the last lesson

• The story is narrated by a French boy named Franz
• Franz is lazy but likes to play and is of a sensitive nature
• Franz hates his teacher M. Hamel and has no interest in studying French
• An order from Berlin mandates that German should be taught instead of French in schools in Alsace and Lorraine
• M. Hamel, the French teacher, is having his last day after working for forty years
• M. Hamel is patriotic, nostalgic, and filled with grief
• The village men attend M. Hamel's last lesson to honor and respect him
• The village regrets not learning their mother tongue in childhood
• Franz is shocked to learn that it is his last French lesson and suddenly becomes interested in learning French
• Franz develops a liking and respect for M. Hamel, feeling sad and ashamed for not being able to recite his lesson
• M. Hamel blames himself and the students for lacking eagerness to learn
• M. Hamel praises the French language as the most logical and beautiful in the world, emphasizing the importance of guarding their language to escape slavery and attain freedom from the Germans
• The people realize the significance of their mother tongue and attribute their defeat to illiteracy
• Franz believes that one's language is impossible to remove, as it is natural to a person
• The Last Lesson summary highlights the importance of safeguarding one's language for any race