Lecture Notes: "A Letter to God"

Setting

• The house is the only one in the entire valley, located on a low hill.
• From this vantage point, Lencho can see his fields, the river, and surrounding areas.

Main Characters

• Lencho: A farmer who is deeply reliant on his crops.
• The Family: Includes Lencho's wife and children, who are also affected by the weather.

Key Events

Initial Situation

• Lencho, familiar with his fields, eagerly anticipates rain for his crops.
• The family is having a meal when rain begins to fall, initially seen as a blessing.

The Hailstorm

• Rain turns into a devastating hailstorm.
  • Described as resembling silver coins (eventually seen as destructive).
• The hailstorm lasts about an hour, destroying the crops.
  • Leaves the valley looking white, as if covered in salt.
  • No leaves remain on trees; crops are destroyed.
• Lencho laments the loss, believing "even a plague of locusts would have left more."

Aftermath

• The family faces the threat of hunger due to lost crops.
• Despite the hard times, hope rests in divine assistance.
  • "No one dies of hunger," Lencho reflects.

Lencho's Faith and Action

• Lencho writes a letter to God, asking for help:
  • Requests 100 pesos to replant his fields and sustain his family until the next harvest.
• The letter is mailed with faith that God will intervene.

Post Office's Response

• Employees at the post office, amused by Lencho's faith, decide to help.
• Postmaster gathers money from employees and friends, but only raises 70 pesos.
  • Money is sent with a note signed "God."

Lencho's Reaction

• Upon receiving the letter, Lencho is not surprised but disappointed with the amount.
• Writes another letter to God:
  • Complains about receiving only 70 pesos.
  • Accuses post office employees of theft, requesting not to send money through them again.

Themes

• Faith and Innocence: Lencho's unwavering belief in divine intervention.
• Irony: Lencho accuses the very people who helped him of dishonesty.
• Humanity and Compassion: The post office staff's response to Lencho's situation.

Vocabulary

• Locust: A grasshopper that destroys crops.
• Correspondence: Communication, often in written form.
• Crook: A dishonest person.

Reflections

• Lencho's faith is both admirable and naive.
• The story highlights the complexity of human nature and the unpredictability of help and gratitude.