A Letter to God

A Letter to God Solution, Summary, Word Meaning, Character Sketch

Summary of “A Letter to God” by G.L. Fuentes:

Lencho, a hardworking and simple farmer, lived with his family in a solitary house on the crest of a low hill in a valley. He eagerly awaited a good harvest from his field of ripe corn, which was dotted with lovely flowers promising an excellent yield. However, his hopes were shattered when a devastating hailstorm ravaged the entire valley, leaving his crops utterly destroyed. The corn was obliterated, the flowers were gone, and not a single leaf remained on the trees. Lencho’s soul was filled with sorrow as he witnessed the aftermath of the storm, realizing that his family would go hungry that year.

Despite the dire circumstances, Lencho’s faith in God remained unshakable. As a devout man, he firmly believed that God’s eyes saw everything, even the depths of one’s conscience. Desperate for help, Lencho decided to write a letter to God, asking for a hundred pesos to sow his field again and sustain his family until the next crop. He addressed the envelope simply to “God” and mailed it with complete confidence that God would receive his plea.

When the postmaster came across the letter addressed to God, he was initially amused but quickly became impressed by Lencho’s unwavering faith. Realizing the gravity of the situation and not wanting to shatter Lencho’s trust in God, the postmaster decided to take action. He collected money from his employees and friends, managing to gather 70 pesos. The postmaster then placed the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed it as “God,” hoping to maintain Lencho’s belief.

Upon receiving the letter with the money, Lencho was not surprised at all. His faith was so strong that he expected God to answer his prayers. However, when he counted the money and discovered only 70 pesos instead of the requested hundred, Lencho became angry. Without a moment’s hesitation, he wrote another letter to God, stating that he had only received 70 pesos and that God should send the remaining 30 pesos. Interestingly, Lencho specifically instructed God not to send the money through the mail, as he believed the post office employees to be a “bunch of crooks” who must have stolen the missing amount.

The story of “A Letter to God” beautifully showcases the unshakable faith that Lencho had in God, even in the face of adversity. It also highlights the postmaster’s compassionate attempt to preserve Lencho’s faith, going above and beyond his duties to collect money and send it to Lencho on behalf of God. The irony lies in the fact that Lencho, unaware of the postmaster’s kindness, accused the post office employees of stealing the remaining money, not realizing that it was their generosity that allowed him to receive any money at all.

This tale serves as a reminder of the power of faith and the importance of kindness and empathy towards others. It also gently touches upon the human tendency to sometimes overlook the goodwill of others and focus on perceived shortcomings. “A Letter to God” is a thought-provoking story that encourages readers to reflect on their own beliefs and actions, while appreciating the selfless acts of kindness that often go unnoticed in our lives.

Difficult Words A Letter to God Along with Their Meanings

1. Intimately – In a detailed or thorough way; closely
2. Solitary – Alone; isolated
3. Conscience – A person’s moral sense of right and wrong
4. Amiable – Friendly and pleasant
5. Resolution – A firm decision to do something
6. Contentment – A state of happiness and satisfaction
7. Affixed – Attached or added
8. Irony – A state of affairs that appears perversely contrary to what one expects
9. Naive – Showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment
10. Unquestioning – Accepting something without doubt
11. Gale – A very strong wind
12. Cyclone – A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle
13. Tornado – A violent storm whose center is a cloud in the shape of a funnel
14. Typhoon – A violent tropical storm with very strong winds (in the western Pacific)
15. Whirlwind – A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement
16. Emphatically – In a forceful way
17. Crest – The top of a hill or mountain
18. Draped – Covered or hung loosely
19. Plague – A destructive influx or infestation
20. Sorrowful – Full of or characterized by sorrow
21. Evident – Clearly seen or understood; obvious
22. Obliged – Required to do something as a duty or because of a law
23. Correspondence – Communication by exchanging letters
24. Comprehension – The ability to understand something
25. Aspect – A particular part or feature of something
26. Funnel – A tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom
27. Contradicts – Deny the truth of (a statement) by asserting the opposite

Oral Comprehension Check

Oral Comprehension Check 1:

Q1: What did Lencho hope for?
A1: Lencho hoped for rain to water his field of ripe corn.

Q2: Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
A2: Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because they were valuable for his crops, just like money. He said, “The big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.”

Q3: How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
A3: The rain changed into a hailstorm with strong winds. Lencho’s fields were completely destroyed by the hail. The corn was ruined, flowers were gone from the plants, and not a leaf remained on the trees.

Q4: What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
A4: When the hail stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. He felt devastated, saying, “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing.”

Oral Comprehension Check 2:

Q1: Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
A1: Lencho had complete faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for help, specifically requesting 100 pesos to replant his fields and survive until the next harvest.

Q2: Who read the letter?
A2: The postmaster read the letter addressed to God.

Q3: What did the postmaster do then?
A3: The postmaster decided to answer the letter. He collected money from his employees, contributed part of his own salary, and asked friends to donate. He then sent the money (a little more than half of what Lencho requested) in an envelope signed “God”.

Oral Comprehension Check 3:

Q1: Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
A1: No, Lencho was not surprised. The story states, “Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence.”

Q2: What made him angry?
A2: Lencho became angry when he counted the money and found that it was less than the amount he had requested. He believed God couldn’t have made a mistake or denied him what he asked for.

Solution Thinking about the text

Q1: Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
A1: Lencho has complete faith in God. Sentences that demonstrate this include:
– “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.”
– “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.”
– The fact that he wrote a letter directly addressed to God, believing it would reach Him.

Q2: Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
A2: The postmaster sends money to Lencho out of compassion and to preserve Lencho’s faith. He signs the letter ‘God’ to maintain the illusion that the help came directly from God, as Lencho believed.

Q3: Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
A3: No, Lencho did not try to find out who sent the money. His faith was so unquestioning that he genuinely believed the money came from God, so he saw no need to investigate its source.

Q4: Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
A4: Lencho thinks the post office employees have taken the rest of the money. The irony is that these same employees, including the postmaster, were actually the ones who collected and sent the money to help Lencho.

Q5: Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is?
A5: Yes, there are people like Lencho in the real world. Based on the story, Lencho could be described as naive and unquestioning in his faith. He also displays traits of being ungrateful, as he accuses the post office employees of theft despite their kindness.

Q6: There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
A6: The conflicts are illustrated as follows:
– Human vs. Nature: The hailstorm that destroys Lencho’s crops, showing the destructive power of nature against human efforts.
– Human vs. Human: Lencho’s mistrust of the post office employees, whom he accuses of stealing, despite their generosity in helping him. This shows a conflict arising from misunderstanding and unwarranted suspicion.

Solution to other parts.

I. Look at the following sentence from the story:

Q: Match the names of storms with their descriptions.

A:
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: cyclone
2. An extremely strong wind: gale
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: typhoon
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: tornado
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: hurricane
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: whirlwind

II. Notice how the word ‘hope’ is used in these sentences from the story:

Q: Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.

A:
1. “Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.”
Meaning: wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)

2. “I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.”
Meaning: showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite

3. “This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.”
Meaning: a feeling that something good will probably happen

4. “We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.”
Meaning: wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely

5. “I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.”
Meaning: thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)

6. “Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.”
Meaning: stopped believing that this good thing would happen

III. Relative Clauses

Q: Join the sentences using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.

A:
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
Answer: I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.

2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
Answer: My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.

3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
Answer: These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.

4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
Answer: Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.

5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Answer: This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.

IV. Using Negatives for Emphasis

Q: Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

A:
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Answer: “Not a leaf remained on the trees.”

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
Answer: “It was nothing less than a letter to God.”

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Answer: “Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.”

V. Metaphors

Q: Find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared.