Flamingo (Prose): The Last Lesson

Topics in this chapter

• Occupation and Language Policy
• Character Transformation and Conflict
• Classroom Routine and Farewell
• Language, Identity, and Cultural Loss
• Education, Duty, and Patriotism
• Irony, Symbolism, and the Ending

Cheat sheet

Practice questions

1. Question 1Q-6065E7

   What was the immediate reason for the special last lesson in Franz's school?

   1. A.The school was being closed because of poor attendance.
   2. B.An order from Berlin required German to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
   3. C.M. Hamel had decided to retire from teaching.
   4. D.The villagers had requested a holiday for the students.
   See the answer and solution
2. Question 2Q-748E63

   Why did M. Hamel wear his formal clothes during the last lesson?

   1. A.He wanted to impress the visiting school inspector.
   2. B.He was celebrating the beginning of a new academic year.
   3. C.He wished to mark the occasion as solemn and significant.
   4. D.He had been ordered to dress formally by the authorities.
   See the answer and solution
3. Question 3Q-411A7E

   Which interpretation best explains Franz's change in attitude during the last lesson?

   1. A.He became interested in French only because he feared punishment from the new rulers.
   2. B.He realised the value of his language and education only when he was about to lose the opportunity to learn them.
   3. C.He decided to become a teacher after observing M. Hamel's strict discipline.
   4. D.He wanted to prove to the villagers that he was more intelligent than they were.
   See the answer and solution
4. Question 4Q-20C4A4

   How does the last lesson present language as a form of cultural identity and resistance?

   See the answer and solution
5. Question 5Q-9E9545

   According to M. Hamel, who shared responsibility for the students' poor progress in French?

   1. A.Only the school authorities
   2. B.Only the students
   3. C.The students, their parents, and M. Hamel himself
   4. D.Only the villagers
   See the answer and solution