01. Prose A Letter to God (Chapter Explanation)

Key Points of the Story

• The story "A Letter to God" was penned by G.L. Fuentes, a prominent Mexican writer known for his contributions in poetry, novels, and journalism during that era. 
• The narrative unfolds in a Latin American setting, focusing on Lencho, a farmer who faces a crisis when his entire crop is destroyed by a hailstorm. 
• Seeking divine intervention, Lencho writes a letter to God. 
• Although his prayers are partially answered, he remains unappreciative and questions the integrity of the postmasters who anonymously provide financial aid in the name of God.

Detailed Summary

Lencho was a dedicated farmer. He was expecting a decent harvest. However, to his grief, a hail storm came and destroyed his harvest completely. Lencho was very sad. 

However, he had a strong belief in God. He was certain that God would help him. Also, he was an extremely straightforward man. Although working for a long time on the farm, he knew writing. Thus, he composed a letter to God. In the letter, he asked God to send him one hundred pesos. At that point, he went to the post office and put his letter into the post box.

The postman removed the letter from the letterbox. He read the address on it and laughed very much. Also, he rushed to the postmaster and demonstrated to him that strange letter. Moreover, the postmaster also laughed in the same way when he saw the address of God. However, on reading the letter, he got very serious. He lauded this man who had unquestioned faith in God and decided to help him in terms of money. He asked the employees of the post office to give charity. Moreover, he gave a part of his salary too. However, they were able to collect only a little more than 50 pesos as requested for by Lencho. The postmaster put the money in an envelope. It was addressed to Lencho.

On Sunday, Lencho once again came to the post office. He asked if there was a letter for him. The postmaster took out the letter and handed it to Lencho. Lencho was not surprised after seeing the money. But when he counted the money, he became angry on God. He was sure that God could not have made a mistake. He took paper and ink and wrote one more letter to God. Then he put it into the letter-box.

After Lencho had left the place, the postmaster and the employees read the letter. In it, Lencho had complained to God that he had received only seventy pesos. Also, he requested God to send him the rest of the money this time. However, he asked God not to send the money through the mail. He wrote that the post-office employees were a bunch of crooks and thus might have stolen the money.

Theme/ Message 

Theme

• The main themes in this story are faith, hope, and the power of nature.
• The story is about a farmer named Lencho who experiences a hailstorm that destroys his crops, leaving him with no hope of feeding his family. Despite this, Lencho remains hopeful that God will help him, and he writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to help him plant his fields again.
• The story highlights the power of faith and how it can provide hope in times of adversity. Additionally, the story explores the power of nature, as the hailstorm wreaks havoc on Lencho’s crops, highlighting the unpredictability and destructive potential of the natural world.
• Finally, the story touches on themes of charity and the kindness of strangers, as the postmaster and his colleagues come together to help Lencho in his time of need, even though they cannot give him everything he asks for.

Message

• The message of the story is that faith and belief can move mountains. Lencho’s faith in God is unshakable, and he believes that God will help him no matter what. 
• The postmaster’s act of kindness shows that even in difficult times, people can come together to help each other.

Difficult Words

• Crest - top of a hill 
• Downpour - heavy rain 
• Entire - complete 
• Intimately - thoroughly 
• Curtain - cover
• Expression - aspect of face 
• Plague - cause of disaster 
• Predict - say in advance 
• Amiable - kind-hearted 
• Conscience - moral sense of right/wrong
• Charity - benefaction 
• Contain - have within itself 
• Contentment - satisfaction 
• Continent - remark 
• Blow - hard stroke with fist 
• Crook - rogue / swindler 

  Character Sketch of Lencho

• Devout – Lencho is deeply religious and has a strong faith in God, which is evident in his letter to God for help in the story.
• Honest – Lencho is an honest man who never cheats or lies, as evidenced by his trust in the postman to deliver his letter to God.
• Simple – Lencho is a simple man who leads a simple life and has simple aspirations, which is shown in his letter to God asking for just enough money to survive.
• Determined – Lencho is a determined man who does not give up easily, as seen in his unwavering belief in God’s ability to provide him with the help he needs.
  

Lencho was a hard-working farmer, an ox of a man. A man with minimal resources, he earned his living by cultivating his fields. He had immense faith in God. He thought that God always helped those who had a good conscience. He therefore sought to God for help when he and his family reached the point of hunger and he had lost all hope. Even the postmaster was struck by his strong religious convictions and decided to help out. Although he was a farmer, Lencho had enough education to compose a letter. He demonstrates his purity by making an effort to communicate with God directly.

He had a firm belief in God, but he had a tendency to doubt people’s intentions. He never tried to find out who had sent him those 70 pesos to help him. It is rather ironic that he humiliated his helpers by calling them “a bunch of crooks.”

Character Sketch of the Postmaster

• Dutiful – The postmaster takes his job seriously and is dedicated towards his duty.
• Empathetic – Despite being initially surprised by Lencho’s letter to God, the postmaster shows kindness towards Lencho’s situation and tries to help him.
• Pragmatic – The postmaster understands the limitations of the system and makes a sensible decision to collect money from his mates to help Lencho.
• Helpful – The postmaster goes out of his way to collect money from his mates to help Lencho, even though he is not required to do so.
• God Fearing– He does not want Lencho to lose his Faith in God.
  

The postmaster had a very pleasant and humble personality. He read the letter upon discovering that someone had addressed it to God and was greatly affected and impressed by Lencho’s trust in God. He was very well aware that God does not have a physical address to which he could deliver Lencho’s letter, so he decided to support Lencho and retain his faith in God, by sending financial assistant. He collected 70 pesos from his staff members and also sent Lencho a portion of his pay as a contribution. But the postman was saddened after reading Lencho’s second letter in which he had complained to God about the people working in the post office. The postmaster’s good intention receives a setback when Lencho doubts them.

Character Sketch of Post Office Employees

The post-office employees make every effort to help Lencho. They believed that only an innocent and foolish farmer can write a letter to God. They were considerate and full of compassion. They wondered at the faith of the man who wrote that letter. But they contributed something for an ‘act of charity’. They couldn’t collect the hundred pesos but sent only seventy pesos to Lencho. Only a single word was written as a signature: `God’.