Class 10 English Notes Chapter 1 (A Letter to God) – First Flight Book
Alright class, let's get straight into Chapter 1 of 'First Flight', "A Letter to God" by G.L. Fuentes. This is a simple yet profound story, often tested in exams for its themes and character analysis. Pay close attention.
Chapter 1: A Letter to God - Detailed Notes for Exam Preparation
Author: Gregorio López y Fuentes (G.L. Fuentes) - A Mexican novelist, poet, and journalist. His work often depicted the lives and struggles of rural Mexicans.
Setting: A solitary house on the crest of a low hill in a Mexican valley. The main character, Lencho, is a farmer.
Characters:
-
Lencho:
- A poor, hardworking farmer.
- Lives in a solitary house in the valley with his family.
- Has immense, almost childlike, faith in God.
- Knows how to read and write (uncommon for farmers in such settings).
- Initially optimistic and hardworking ("an ox of a man").
- Becomes desperate after the hailstorm destroys his crops.
- His faith leads him to write a letter to God asking for help.
- Ironically, suspects the post office employees (who actually helped him) of stealing part of the money.
-
The Postmaster:
- A fat, amiable (friendly and pleasant) fellow.
- Initially laughs at Lencho's letter addressed to God.
- Quickly becomes serious and impressed by Lencho's deep faith.
- Decides to help Lencho to preserve his faith.
- Represents kindness, empathy, and humanity.
- Collects money from his employees and contributes part of his salary.
- Experiences the irony of being misunderstood by the very person he helped.
-
Post Office Employees:
- Initially laugh along with the postmaster.
- Contribute money generously ("an act of charity") to help Lencho.
- Ironically labelled "a bunch of crooks" by Lencho.
Plot Summary:
- Hope for Rain: Lencho, a farmer, surveys his ripe cornfield, hoping for a good rain shower which his crop desperately needs. His house is the only one in the entire valley.
- The Rain Arrives: As predicted by Lencho, rain begins. He is overjoyed, comparing the big raindrops to 'ten cent pieces' and the smaller ones to 'five cent pieces', symbolizing the prosperity the rain promises.
- The Hailstorm: Suddenly, the rain turns into a violent hailstorm. Large hailstones fall for an hour, completely covering the valley and destroying Lencho's entire corn crop. The field looks white, as if covered with salt.
- Despair: Lencho is devastated. He feels that even a plague of locusts would have left more than the hail. He worries about his family starving through the year.
- A Single Hope - God: Despite the despair, Lencho has one hope: help from God. He has unwavering faith that God sees everything and will help them.
- The Letter to God: Being literate, Lencho decides to write a letter directly to God. He explains his situation and asks God for 100 pesos to sow his field again and survive until the next harvest. He addresses it "To God" and mails it.
- At the Post Office: A postman finds the strange letter and laughs, showing it to the postmaster.
- The Postmaster's Reaction: The postmaster also laughs initially but is deeply moved by the writer's faith. He wishes he had such faith himself.
- The Decision to Help: To prevent shaking Lencho's faith, the postmaster decides to answer the letter. However, realizing Lencho needs money, not just goodwill, he resolves to collect the amount.
- Collecting the Money: The postmaster contributes part of his salary and collects money from his employees and friends as "an act of charity." He manages to collect only a little over half the amount requested (70 pesos).
- The Reply: He puts the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho, containing only a single word as a signature: "God."
- Lencho Receives the Reply: The following Sunday, Lencho comes early to the post office. He receives the letter without showing any surprise (such was his confidence).
- Lencho's Anger: Upon counting the money, Lencho becomes angry. He is certain God could not have made a mistake or denied his request. He concludes that the post office employees must have stolen the remaining 30 pesos.
- The Second Letter: Immediately, Lencho writes another letter to God. He asks God to send the rest of the money but warns Him not to send it through the mail because the post office employees are "a bunch of crooks."
Themes:
- Faith: The story explores the nature of faith. Lencho possesses absolute, unquestioning faith in God. The postmaster respects this faith, even if he finds the direct address amusing. However, Lencho's faith is also somewhat blind, as he fails to see the human kindness behind the help he receives.
- Humanity and Kindness: The postmaster and his employees act out of genuine kindness and empathy, trying to uphold a poor farmer's faith. Their actions highlight the goodness inherent in people.
- Conflict between Man and Nature: The hailstorm represents the destructive power of nature and how vulnerable humans (especially farmers) are to its forces.
- Irony: The story is rich in irony:
- Situational Irony: Lencho receives help, but not directly from God as he believes, but from humans he ends up distrusting. The helpers are accused of being thieves.
- Dramatic Irony: The reader knows the postmaster's good intentions and actions, while Lencho remains ignorant, blaming the very people who helped him.
Literary Devices:
- Metaphor:
- Raindrops compared to "new coins" (ten cent and five cent pieces).
- Lencho called "an ox of a man" (comparing his hard work to that of an ox).
- The hailstorm described as a "plague of locusts" in its destructive effect.
- Hope described as an "instructor".
- Simile:
- Field was white, "as if covered with salt."
- Personification:
- The field "promised a good harvest."
- Hailstones described. (Though less explicit, the natural elements are sometimes treated as having agency).
- Irony: (As explained in Themes)
Important Vocabulary/Phrases:
- Crest: Top of a hill.
- Dotted: Scattered over an area.
- Downpour: Heavy rainfall.
- Intimately: Closely.
- Exposed: Left unprotected.
- Regarded: Considered or looked at.
- Draped: Covered or adorned.
- Locusts: Insects which fly in big groups and destroy crops.
- Solitary: Alone; single.
- Conscience: An inner sense of right and wrong.
- Pesos: Currency of several Latin American countries (including Mexico).
- Amiable: Friendly and pleasant.
- Correspondence: Communication by exchanging letters.
- Resolution: A firm decision.
- Contentment: A state of happiness and satisfaction.
- Crooks: Dishonest persons; criminals.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
-
Where was Lencho's house situated?
a) In a valley near a river
b) On the crest of a low hill
c) At the bottom of a hill
d) In a town near the fields -
What did Lencho compare the large raindrops to?
a) Silver coins
b) Pearls
c) Ten cent pieces
d) Diamonds -
What destroyed Lencho's fields completely?
a) Heavy rainfall
b) A plague of locusts
c) A hailstorm
d) Strong winds -
What was Lencho's 'single hope' after the devastation?
a) Help from the government
b) Help from other farmers
c) Help from God
d) Help from the postmaster -
How much money did Lencho ask God for?
a) 70 pesos
b) 100 pesos
c) 1000 pesos
d) 30 pesos -
What was the immediate reaction of the postman upon seeing the letter addressed "To God"?
a) He felt sad for the writer
b) He threw it away
c) He laughed heartily
d) He took it seriously -
Why did the postmaster decide to answer Lencho's letter?
a) To make fun of Lencho
b) To get money from Lencho
c) To show his authority
d) To preserve Lencho's faith in God -
How much money was the postmaster able to collect for Lencho?
a) Exactly 100 pesos
b) Nothing at all
c) 30 pesos
d) A little over half (70 pesos) -
What did Lencho think had happened to the rest of the money?
a) God had sent only 70 pesos
b) The post office employees had stolen it
c) The postmaster had kept it for himself
d) It was lost in the mail -
The story "A Letter to God" highlights:
a) The power of nature
b) The kindness of strangers
c) The consequences of blind faith and irony
d) All of the above
Answer Key for MCQs:
- b) On the crest of a low hill
- c) Ten cent pieces
- c) A hailstorm
- c) Help from God
- b) 100 pesos
- c) He laughed heartily
- d) To preserve Lencho's faith in God
- d) A little over half (70 pesos)
- b) The post office employees had stolen it
- d) All of the above
Study these notes thoroughly. Understanding the characters, plot progression, and underlying themes, especially the irony, is crucial for answering questions effectively in your exams. Good luck!