A letter to God by G.L. Fuentes (Study Questions)
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A Letter to God (Study Questions)
By G.L. Fuentes
Q:
What did Lencho hope for?
Lencho
hoped that the hailstorm might pass quickly without doing much damage to his
cornfield. Just as the rain was nourishing for the corn, the hailstorm was destructive
for it in equal measures.
Q:
Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
The
raindrops were like new coins for them because it would enhance the yield of
their cornfield. More yield meant more money. This was the reason Lencho called
the raindrops ‘new coins’, the big drops worth ten cent pieces and the little
ones five cent pieces.
Q:
How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
A
strong wind suddenly started to blow and along with rain, very large hailstones
began to fall. Lencho had hoped that it would pass quickly but the hailstones continue
to fall for one hour. Lencho’s field had become white as if covered with salt
and his corn was totally destroyed.
Q:
What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Lencho
was heartbroken at the sad spectacle of his field. He told his sons that even a
plague of locusts would have left more than this storm. He lamented the fact
that all his hard work went in vain and they probably go hungry that year.
Q:
Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Lencho
had unflinching faith in God. He believed that God sees everything, even what
is deep in one’s conscience. With this belief, he wrote a letter which was
nothing less than a letter to God and dropped it in the mailbox by himself.
Q:
Who did read the letter?
One
of the postmen who worked in the post office was surprised by the address
written on the letter. He had never seen a letter addressed to God in his whole
life. He took the letter to the post master who also laughed at it but at the
same time impressed by the faith shown by the man. The post master decided to
answer the letter. He opened the letter and read it.
Q:
What did the postmaster do after reading the letter?
The
postmaster was a kind-hearted man and he was much impressed by the faith of the
man. He did not want to shake the faith of this simple farmer. Therefore, after
reading the letter, he decided to help the farmer. He collected money from his
employees, he himself gave a part of his salary, and several of his friends
also gave something as an act of charity.
Q:
Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
No,
Lencho was not at all surprised when he found a letter with money in it. He had
such confidence and unwavering faith on God that he actually believed that it
was a letter from God.
Q:
What made him angry?
When
Lencho opened the letter, he found 70 pesos collected by the post master. He
became angry when he counted the money because he had asked for 100 pesos. He
believed that God could not have made such mistake, nor could he have denied
Lencho what he had requested.
Q;
Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you
this?
Lencho
had unflinching faith in God. Even in the face of utter disaster, his faith did
not shake. He said to his family;
“Don’t
be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of
hunger”. “That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger”.
All
through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God.
Q:
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter
‘God’?
The
post master was a kind-hearted and God-fearing man. He did not want Lencho to
lose his faith in God. Therefore, he decided to collect money for him and send
it to him. He signed the letter ‘God’ so that he might think that God had
answered his letter and his request therein.
Q:
Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Lencho
did not try to find out who had sent money to him because he believed that God
had answered his letter and sent him the money he had asked for. He did not
have the slightest of doubts that it was someone else who actually wrote him the
letter and sent him the money.
Q:
Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the
situation?
Lencho
thought that the people at the post office had taken the rest of his money. The
situation is quite ironical in the sense that it was them who had arranged 70
pesos for Lencho and sent him. Lencho was accusing the very same people who had
shown sympathy towards him and helped him of taking his money and calling them
crooks.
Q:
Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you
say he is?
The
people like Lencho are very rare in the real world. It is very difficult to find
people like Lencho how have such unquestioning faith in God. He is very naive
and his naivety is evident from the letter he addressed to God.
Q:
There are two kinds of conflicts in the story: between humans and nature, and
between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
The
story uses these two conflicts to explore themes of faith, trust, and the human
condition. The conflict between humans and nature is portrayed through the
destructive power of the hailstorm and its impact on Lencho’s life. It is depicted
that man is powerless before the forces of nature. The conflict between humans
themselves is illustrated through Lencho’s interactions with the post office
employees, showcasing the misunderstandings and mistrust that can arise even in
acts of goodwill.
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