HOLIDAY HOMEWORK(2016-2017)

NAME – ABHAY DAS

CLASS - 12.ESUBJECT – ENGLISH

SNO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

4-5

2 THEME 63 SUMMARY 7-94 MAP OF FRANCE

(1850)10

50 CHARACTERS 11-13

INDEX

THE LAST LESSON .. The prose 'The Last Lesson', written by

Alphonse Daudet narrates about the year 1870  when the Prussian forces under Bismark attacked and captured France.

The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into Prussian hands.

The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of French in the schools of these two districts.

The French teachers were asked to leave.

The story describes the last day of one such French teacher ,M.Hamel.

Mr. M. Hamel had been transferred and could no longer remain in his old school. Still he gave last lesson to his students with utmost devotion and sincerity as ever.

The story depicts the pathos of the whole situation about how people feel when they don’t learn their own language and then losing an asset in M.Hamel.

One of his student Franz who dreaded French class and M.Hamel's iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson of participles.

But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in Sunday clothes and all the old people of the village sitting there.

It was due to an order on the bulletin board. That was the first day when he realised for the first time that how important French was for him, but it was his LAST LESSON in French.

MAP OF FRANCE (1870)

CHARACTERS

M. HamelHe is presented in the mould of a traditional school-master. He always kept his 'terrible' ruler under his arm. Mr Hamel was a hard task-master. We see the other side of M. Hamel's character after the order from Berlin came. He was a transformed person now. He became extra soft and gentle 'towards his students. He didn't scold Franz for coming late. Nor did he use his ruler when Franz got mixed up and confused. He declared that it was his last lesson in French.M. Hamel was highly respected both by his students and the village elders. He had completed 40 years in the same school. The village elders came to pay their respect to such a grand teacher.M. Hamel loved France and French from the core of his heart. He considered French as the most beautiful language in the world. He asked the people to guard it among themselves and never to forget it.

FRANZLittle Franz was a student of a school in Alsace. M. Hamel was his schoolmaster. Franz was not a brilliant student. He didn't prepare his lesson on participles. When he was asked to recite, he got mixed up and confused. He was always in dread of the great ruler that M. Hamel kept under his arm. Franz knew how 'cranky' M. Hamel was.However, Franz had to change his opinion about M. Hamel. An order had come from Berlin. German language was imposed on the people in Alsace. When he came to know that it was the last lesson of Mr. Hamel, his views about him changed. He began to respect him. He had spent 40 years in the same school. He felt sorry that he had neglected learning French. He shared M. Hamel's views about French. It was the most beautiful language in the world. He listened to M. Hamel's last lesson with rapt attention and respect.

THE LAST LESSON BY – ABHAY DAS CLASS – 12.E SUBJECT - ENGLISH

HOLIDAY HOMEWORK(2016-2017)