question_answer 6)

The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What illustrates this? Why does this happen?               

Answer:

In the story, the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had passed into Prussian hands. Hence, they received an order from Berlin that only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. It was then that all of them realized the value of their language. The usual noisy scene at the school was replaced by the quietness of Sunday church. The earnestness of the students was evident by the fact that each one set to work very quietly. The only sound in the class was the scratching of pens over paper. Even the village people came and sat quietly in the class like students. Everybody looked sad. M. Hamel, who was otherwise disliked, evoked a reeling of regret in the students. Franz regretted not having listened to him carefully while M. Hamel, who felt heartbroken at the thought of leaving, had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed almost as if he wanted to give them all he knew before going away. He summed up the mood adequately in his words. 'We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.'