Question

Explain the figurative language in the following quotation from paragraph 23. What is the purpose of this comparison? “For that day Monsieur Hamel had prepared some entirely new examples, on which was written in a fine, round hand: ‘France, Alsace, France, Alsace.’ They were like little flags, waving all about the class, hanging from the rods of our desks.”

Answer 1

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Answer:

The words "France, Alsace, France, Alsace" represent the pure patriotic feeling of the Monsieur Hamel for France. Therefore, the young little student Franz relates the papers to these words with flags which may represent their freedom.

Explanation:

The short story "The Last Class: The Story of a Little Alsatian" was written by Alphonse Daudet, showing the meaning of patriotism and freedom. This story was set during the Franco-Prussian war, which tells the story of the German takeover of Alsace in France during WW1.

It narrates the story of an Alsatian boy named Franz, who doesn't understand his teacher's patriotism. During the class, the teacher announces that Berlin has banned French from schools, so he tries to explain the importance of the French language in the world.

Then, Monsieur Hamel asks them an assignment with these words (France, Alsace, France, Alsace) and there is where he starts to show his patriotism.