A LETTER TO GOD (Textbook Answers)

A LETTER TO GOD

(QUESTIONS & ANSWERS)

1. What did Lencho hope for?

Ans: Lencho hoped for rains because the only thing that his field of ripe corn needed was a shower. He had been watching the north-east sky and wished for a downpour.

2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Ans:  Lencho's crops were ripe and ready to be harvested. He hoped for rain because it would have improved his harvest, leading to greater prosperity.He compared the big drops of rain to ten cent pieces and the little ones to five cents.

3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Ans: The rain was falling heavily, and then suddenly, a strong wind started blowing and very large hailstones began to fall with the rain. As a result, all the crops in Lencho's fields were destroyed.

 

4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Ans: Lencho was filled with grief after the hailstorm ended because everything was destroyed, and he did not have anything to feed his family. He could foresee a difficult future ahead for himself and his family. Additionally, he was concerned about the shortage of food for the upcoming year.

5. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Ans:  Lencho had strong belief in God. He thought that God could see everything, even the deepest thoughts in one's mind. He wrote a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos to sow his field again because his crop was destroyed by hailstones.

6.  Who read the letter?

Ans: The letter was firstly written by one of the employees, who was the postman and also helped at the post office. He laughed heartily after reading the address on the envelope as it was addressed to "God". He then took the letter to his boss, the postmaster, who broke out laughing too. But then he became serious and read the letter.

7. What did the postmaster do then?

Ans:  When the postmaster saw the address of the envelope, he broke out laughing as it was addressed to "God". But then he became serious and did not wish to shake Lencho's faith in God. He was deeply moved by the writer's faith in God and decided to collect money and send it to Lencho on behalf of God. So, he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary, and several friends of his were obliged to give something ‘for an act of charity’. Since he was unable to collect the hundred pesos, so he was able to send Lencho only a little more than half. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and with it a letter containing only a single word as a signature - "God".

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT

1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Ans: Lencho had complete faith in God. The sentences in the story that tell us this are as follows:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he         had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
    (iii) “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.”
    (iv) He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to town.
    (v) God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
    (vi) It said: “God: of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest,         since I need it very much.”

2.  Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

Ans:  When the postmaster saw the address of the envelope, he broke out laughing as it was addressed to "God". But then he became serious and did not wish to shake Lencho's faith in God. He was deeply moved by the writer's faith in God and decided to collect money and send it to Lencho on behalf of God. So, he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary, and several friends of his were obliged to give something ‘for an act of charity’. Since he was unable to collect the hundred pesos, so he was able to send Lencho only a little more than half. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and with it a letter containing only a single word as a signature - "God".

3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Ans: No, Lencho does not attempt to discover who sent him the money. He firmly believes in God and never doubts that it could be anyone other than God who sent him the money. His faith in God is so unwavering that he is convinced it was indeed God who sent him the money.

4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected).

Ans:  Lencho thought that the rest of the money was taken by the post office employees because there was only seventy pesos inside the envelope, whereas he had asked for a hundred pesos from God.

        The irony of the situation was that  Lencho suspected those who had actually helped him during his adverse time.

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.

Ans:  It is very difficult to find people like Lencho in the real world. Looking at Lencho's unwavering faith in God, it can be said that he is "naive" and "unquestioning".

6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Ans:  The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated by the devastation of Lencho's crops caused by a hailstorm. As Lencho mourns the loss of his crops due to the hail, his subsequent sadness and gloom reflect the ongoing conflict between humanity and the forces of nature. Additionally, the story highlights another conflict, this time among humans themselves. The postmaster, with the assistance of his fellow post office workers, gathers funds to help Lencho recover from his loss, despite having no personal connection to him. This act of generosity and compassion on their part is overshadowed by Lencho's suspicion and accusation that they have taken a portion of the money for themselves. This demonstrates a lack of trust in fellow humans, thereby giving rise to this conflict.