ENGLISH CLASS- 10
CHAPTER-1
(A Letter To God)
A Letter to God
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Lencho has complete faith in God. He believes that God sees everything and helps people in times of need. This is shown by the sentences: “But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God.” Another sentence is: “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.” These lines clearly show Lencho’s strong and unquestioning faith in God.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
The postmaster sends money to Lencho because he is deeply moved by Lencho’s faith in God. He does not want Lencho to lose that faith. Therefore, he collects money from his employees, contributes a part of his own salary, and sends it to Lencho.
The postmaster signs the letter ‘God’ so that Lencho will believe that the money has come directly from God. He wants to preserve Lencho’s faith and give him hope during his difficult time.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money. He was completely convinced that the money had been sent by God in response to his letter. His faith in God was so strong that he never doubted the source of the money. Instead of questioning who sent it, he simply counted the money and became concerned when he found that the amount was less than what he had requested.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the money. Since he had asked God for one hundred pesos but received only seventy pesos, he believes that the employees must have stolen the remaining thirty pesos.
The irony of the situation is that the post office employees are actually the people who helped Lencho by collecting and sending the money. However, instead of thanking them, Lencho accuses them of being thieves. The very people who showed kindness and generosity are wrongly suspected of dishonesty. This makes the situation both amusing and ironic.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
Yes, there are people like Lencho in the real world. Some people have very strong faith in God and believe that God will always help them in difficult situations.
Lencho can be described as naive, unquestioning, and somewhat comical. He is naive because he never doubts that God has sent the money. He is unquestioning because he completely trusts God without asking for any proof. His actions become comical when he accuses the post office employees of stealing the money even though they were the ones who helped him.
6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
The first conflict in the story is between humans and nature. Lencho works hard on his farm and depends entirely on his crops for survival. However, a severe hailstorm destroys his fields and crops. Nature becomes a powerful force that ruins all his efforts and leaves his family facing hunger.
The second conflict is between humans themselves. This conflict appears when Lencho receives only seventy pesos instead of the one hundred pesos he had requested. Instead of appreciating the help he received, he suspects the post office employees of stealing the remaining money. Thus, misunderstanding and mistrust create a conflict between Lencho and the people who actually tried to help him. These two conflicts together form the central theme of the story.