A Letter to God by G. L. Fuentes

Class 10 - English - First Flight - A Letter to God - Solution

The theme of the Story

The story is about a diligent farmer named Lencho who is hoping for a successful harvest if it rains. When the rain does come, followed by a devastating hailstorm, Lencho turns to God for help. He writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos, which is enough to replant his crops. The postman and postmaster come across the letter and, in an act of kindness, collect money from their employees to send Lencho 70 pesos. Despite his initial joy, Lencho becomes upset when he realizes the missing 30 pesos and accuses the post office employees of being dishonest.

The tale highlights Lencho's unwavering faith in God, the generosity of the postmaster and employees, and the innocence of the farmer. However, it also conveys that even acts of kindness may go unrecognized and one may be mistakenly perceived as dishonest.

Short Summary

1. Lencho a Farmer: Lencho was a farmer. His house was the only one in the entire valley It was on the top of a hill. His fields needed a good harvest. He was looking towards the sky hoping for a rain. During the meal, big drops of rain began to fall. He went out to feel the rain on his body.

2. Raindrops Like Coins: Lencho was satisfied. The drops of rain were like the coins. The big drops were ten cent pieces and the little ones were worth five each. Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow Lencho was worried.

3. Hailstorm: Along with the rain came very large hailstones. They truly did resemble silver coins. The house, the fields and the hill-side were covered with the white hails. Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. So were the flowers. Lencho was sorrowful. They would have no corn that year.

4. Only Hope; Help from God: Lencho thought that there was only one hope. It was the help from God. The following Sunday, he wrote a letter to God. He wrote that if he did not help, his whole family would die. He needed a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the new crop came. He wrote 'To God' on the envelope, placed stamp on it and dropped it into the mailbox.

5. Strange Address: One of the postmen who read the address laughed heartily and took it to the postmaster. The postmaster was quite a friendly and pleasant man. He too broke out laughing. But soon he became serious. He realised that the sender of the letter had a great faith in God. He didn't want to shake the writer's faith in God. He decided to answer the letter.

6. Help from the Postmaster: The generous postmaster collected money from his employees. He himself gave a part of his salary. He put seventy pesos, all the money he could collect, in an envelope and sent it to Lencho by mail.

7. Lencho's Anger Against Post Office Employees: Lencho had a firm and unshaken faith in God. He did expect help from God. When he received the money, he was not surprised. But his happiness was just for some moments. When he counted the money, he became very angry. He believed that God never deceive him. Immediately, he wrote a second letter to God and posted it. The postmaster opened the letter eagerly. Lencho wrote that he received seventy pesos that had been sent by God. He requested God to send him the rest of the money. He asked God not to send the money through the mail. The post-office employees were a bunch of crooks'.

Character Sketch

1. Lencho: Lencho is the main character in the story "A Letter to God" written by G. L. Fuentes. He is a hard-working farmer who lives a simple and honest life. Despite facing adversity and the destruction of his crops by a hailstorm, Lencho holds an unwavering faith in God. He demonstrates his belief in divine intervention by writing a letter to God asking for help. Lencho is depicted as an innocent and hopeful individual who places his trust in a higher power. He is determined and resourceful, as evidenced by his willingness to replant his crops if he received the funds he asked for in his letter. Despite his disappointment when he receives only 70 pesos, Lencho remains virtuous, and writes to God again for remaining 30 pesos. In short, Lencho is a faithful, determined, and virtuous person who represents the resilience and hope of the rural community and their unwavering faith in God.

2. Postmaster: The postmaster has all that is good in human thinking and behaviour. He has thorough understanding of a sharp, sympathetic and sensitive mind. He knows how the mind of a God-fearing rustic like Lencho works. He doesn't want to break the deep faith of Lencho in God. First, he laughed at the man who wanted to have a direct correspondence with God. After reading the letter, he was deeply moved and impressed by Lencho's faith in God. He knew that merely goodwill was not sufficient. The farmer needed financial help. So he collected a sum of 70 pesos from his employees. He also contributed a part of his salary and sent the money to Lencho.

3. The 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'.

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED

Oral Comprehension Check(Page 5)

Question 1. What did Lencho hope for?

Answer:
Lencho hoped for rain because his fields needed rain. 

Question 2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?

Answer:

Lencho said it because rain would bring good harvest which in turn will bring money for Lencho.

Question 3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?

Answer: 

The rain changed into hailstones. Lencho's whole crop was completely destroyed.

Question 4. What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped? 

Answer: 

Lencho became very sad due to the hailstorm.

Oral Comprehension Check(Page 6)

Question 1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do? 

Answer: 

Lencho had a deep faith in God. So, he wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos. 

Question 2. Who read the letter?

Answer:

The postman saw the letter and he took it to the postmaster. The postmaster read the letter and was impressed to see Lencho's faith in God.

Question 3. What did the postmaster do then? 

Answer: 

The postmaster collected money from his employees and gave a part of his salary and sent the money to Lencho.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 7) 

Question 1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it? 

Answer: 

No, Lencho was not surprised. He had a very strong faith in God.

Question 2. What made him angry?

Answer:

When he received 30 pesos less than he asked from God, he became angry thinking post office employees might have stolen the missing money.

Thinking About the Text (Page 7)

Question 1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this? 

Answer: 

Lencho has complete and unshaken faith in God. He hopes that God will help him and his family from dying of starvation. So, he writes a letter to God. The line Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience" proves it. 

Question 2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God"?

Answer: 

The postmaster is a generous and noble person. He knows that sender of the letter, Lencho, has a deep faith in God. He doesn't want to shake the writer's faith in God. So, he decides to send money to him. He signs the letter 'God' so that it may assure Lencho that the money has really been sent by God to help him. 

Question 3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not? 

Answer: 

No, Lencho didn't try to find out who had sent the money to him. He had an unshaken faith in God. He expected a definite help from Him. So, he showed no surprise when he received the money neither did he try to find out the sender.

Q4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? 

(Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)

Answer: 

Lencho considers that the post-office employees are a bunch of crooks. They have taken the rest of the money. The ending of the story is ironical. The postmaster and his employees who contributed to collect seventy pesos to help Lencho are thought to be cheats by him.

Q5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

Answer:

It takes all sorts of people to make this world. Though people like Lencho are rare but they do exist in this world. He is a person who has an unshaken faith in God. He can be called a "naive' 'unquestioning' and even 'stupid'.

Question 6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Answer: 

There are two type of conflicts in the story. The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated by the fall of huge hailstones. The rain does come but comes accompanied by hailstones that destroy everything leaves, trees and fields. The other conflict is among humans themselves. The postmaster and his employees who collect money to help Lencho are ironically considered to be a bunch of crooks by him.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1. Where was Lencho's house situated?

Answer: 

Lencho was a farmer. His house was the only one in the valley. It was situated on the top of a low hill overlooking the valley. From this height, he could see the river. He could also see his fields of ripe corn dotted with flowers. The flowers always promised a good harvest. 

Question 2. What did Lencho and the earth need immediately?

Answer: 

The only thing the earth needed was rain. Lencho, being a farmer wished for a heavy rain. At least, a shower was necessary His fields needed water immediately otherwise the crop would be completely ruined. So, he would constantly look at the sky towards the north-east.

Question 3. How did the rain come as predicted by Lencho and how did he receive it? 

Answer: Lencho's wife was preparing supper. The older boys were working in the field. It was during the meal, in the north- east huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. Then, as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. To him, the rain drops were like the new coms. 

Question 4. Why were the rain drops like new coins for Lencho?

Answer: 

Lencho had been impatiently waiting for the rain. The earth needed a downpour immediately. At least, a shower was necessary to save the crops. Fortunately for Lencho, in the north-east huge of clouds could be seen approaching. Big drops of rain began to fall. Every drop was precious for the fields and the crops. The bigger drops were worth ten cent pieces and the little ones were fives.

Question 5. Why did Lencho's happiness change into deep concern?

Answer: 

As Lencho had predicted the rain did came. At the meal time, it came in the form of big drops. Naturally, the rain gladdened his heart. He could see better prospects of a good crop. However, his happiness was short lived. Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow. The rain turned into big hailstones. The falling of heavy ball of big hailstones for an hour completely alley. destroyed everything- leaves, trees and the standing crops. Naturally, such a heavy loss put Lencho into a deep concern.

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Class XI - Elective English - Woven Words - Shorty Story - The Luncheon - William Somerset Maugham

Summary

"The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham is a short story about a man who is approached by a woman he once knew, who asks him to take her out for lunch. The woman, who had once impoverished the man, promised to only have a modest meal, but ended up ordering several expensive dishes. Despite the man's concerns about being able to pay the bill, he took her to the expensive restaurant and treated her to lunch. Years later, the man runs into the woman again and sees that she has become extremely overweight, weighing 21 stone. The man, who is not a vengeful person, finds satisfaction in the contrast of their current circumstances, feeling that he has finally had his revenge. The story is characterized by its use of irony, as the actions of the characters often contradict their words and expectations.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

Question 1. Although the author was not a vindictive man he was very happy to see the twenty one stone lady who had impoverished him twenty years ago, and says he had finally had his revenge. What makes him says this?

Answer:

Twenty years prior, the author struggled to make ends meet financially. The lady asked him to take her to Foyot's, a pricey restaurant, for lunch. The author believed he could only afford to treat her to a modest meal. The lady assured him that she never ate much for lunch, but ended up ordering several expensive dishes. Despite this, she persisted in claiming she only had one small dish and scolded the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop). This left the author penniless for a whole month. The memory of this incident stayed with him, and when he met the lady again twenty years later, she had become extremely overweight, weighing 21 stone. Despite not being a vengeful person, the author felt that he had finally gotten his revenge.

Question 2. There are quite a few places where the author uses the expressions ‘My heart sank, panic seized’ etc. What was the reason for this? Explain.

Answer:

The author was residing in a small flat in Paris and struggled to make ends meet. The lady requested he take her to Foyot's, a lavish restaurant, for lunch. During the meal, she ordered a number of pricey dishes. This caused the writer to become anxious about paying the bill, leading to expressions such as "my heart sank" and "panic seized me".

Question 3. Locate instances of irony in the story.

Answer:

In "The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham, there are several instances of irony:

• The lady promised not to eat much for lunch, but ended up ordering several expensive dishes, which was the opposite of what she promised.

• Despite being unable to afford the bill, the author treated the lady to lunch at an expensive restaurant.

• The lady scolded the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop) even though she had ordered several dishes.

• The author had been impoverished by the lady twenty years prior, but when they met again, he was content with his life while she had become overweight.

• The lady advised the author not to eat too much, but she herself had ordered several dishes and become overweight.

These instances of irony highlight the contrast between the lady's actions and words, as well as the unexpected outcomes of certain events.

Question 4. What are the instances which create humour in “The Luncheon”?

Answer:

"The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham has several instances that create humour:

• The lady's promise to only have a modest meal, but her subsequent ordering of several expensive dishes, is a source of humor due to the contrast between her words and actions.

• The lady scolding the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop), even though she herself had ordered several dishes, is a humorous situation that highlights the irony and contrast between the characters' actions.

• The contrast between the author's worry about paying the bill and the lady's insistent ordering of expensive dishes is also a source of humor.

• The description of the lady's weight gain and the author's satisfaction with their changed circumstances, despite his not being a vindictive person, adds to the humor of the story.

Overall, the humor in the story arises from the contrast between the characters' words and actions, as well as the unexpected outcomes of certain events.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Question 1. People with foibles are often not conscious of them. Discuss in the light of the story.

In "The Luncheon," the lady is a character with a foible and is not conscious of it. Her foible is her tendency to over-indulge in food, as evidenced by her insistent ordering of several expensive dishes despite promising to only have a modest meal. This behavior is not something she is aware of or conscious of, as she scolds the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop) even though she herself had ordered several dishes.

This is a common phenomenon, where people with foibles are often not conscious of them. People's habits and behaviors can be shaped by their experiences, personality, and environment, and they may not realize the impact they have on others or themselves. In this case, the lady's habit of over-indulging in food is not something she is aware of, and she is not consciously trying to be difficult or troublesome.

In conclusion, the story highlights the idea that people with foibles are often not conscious of them and that this can lead to unexpected and humorous situations.

Question 2. Discuss the author’s attempts at keeping up his pretence of friendliness while he was mentally preoccupied with the expense of the luncheon.

Answer:

In "The Luncheon," the author is trying to maintain a pretence of friendliness while he is mentally preoccupied with the expense of the lunch. He is worried about the cost of the meal and is concerned that he will not have enough money to pay the bill. Despite this, he tries to appear friendly and cordial to the lady, who is the one who asked him to take her to lunch.

The author uses expressions such as "my heart sank" and "panic seized me" to show his internal struggle and the tension he feels about the cost of the meal. However, he tries to keep up the pretence of friendliness by making small talk with the lady and acting as if everything is normal. He does this to avoid offending her or making her feel uncomfortable, even though he is worried about the cost of the meal.

In conclusion, the author's attempts at maintaining a pretence of friendliness while being mentally preoccupied with the expense of the lunch highlight the tension between the characters and the internal struggle of the author. Despite his worries, he tries to present himself as friendly and cordial, showing the contrast between his internal thoughts and external demeanor.

APPRECIATION

Question 1. The author is a humorist

a. How does the story reflect his sense of humour?

b. What makes his lady friend remark—‘you are quite a humorist’?

c. Give instances of the author’s ability to laugh at himself.

Answer:

1. "The Luncheon" by Somerset Maugham reflects the author's sense of humor through its use of irony, contrast, and humorous situations. The story is written in a lighthearted and witty tone, which highlights the author's ability to find humor in everyday situations and to present it in an entertaining manner.

The author creates humor in the story by contrasting the words and actions of the characters. For example, the lady promises to only have a modest meal but ends up ordering several expensive dishes, which is a source of humor due to the contrast between her words and actions. The author also uses humor to highlight the ironies of the situation, such as the lady scolding the author for eating too much meat (a single small mutton chop), even though she herself had ordered several dishes.

In addition, the author uses humor to present the tension between the characters and the internal struggle of the author. The contrast between the author's worry about paying the bill and the lady's insistent ordering of expensive dishes is also a source of humor. The description of the lady's weight gain and the author's satisfaction with their changed circumstances, despite his not being a vindictive person, adds to the humor of the story.

Overall, the story reflects the author's sense of humor through its use of irony, contrast, and humorous situations. The author's ability to find humor in everyday situations and present it in an entertaining manner is what makes the story a humorous and enjoyable read.

2. The story revolves around the author's lady friend inviting him to have lunch at the expensive restaurant Foyot. Despite financial limitations, the author agrees to go to the restaurant that is frequently visited by senators. He formulates a plan to order only a few items so that he doesn't overspend for the month. However, the irony arises when the lady friend starts placing one order after another, completely unaware of the author's budget constraints. Eventually, she suggests having a small lunch, to which the author jokingly replies that he would rather skip dinner that night. This humor earns the author a compliment from his lady friend, who remarks, "you are quite a humorist."
   
   

3. The story showcases the author's sense of humor and his ability to laugh at himself. The author recounts the lady's invitation to a pricey restaurant like Foyot, and how he was unable to decline because of his youth. As the lady begins ordering expensive dishes, the author recognizes the irony and laughs at himself for agreeing to the luncheon at Foyot. Throughout the story, the author displays his capacity for self-deprecating humor.

Question 2. How does the first person narrative help in heightening the literary effects of the story?

Answer:

This story is composed in a first person narrative which makes the readers familiar with the mindset of the narrator and his evident anticipation, apprehension and embarrassment of visiting the costly restaurant Foyot at the suggestion of his lady friend. It allows us to go deeper into the confusion and the fear developed by the narrator inside himself. The polite and soft gesture exhibited by the narrator in front of his lady friend explains the sheer embarrassment and monetary dilemma which he was experiencing. It allows the reader to visualise his mind about the anger and sarcasm which he possessed against his lady friend. The variations in the external gentility and inner mental stress helps us to understand his plight which gives rise to irony.