This man whom I trusted cheated me.
4. Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
(a) The trees lost all their leaves.
(b) The letter was addressed to God himself.
(c) The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Answer:
(a) Not a leaf remained on the trees.
(b) It was nothing less than a letter to God.
(c) Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.
5. In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Hailstones
Locusts
An ox of a man
An epidemic (a disease) (hat spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Answer:
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Coins
Money that a good crop will bring
Hailstones
Frozen pearls
brightness of pearls
Locusts
a plague of locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Lencho
An ox of a man
strong
A Letter to God – Comprehensive Web Content
This is an expanded study resource for A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes (First Flight). Use this alongside the chapter notes for complete board exam preparation.
Detailed Summary
Lencho, a poor farmer, depends on rain for his corn harvest. A hailstorm destroys everything. With unshakeable faith in God, he writes a letter asking for 100 pesos. The postmaster collects 70 pesos from employees and sends it as "God." Lencho, finding only 70 pesos, writes again asking God not to send money through the post office because the employees are "a bunch of crooks."
Theme Analysis
Unshakeable Faith
Lencho’s faith in God is so absolute he writes a letter expecting divine reply. This faith is admirable yet blind — it prevents him from seeing human kindness.
Dramatic Irony
The reader knows the money came from the post office employees. Lencho blames his benefactors, creating devastating irony.
Gratitude and Ingratitude
The helpers receive no thanks; instead they are called thieves. Good deeds often go unrecognised.
Character Study
Hardworking, faithful, trusting of God, suspicious of humans, ironically ungrateful
Kind, generous, empathetic — organises the collection to preserve Lencho’s faith
Cooperative and generous; their kindness is met with accusations
Literary Devices & Techniques
- Dramatic Irony: Lencho calls helpers "crooks"
- Simile: Hailstones like "new silver coins"
- Hyperbole: "Not a leaf remained on the trees"
- Personification: "The earth needed a downpour"
Board Exam Questions with Model Answers
Q: Why did Lencho write to God? (2 marks)
Model Answer: Lencho’s entire crop was destroyed by a hailstorm. He had such deep faith in God that he believed God would send money to help him re-sow his field. He wrote asking for 100 pesos.
Q: Explain the irony at the end of the story. (3 marks)
Model Answer: The post office employees generously collected 70 pesos to help Lencho. But Lencho, finding less than 100, concluded that the employees stole the remaining 30 pesos. The very people who helped him are called "crooks." This is dramatic irony — the helpers are blamed.
Q: What impression do you form of the postmaster? (5 marks)
Model Answer: The postmaster is kind, generous, and good-humoured. Moved by Lencho’s faith, he collects money from colleagues and his own salary. He signs as "God" to preserve Lencho’s belief. His goodness goes unrecognised, making him a poignant character who represents selfless generosity.
Key Vocabulary
Refer to the chapter notes and teacher aid for a complete vocabulary list. Focus on understanding words in context rather than memorising definitions in isolation.
Revision Checklist
- Can you summarise the text in 80 words?
- Can you name all major characters and their traits?
- Can you identify at least 3 literary devices with examples?
- Can you write a 5-mark answer on the main theme?
- Have you practised all textbook exercise questions?