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,M.Hamel.Mr. M.Hamel had been transfered 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 dont 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.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.