Class 10 English - KARNATAKA

Prose: A Letter to God

A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes is a poignant story about Lencho, a hardworking farmer whose crops are completely destroyed by a devastating hailstorm. With unwavering faith in God, Lencho writes a letter asking for a hundred pesos to survive and resow his fields. The postmaster and employees read the letter and, moved by his deep faith, collect money to help him. However, Lencho receives only seventy pesos and writes another letter to God, mistakenly accusing the post office employees of stealing the rest. This chapter teaches students about profound faith, human kindness, and situational irony, making it a favorite for Karnataka (KSEEB) board exams.

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Key Concepts

Lencho's Faith

Lencho has blind, absolute faith in God, believing that God's eyes see everything and that He will certainly help him in his time of need.

The Role of the Postmaster

The postmaster is a kind, generous, and empathetic man who decides to answer Lencho's letter to preserve his incredible faith in God.

Situational Irony

The ending of the story is ironic because Lencho suspects the helpful post office employees—who actually collected the money for him—of being a bunch of crooks.

Human Kindness

The chapter highlights an act of anonymous charity where strangers pool their own money to help a distressed farmer.

Important Formulas

Key Definition 1: Faith - Complete trust or confidence in someone or something, in this case, Lencho's unquestioned belief in God.
Key Definition 2: Solitary - Existing alone or isolated, describing Lencho's house situated on the crest of a low hill.
Key Definition 3: Hailstones - Frozen rain pellets that fall in showers, which destroyed Lencho's cornfield.

Board Exam Info

In the Karnataka (KSEEB) Class 10 English board examination, 'A Letter to God' typically carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions commonly include 1-mark comprehension queries, 2-mark short answer questions about Lencho's character or the postmaster's actions, and occasionally paragraph-based questions testing the theme of faith and irony.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lencho wrote a letter to God because his entire corn crop was destroyed by a severe hailstorm, and he believed God was his only remaining hope to feed his family and resow his fields.

Lencho wrote a letter to God because a heavy hailstorm destroyed his entire crop, and he believed that God alone could help him and his family survive.

Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho?

The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho's unwavering faith in God and wanted to ensure that faith was not shaken.

Why was Lencho angry when he received the money?

Lencho was angry because he found only seventy pesos instead of the hundred he had asked for, and he suspected that the post office employees had stolen the missing thirty pesos.

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