The Last Lesson

Franz is a young schoolboy in Alsace, a region of France. On a sunny morning, he is reluctant to go to school because he hasn't prepared his lesson on participles and fears a scolding from his teacher, M. Hamel. Passing the town hall, he notices a crowd gathered around the bulletin board, which has brought bad news for the past two years.

When he arrives at school, Franz is surprised by the quietness, which feels like a Sunday morning instead of the usual bustle. Classmates are already seated, and several elderly villagers are sitting at the back of the room. M. Hamel, dressed in his finest Sunday clothes, solemnly announces that an order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This is to be their last lesson in French.

Franz immediately regrets not paying attention in the past. He understands why M. Hamel put on his fine clothes and why the villagers came—to show respect for their native language and the teacher's forty years of service. M. Hamel discusses the beauty of French, calling it the clearest and most logical language in the world, urging them to guard it. When the church clock strikes twelve, M. Hamel, choked with emotion, writes 'Vive La France!' on the blackboard and dismisses the class.