A Letter to God
A poor farmer's unshakeable faith collides with human dishonesty
Summary
Lencho, a hardworking farmer, waits all year for the rain that will ripen his field of ripe corn. The rain finally arrives, but it turns into a violent hailstorm that flattens his entire crop, leaving his family facing a year of hunger.
Lencho's one hope is his deep, ox-like faith in God. He writes a letter addressed simply 'To God', asking for a hundred pesos to sow his fields again. The postmaster, amused but genuinely moved by such faith, gathers money from the post-office staff and sends back seventy pesos signed 'God'.
When Lencho counts the money and finds it short, he is not grateful but angry. He concludes the post-office employees stole the rest, because in his mind God could never make a mistake. The story closes on this irony: his faith never wavers, yet it blinds him to the very people who actually helped him.
Key points to remember
- Lencho's character: hardworking, simple, with complete 'ox-like' faith in God.
- Central theme: unquestioning faith versus the reality of human nature.
- The hailstorm is the turning point that destroys the crop and starts the conflict.
- Irony drives the ending: the 'thieves' are actually the kind post-office staff.
- The postmaster embodies real, human charity that Lencho cannot recognise.
- The letter itself is the hinge of the entire plot — hence the title.
- Contrast between nature's destructive power and human kindness runs throughout.
Important questions (board pattern)
- 3 marksWhy did Lencho write a letter to God?
How to answer: State that hail destroyed his crop, his family faced hunger, and his faith convinced him only God could help; mention the exact request of a hundred pesos.
- 6 marksLencho's faith in God remained unshaken even after he received less money. Discuss.
How to answer: Trace his faith from writing the letter, to his calm on receiving money, to blaming the staff — show faith was never doubted, only humans were.
- 2 marksWhy was Lencho not surprised on seeing the money?
How to answer: Because his faith was total — he had fully expected God to answer; surprise would have implied doubt.
- 3 marksBring out the irony in 'A Letter to God'.
How to answer: Contrast Lencho calling his helpers 'a bunch of crooks' while trusting an unseen God; define situational irony using this example.
- 3 marksWhat kind of a person do you think the postmaster was?
How to answer: Describe him as kind, generous and good-humoured; he respected Lencho's faith and acted to keep it alive rather than mock it.
Common exam traps
- Don't give the postmaster a name — he is unnamed; only describe his role.
- Don't say God sent the money — it was the post-office staff; that irony is the whole point.
- Don't confuse the hundred pesos Lencho asked for with the seventy he received — the gap drives the ending.
- Don't forget Lencho's anger at the end; he never thanks anyone, and that reaction is what examiners test.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the author of A Letter to God?
- The story is written by G.L. Fuentes.
- Why did Lencho call the post-office employees thieves?
- He received only seventy of the hundred pesos he asked God for. Believing God could not err, he assumed the staff had stolen the rest — not knowing they were the ones who had actually given him the money.
- What is the main theme of A Letter to God?
- The clash between a simple man's absolute faith in God and the reality of human nature, explored through irony.
- How was Lencho's house and field described?
- His house stood on the crest of a low hill, the only one in the valley, overlooking the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that promised a good harvest.