A Letter to God — Class 10 English (First Flight)
"If you don't have faith, you are nothing." — Lencho
1. About the Chapter
'A Letter to God' is a touching short story by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes, a Mexican writer (1895-1966). Translated from Spanish, it explores faith, irony, and human nature through the story of a farmer named Lencho whose crops are destroyed by hail.
Why This Story
- Powerful exploration of faith
- IRONIC ending (unexpected twist)
- Indian context: farmers' struggles relatable
- Foundation for understanding short story techniques
2. About the Author
Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes (1895-1966)
- Mexican novelist and short story writer
- Spent childhood in rural Mexico (knew farming life)
- Wrote about Mexican rural and indigenous life
- Won National Prize for Literature in 1935
Why He Wrote
He grew up understanding the FAITH and STRUGGLE of poor farmers. The story shows his deep sympathy for them.
3. Story Setting
- Location: Mexican countryside (rural farming area)
- Time: early 20th century
- Atmosphere: simple rural life
- Main character: Lencho, a poor farmer
4. Plot Summary
Part 1: Hope
Lencho is a farmer who lives in a small house on top of a hill. He looks out at his ripe corn field with HOPE — a good harvest will feed his family.
He prays for rain to bring the harvest to fullness.
Part 2: The Storm
Suddenly, BLACK CLOUDS appear. Rain begins. Lencho is HAPPY — rain is needed.
But then HAIL begins. Large icy stones destroy EVERYTHING:
- Corn field flattened
- Beans destroyed
- Flowers crushed
Lencho says: 'The hail has left nothing.'
He laments: 'We shall all go HUNGRY this year.'
Part 3: The Letter
Despite losing everything, Lencho has ONE consolation — his DEEP FAITH IN GOD.
He decides to WRITE A LETTER TO GOD asking for 100 pesos to:
- Re-sow his field
- Sustain his family until next harvest
He posts the letter to 'God' with no return address.
Part 4: The Postman
The postman receives the letter. He laughs but takes it to the POSTMASTER.
The postmaster, deeply moved, decides to HELP. He doesn't want to shake the farmer's faith. He arranges:
- Collects money from postal employees
- Donates from his own salary
- Total: 70 pesos (less than 100)
- Puts in envelope addressed from 'God'
Part 5: The Reply
Lencho receives the envelope from 'God'. He is HAPPY but NOT SURPRISED — he believes God will help.
He counts the money: only 70 pesos.
INSTEAD of being grateful, Lencho is ANGRY!
He writes ANOTHER LETTER to God:
- Says God could not have sent only 70 pesos
- Says the POST OFFICE WORKERS must have stolen the rest!
- Asks God to send the remaining 30 pesos through a DIFFERENT route — NOT the post office
Part 6: The Ending
The postmaster reads this second letter and is shocked. He didn't think Lencho would suspect them.
The Irony
- Postal workers tried to HELP Lencho
- Lencho ACCUSED THEM of stealing
- His blind faith in God made him BLAME the helpers
- A cruel twist of irony
5. Characters
Lencho
- A poor MEXICAN FARMER
- Lives on a hill with family
- DEEP FAITH in God (almost naive)
- Hardworking
- Cannot read or write well (writes simple letters)
- IRONIC twist: his faith makes him SUSPECT humans
Postmaster
- Kind and generous
- Wants to PRESERVE Lencho's faith
- Collects money from workers
- Doesn't think of personal credit
Postal Employees
- Donate willingly to help Lencho
- Acts of kindness from strangers
Lencho's Family
- Wife, sons (mentioned briefly)
- Worried about the future
6. Themes
1. Faith
Lencho's faith is UNSHAKEABLE. He never doubts God exists or that God will help.
2. Irony
The biggest theme. The HELPERS are accused of being THIEVES. Faith makes Lencho blind to human kindness.
3. Human Nature
- The good: postmaster and workers help anonymously
- The questionable: Lencho's ingratitude despite their help
4. Helping Others
The act of helping a stranger — what's the right way? Public credit or anonymous help?
5. Cycle of Misery
Natural disasters devastate poor farmers. Connects to real Indian rural reality.
7. Literary Devices
Irony
The CENTRAL device. What seems like divine help is actually human help. Lencho's response is opposite to what we expect.
Symbolism
- HAIL = sudden destruction of hopes
- LETTER = trust and communication with the divine
- POSTMASTER = unsung helper
Setting
Mexican farm landscape — relates to ANY rural community worldwide.
Imagery
- 'Black clouds' approaching
- Hail like 'new coins' or 'frozen pearls'
- Destroyed crops
8. Indian Context
Why This Story Matters in India
- 80% of Indian farmers are SMALL OR MARGINAL
- Like Lencho, they depend on monsoons and crops
- Many lose harvests to floods, droughts, hail
- Many have DEEP FAITH despite hardship
- Indian readers relate deeply
Farmer Distress in India
- Tragic farmer suicides reported
- Crop insurance programmes (PM Fasal Bima Yojana)
- Need for sustainable agriculture
Indian Farmers' Spirit
Like Lencho, Indian farmers show extraordinary RESILIENCE and FAITH despite immense challenges.
9. Important Lines
'If you don't have faith, you are nothing.' (Lencho's belief)
'It looked as though they were covered with a forest of frozen pearls.' (Hail damage)
'Lencho was the kind of man who had complete faith in God.' (Author's description)
'The hail has left nothing.'
'...the men in the post office must be a bunch of crooks.' (Second letter)
10. Common Mistakes
-
Story is set in India — NO, it's set in MEXICO.
-
God actually replies — NO. Postal workers reply to maintain Lencho's faith.
-
Lencho thanks the post office — OPPOSITE! He ACCUSES them of stealing!
-
Lencho is rich — NO, very poor farmer.
-
The ending is happy — More IRONIC than happy. Bittersweet.
11. Lessons / Morals
- Faith can be both inspiring and blinding
- Anonymous kindness can be unappreciated
- Acts of help should not always seek recognition
- Human nature can disappoint even with good intentions
- Story is multi-layered — read more than once
12. Worked Examples
Example 1: Theme
What is the IRONY in 'A Letter to God'?
- Lencho's faith leads him to suspect the people who actually helped him. The 'God' he thanked was actually kind humans.
Example 2: Character
Describe Lencho.
- A poor Mexican farmer with unshakeable faith in God. Hardworking, deeply religious, but somewhat naive — leading to ironic accusations.
Example 3: Plot
Why did Lencho write a SECOND letter?
- He received 70 pesos instead of 100. Instead of being grateful, he suspected the postal workers of stealing 30 pesos. So he wrote asking God to send the rest directly, bypassing post office.
13. Conclusion
'A Letter to God' is a SMALL but POWERFUL story:
- Lencho's faith is admirable but blinding
- Postmaster's kindness is silent and selfless
- Irony drives the story
- Universal themes: faith, kindness, human nature
This opens Class 10 English with a MORAL TALE. For students, it teaches:
- READ CAREFULLY for nuance
- IRONY is a powerful storytelling tool
- HUMAN BEINGS are complex (even helpful ones can be misunderstood)
- FAITH and REASON sometimes clash
Practice writing essays on character, theme, irony. This is HIGH-MARK chapter.
'A Letter to God' — a small letter, but a big lesson about faith and human nature.
