Page 40 - Success Plus English Language and Literature Class 10

A Letter to God
letters; working like an ox; having qualities
like strength, determination, honesty and
dependability. Still when Lencho receives the
help, he proves to be ungrateful. He shows lack
of faith in humanity by his disbelief –
thinking postal workers to be ‘a bunch of
crooks’.
Postmaster
The postmaster’s character stands in contrast
to Lencho’s. He chuckles at finding a letter to
God in his office, but in the same good spirit he
values the writer’s faith in God. Not a man of
great resources himself, he strives to collect the
money for Lencho and stays put. He shares a
good rapport with his fellow workers, who help
him with some contribution. He doesn’t come
out to boast of his good deed or even expect a
‘thanks’ in return. The postmaster seems to be a
patient, considerate and sensible man. Awestruck
by Lencho’s faith, his desire for such a strong
belief in God surfaces and motivates him to
act supportively. The good deed however goes
unseen by its beneficiary. The postmaster’s hope
Reference-to-Context Questions
1 Throughout the morning Lencho – who
knew his fields intimately – had done
nothing else but see the sky towards the
north-east.
(i) Who was Lencho?
Lencho was a farmer.
(ii) Why was he looking at the sky?
He was looking at the sky waiting for rain.
(iii) What do these lines tell you about him?
Lencho knows his field very closely and
also tries to read the weather. He shows
great persistence and hope in his wait for
the rain.
(iv) Give a synonym of ‘intimately’ that can be
used in this context.
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of finding satisfaction in helping a needy one
is dashed by Lencho’s charge of theft against
the post office staff. In spite of the bizarre
anticlimax, his simple wish of helping someone
is realised.
Lencho’s wife
We get only a glimpse of Lencho’s wife’s
character. She appears at the beginning of the
story and later through her reaction to the
destroyed field or their wasted efforts. She
takes good care of her family. Even though
the circumstances get difficult, Lencho’s wife
stays calm and level-headed. Unlike Lencho,
she doesn’t get so disheartened as to think that
they are going to die of hunger. This fact is
brought out by her one statement: “Remember,
no one dies of hunger.” It seems that she still
believes that something can be done. Lencho
too comes up with a solution to the problem.
But the perspective that his wife has might be
very different and not so naive and affected as
Lencho’s. All we know is she lets Lencho have
his way.
The word ‘closely’ can be used in the same
context.
2 “Now we’re really going to get some
water, woman.” The woman who was
preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God
willing.”
(i) Who said the first line, and to whom?
Lencho said the first line to his wife.
(ii) What did the speaker need water for?
The speaker was a corn farmer. He was
hoping for a good rain so that his crops got
ready for harvest.
(iii) What does the woman mean by ‘God
willing’?