CBSE Class 10 English NCERT Solutions: A Letter to God

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 10 PDF

This resource provides detailed NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 10 English, Chapter 1, "A Letter to God." It covers all questions from the chapter, focusing on understanding Lencho's unwavering faith in God, his desperate need for rain for his crops, and the subsequent destruction caused by a hailstorm. The solutions explain Lencho's actions, his interaction with the postmaster, and his reaction to receiving less money than he requested. These solutions are designed to help students grasp the narrative, analyze characters, and prepare effectively for their English examinations by offering clear explanations and insights into the story's themes and plot points.

Quick info

BoardCBSE
ClassClass 10
SubjectEnglish
Session2026
LanguageEnglish
TypeNCERT Solutions
Chapter1. A Letter to God

Chapter summary

NCERT Solutions for 'A Letter to God' (Class 10 English) offers a comprehensive breakdown of the chapter's narrative and questions. It focuses on Lencho's deep faith in God, his agricultural struggles, the devastating hailstorm, and his interaction with the post office staff. The solutions clarify Lencho's motivations, his feelings, and the significance of the money he receives, aiding students in understanding the story's core themes of faith, hope, and human nature.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand Lencho's deep faith in God and his reliance on divine help.
  • Analyze the impact of natural calamities on agriculture and farmers' lives.
  • Explain the significance of the raindrops and hailstones in the story.
  • Describe the characters of Lencho and the postmaster and their interactions.
  • Interpret Lencho's feelings and reactions to the events in the story.
  • Identify the themes of faith, hope, and irony in 'A Letter to God'.

Topics covered

Paper topics

  • Lencho's faith in God
  • The importance of rain for crops
  • Impact of hailstorm on agriculture
  • Character analysis of Lencho
  • The role of the postmaster
  • Themes of faith and hope
  • Irony in the story
  • Understanding narrative and plot
  • Letter writing format (implied)
  • Vocabulary related to farming and weather

Important topics

  • Lencho's unwavering faith in God
  • The devastating effects of the hailstorm
  • The postmaster's compassionate response
  • The irony of Lencho's reaction to the money
  • Themes of faith, hope, and human nature

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Questions and Solutions

Question 1

What did Lencho hope for?
Solution: Lencho was a farmer who was eagerly anticipating rain. He hoped for a good rainfall because his crops, which were ripe for harvest, desperately needed it to ensure a successful yield and prosperity for his family.

Question 2

Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?
Solution: Lencho referred to the raindrops as 'new coins' because they represented a promise of a good harvest. The larger drops were like ten-cent pieces, and the smaller ones like five-cent pieces, signifying that the rain would bring him financial gain and prosperity.

Question 3

How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?
Solution: Initially, the rain was beneficial, but it soon changed drastically. A strong wind began to blow, and along with the rain, large hailstones started to fall. These hailstones continued for an hour, completely destroying all the crops in Lencho's fields. Nothing remained; every leaf, flower, and grain was ruined.

Question 4

What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?
Solution: When the hail stopped, Lencho was filled with deep sadness and grief. He stood in the middle of his field and looked at the devastation. Seeing that not a single leaf, flower, or grain was left on the plants, he felt that his entire year's hard work had been destroyed, leaving him and his family with nothing to eat.

Question 5

Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Solution: Lencho had absolute and unwavering faith in God. He believed that God sees everything, even what is hidden deep within one's conscience, and that God would help him in his dire situation. Consequently, he decided to write a letter directly to God, explaining his predicament and demanding one hundred pesos to sow his field again and to live until the new crops grew.

Question 6

Who read the letter?
Solution: The letter, which was addressed to God, was read by the postmaster after it was delivered to the post office.

Question 7

What did the postmaster do after reading a letter?
Solution: After reading Lencho's letter, the postmaster was initially amused by the farmer's faith and his unusual request to God. However, his amusement quickly turned into seriousness as he was deeply moved by Lencho's profound faith. Not wanting to shake Lencho's belief in God, the postmaster decided to answer the letter himself. He collected money from his employees and even contributed a portion of his own salary to gather the sum of one hundred pesos, which he then enclosed in an envelope addressed to Lencho, signing it 'God'.

Question 8

Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Solution: No, Lencho was not surprised at all to find a letter from God containing money. His faith in God was so strong that he had expected a reply and the financial help. He believed it was entirely possible for God to send him the money he had asked for.

Question 9

What made Lencho angry?
Solution: Lencho became angry when he counted the money in the envelope. He had demanded one hundred pesos from God to restart his farming. However, he found only seventy pesos inside. The discrepancy of thirty pesos made him furious, as he felt God must have made a mistake or that someone had taken the rest of the money.

Thinking about the Text (Page 7,8) - Question 1

Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Solution: Lencho has complete faith in God. The story explicitly states this through several sentences that highlight his belief in divine intervention. For instance, the text mentions, "But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope, help from God." Another sentence that underscores his faith is when he writes to God demanding money, believing that "God sees everything, even what is deep in one's conscience."

Common mistakes

  • Misinterpreting Lencho's anger as a lack of faith, rather than disappointment with the amount received.
  • Overlooking the irony present in Lencho's faith and the postmaster's actions.
  • Failing to connect the 'new coins' metaphor to the promise of a good harvest and prosperity.

Revision tips

  • Reread the story focusing on Lencho's emotional journey and his interactions.
  • Pay close attention to the descriptions of the weather and its effects on the crops.
  • Analyze the postmaster's reaction and his decision to help Lencho.
  • Discuss the themes of faith, hope, and irony with classmates or teachers.
  • Practice answering questions about character motivation and plot development.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What was Lencho's primary hope at the beginning of the story?

Q2. Why did Lencho compare the raindrops to 'new coins'?

Q3. What happened to Lencho's fields after the rain changed?

Q4. How much money did Lencho demand from God?

Q5. Why was Lencho angry when he opened the envelope?

Q6. What did the postmaster do to help Lencho?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main theme of the story 'A Letter to God'?

The main themes of 'A Letter to God' are unwavering faith in God, the vulnerability of farmers to natural calamities, and the complex nature of human kindness and irony.

Who is Lencho and what is his problem?

Lencho is a farmer whose crops were destroyed by a hailstorm. His problem is how to feed his family without any harvest and money to sow again.

Why did Lencho write a letter to God?

Lencho wrote a letter to God because he had complete faith that God sees everything and would help him in his time of need, asking for one hundred pesos.

How did the postmaster react to Lencho's letter?

Initially amused, the postmaster soon became serious and decided to help Lencho by collecting money from his staff to preserve Lencho's faith in God.

Why was Lencho angry after receiving the money?

Lencho was angry because the amount of money he received (seventy pesos) was less than the hundred pesos he had demanded from God.

What does the story suggest about human nature?

The story suggests that while faith can be a powerful force, human nature is complex, involving both genuine kindness (like the postmaster's) and potential greed or misunderstanding (Lencho's anger).

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