survey form) Talk to at least five of your classmates and fill in the information you get in the form – languages known, home language, neighbourhood language, city/town language, school language.
ANSWERThis is a project/survey activity to be done in class. Speak to five classmates and record, for each, the languages they know along with their home, neighbourhood, city/town and school languages. A sample row might read: Student 1 – knows Hindi, English, Punjabi; home language Punjabi; neighbourhood language Hindi; city language Hindi; school language English. Completing the survey will show how most students use different languages in different settings.
Extra questions
Short answer (30–40 words)
1. Why was Franz tempted to stay away from school that morning?
ANSWERIt was a warm, bright morning; the birds were chirping and the Prussian soldiers were drilling in the field. All this seemed far more tempting than the rule for participles, which he had not learnt. Still, he resisted and hurried off to school.
2. Why had M. Hamel put on his fine Sunday clothes?
ANSWERM. Hamel wore his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and embroidered black silk cap – clothes he wore only on inspection and prize days – in honour of the last French lesson, to mark the solemn, special importance of the occasion.
3. Why were the village elders sitting at the back of the classroom?
ANSWERThe elders came to attend the last French lesson as a mark of respect for M. Hamel’s forty years of faithful service, and to show their love for the country that was no longer theirs. They were also sorry they had not valued learning earlier.
4. What did M. Hamel say about the French language?
ANSWERM. Hamel said that French was the most beautiful language in the world – the clearest and the most logical. He urged everyone to guard it and never forget it, for a captive people who hold fast to their language hold the key to their prison.
5. How did M. Hamel end the last lesson?
ANSWERWhen the clock struck twelve and the Prussian trumpets sounded, M. Hamel, too overcome to speak, turned to the blackboard and wrote in large letters “Vive La France!”. Then he leaned his head against the wall and dismissed the class with a silent gesture.
Long answer (100–120 words)
6. “The Last Lesson” shows that we value something only when we are about to lose it. Discuss with reference to the story.
ANSWERThe story strongly brings out the idea that we appreciate what we have only when it is about to be taken away. Franz, who always found his books heavy and his lessons dull, suddenly sees his grammar and history books as old friends he cannot give up once he learns that this is his last French lesson. He bitterly regrets the time he wasted seeking birds’ eggs or sliding on the Saar. The village elders, too, come to school late in life, sorry they did not learn more. Even M. Hamel admits his own faults. The threatened loss of their language awakens in everyone a deep sense of its true worth.
7. Draw a character sketch of M. Hamel.
ANSWERM. Hamel is a devoted teacher who has served the school faithfully for forty years. Though earlier known for his strictness and his terrible iron ruler, he reveals great warmth and dignity on the day of the last lesson. He is honest enough to admit his own faults – sending pupils to water his flowers or giving holidays for his fishing. A true patriot, he loves the French language deeply and calls it the key to a captive people’s freedom. His fine Sunday clothes, his patient teaching and his final, choked “Vive La France!” show his courage, his love for his country and his nobility of heart.
8. How does the story bring out the link between language and freedom?
ANSWERDaudet shows that language is closely bound up with a people’s identity and freedom. The Prussian order banning French is not only an attack on a subject but on the very soul of Alsace and Lorraine. M. Hamel states this directly: when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they have the key to their prison. By keeping their mother tongue alive, a conquered people keep alive their sense of who they are and their hope of regaining liberty. Franz’s remark about the pigeons and M. Hamel’s “Vive La France!” both express this spirit of resistance through language.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. “The Last Lesson” is set against the background of which war?
(a) World War I (b) The Franco-Prussian War (c) The French Revolution (d) World War II
2. The order to teach only German came from:
(a) Paris (b) Alsace (c) Berlin (d) Lorraine
3. Why was Franz afraid of going to school that morning?
(a) He was late (b) He had not learnt the rule for participles (c) Both (a) and (b) (d) He had lost his books
4. What did Franz find on the back benches that surprised him most?
(a) New students (b) The village elders sitting quietly (c) Prussian soldiers (d) Empty seats
5. M. Hamel was dressed in his fine Sunday clothes because:
(a) it was a holiday (b) it was inspection day (c) it was in honour of the last lesson (d) he was leaving on a trip
6. According to M. Hamel, French was the most beautiful, clearest and most:
(a) ancient language (b) logical language (c) difficult language (d) musical language
7. What did old Hauser bring to the last lesson?
(a) A French flag (b) A new notebook (c) An old primer thumbed at the edges (d) A gift for M. Hamel
8. The words “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” show that the news was:
(a) loud and clear (b) startling and unexpected (c) pleasant and welcome (d) long expected
9. At the end of the lesson, M. Hamel wrote on the blackboard:
(a) “Good Bye” (b) “Vive La France!” (c) “Long Live Alsace” (d) “The End”
10. Who is the narrator of the story?
(a) M. Hamel (b) Old Hauser (c) Franz (d) Alphonse Daudet
Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.
1. Assertion (A): M. Hamel wore his fine Sunday clothes to school that day.
Reason (R): He wanted to honour the last French lesson and the solemnity of the occasion.
2. Assertion (A): Franz suddenly began to value his books and lessons.
Reason (R): He learnt that it was the last time French would ever be taught to them.
3. Assertion (A): The school was full of its usual bustle and noise that morning.
Reason (R): M. Hamel taught the class very kindly and patiently.
4. Assertion (A): M. Hamel said that holding fast to one’s language is like keeping the key to one’s prison.
Reason (R): A people who keep their language keep alive their identity and their hope of freedom.
5. Assertion (A): The village elders attended the last lesson.
Reason (R): They wished to thank M. Hamel for his service and show respect for their lost country.
Answer key: 1-(a), 2-(a), 3-(d) [A is false – the school was unusually quiet; R is true], 4-(a), 5-(a).
Exam tips
Score full marks on this chapter
1. Remember the key facts: the war is the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), the order comes from Berlin, and the affected districts are Alsace and Lorraine.
2. Learn the central quotation on language as the “key to their prison” – it is asked again and again in value/theme questions.
3. For character questions, support each trait of M. Hamel or Franz with a brief incident from the story.
4. In long answers, always link the ‘last lesson’ to the larger theme of language, identity and patriotism, not just to the events.
5. Watch your spelling of names: M. Hamel, Franz, Hauser, Alsace, Lorraine.
FAQs
Who is the author of ‘The Last Lesson’?
The story is written by the French novelist and short-story writer Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897). It is taken from his collection of Monday Tales.
Why is it called ‘The Last Lesson’?
Because an order from Berlin banned the teaching of French in Alsace and Lorraine, so this was the very last French lesson M. Hamel could give before a German master took over the next day.
What is the main theme of the story?
The main theme is the pain of losing one’s language and homeland to a conqueror, and the deep link between language, identity and freedom. It also stresses the importance of learning on time.
Exercise questions and headings are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Flamingo textbook; summaries and answers are written originally by ClearStudy. No copyrighted lesson text is reproduced.
