Chapter 1: The Last Lesson

The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had fallen into Prussian hands, according to the story. As a result, they received an order from Berlin mandating that only German be taught in Alsace and Lorraine schools. It was at that point that they all realized the importance of their language. The usual commotion at school was replaced by the peace of Sunday church. The students’ sincerity was evident by the fact that they all began working quietly. The only sound in the room was the scratching of pens across the paper. Even the villagers came in and sat quietly as students in the class. Everyone appeared to be depressed. M. Hamel, who was otherwise disliked, instilled in the students a sense of regret. Franz regretted not paying close attention to him, whereas M. Hamel, who was heartbroken at the prospect of leaving, had never explained everything with such patience. He almost seemed to want to tell them everything he knew before leaving. In his words, he adequately captured the mood. ‘We all have a lot of things to be ashamed of.’

Franz’s question about whether pigeons can sing in German demonstrates that humans can impose their will on other humans but cannot impose it on nature. It suggests that human power is always limited. They cannot have complete control over the world. Similarly, Prussians can control their schools and learning patterns, but they cannot kill their pride in their country and language.