Monday, December 28, 2015

Is the narrator of "The Last Class" static or dynamic?

The narrator of the story “The Last Class” is dynamic because he changes a lot over the course of the story. At the beginning of the story, Franz does not like school much. In fact, he thinks to stay away from school on that day because the teacher, Monsieur Hamel, is to test them on participles, a topic he knows little about. He prefers to spend his time in the fields, listening to the noisy blackbirds and the sounds made by the Prussians as they do their drill. However, he is able to resist these tempting thoughts to head for the less interesting school.
When Franz gets to school, he observes the prevailing quiet in the compound. He also notices some of the older members of the village in attendance, at the back of the class. The mood in the class is a sad one, and for once, Mr. Hamel does not quarrel Franz for coming in late. Later on, Mr. Hamel explains to the class that this was to be the very last lesson taught in the school in French, following orders come to them from Berlin that the schools of Alsace and Lorraine would have all classes delivered in the German language.
Franz then understands the strange mood in the class and despairs, as he does not know how to write in French yet. He is furious at himself for losing lots of time before on non-educational activities and wishes that he could have focused more on his lessons at the school. He wishes that Mr. Hamel could stay on at the school to teach them the usual lessons in French. In this moment he and many others in the class undergo a rebirth. For the rest of the school day, the learners commit themselves to the classroom activities without losing focus. Franz then realizes that he easily understands all that is taught to him because he “listens closely” for the first time.

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