The document provides background information about the French author Alphonse Daudet and summarizes the themes of his short story "The Last Lesson". It discusses how the story relates to issues of cultural and linguistic hegemony resulting from imperialism and colonialism. It also highlights key lines from the story that illustrate the fear and agony of a people losing freedom to use their native language.

1. The Last Lesson
by
Alphonse Daudet

2. Alphonse
Daudet
1840-97

3. About the Author
 Born in Nimes (ne-mj)
 Attended school in Lyon
 Began writing at 14
 Forced to earn at 17
 Contributed to figaro
 Worked as Sec. to the Duke
 Married Julia Allard in 1867

4. About the Author
 Daudet joined army to fight in the Franco-
Prussian war. France’s defeat had a
profound impact & reflected in his stories
Contes du Lundi (Monday Tales), a
collection of stories published in 1873 in
London, & shows the change in France’s
fortune through the eyes of a young boy.

5. THEME
 Relates to culture & language
 Hegemony of the imperial & colonial
power
 Lust for ruling the world influencing culture
& identities
 Pathos of the likely language crisis
 Language: an asset, more so in times of
crisis
 Fear, shame & agony of losing freedom of
learning & using mother tongue

8. A scene from the Franco- Prussian War

9. A scene depicting Franco- Prussian War-field

10. This French
satirical
cartoon
map
Carte drolatique
D’Europe pour
1870 ought to get
Some laughs out of
Those tensions by
Showing
an
Anthropomorphic
Map of
Europe,
Where each
Country was
represented
By a caricature
Of its national persona

11. The War Memorial,France
The War Memorial,France
War Memorial, France

12. The Road to war

13. Clash of Arms
A designed game as
Grand as the time
it portrays.

14. Napoleon iii & Bismarck after the battle

15. interpreting
 What does the story suggest about how
the students can be motivated to learn?
 Do you find Franz's change of attitude
realistic? Explain.
Extending
 History is full of instances in which
victorious nations outlawed to suppress
the language of the conquered people.
Why do you think language can seem so

16. Contd.
 Important? How would you feel if you
were forced to give up your
language?
 What lesson does the story ‘The Last
lesson’ have for the people facing
such a challenge?

17. Clues to critical lines
 ‘will they make them sing in German too,
even the pigeons?’
 Points to the limits ambitions of the rulers
can reach.
 Fears & the apprehensions of the ruled
 Agony & helplessness of subjugation
 Belief that choice of language is one’s own
prerogative, free from all political or social
bondage.

18. Contd.
 Man’s envy of the free world of nature.
 Bondages in the human world.
 ‘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.’
 Language links culture and society which,
in turn, unite people and eventually
liberate them from political subordination.

19. A
presentation
by
Vandana varma
Thank you