A Letter to God

Story Analysis…

Have you ever walked on the thorny path of life? A certain situation where you have nobody to lean on except God? You asked something from Him and told him the exact amount you need?

“A Letter to God” is a story written by Gregorio Lopez Y Fuentes, a Mexican writer, who was one of the most important chroniclers of the Mexican Revolution and its effects. The story presents the infinite faith of a man to God. Lencho, the main character of the story, even he experienced a great turbulence in his livelihood which made him worry still believes that a help from God will come and that his family will not go hungry despite what happened. The theme of the story, if I am going to base it in biblical sense, “Whatever troubles you encounter always believe in God for He will always carry you and never leave you”. However, the story is a satyr trying to tackle a reality which really exists in the society.

The story is told in third person point of view. The story begins with a brief description of the setting in which we could safely say that it happened in the rural area of Mexico. The setting remotely talking about a house which is singled out in the entire valley, a hill, the river which is seen on heights, the field of corn tilted by the family gives us an idea in the first part of the story that Lencho, being the main character, is a farmer, who supports his family needs through farming. The conflict of the story happens when a hailstorm struck the field and destroyed his farm. “All our work, for nothing!” The entire land was wrecked by the catastrophe. “There is no one who can help us!” This dialogue proves how terrible the aftermath of the calamity was. The type of conflict dominating in the story is Man vs. Nature.

As the story progresses, the family was so distraught. They thought that there was no hope at all, not a single one. “Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember no one dies of hunger.” This line gives us a premise that the family has regained back their hope and that hope is a help from God. The next thing that happened, Lencho, being described as an ox of a man started to write a letter addressed to God. And he went to the post office to mail the letter to Him. This action of Lencho suggests his all-out faith to the Heavenly Father. Such a prodigy of faith, he is!

When the postman read the receiver of the letter, he laughed heartily and went to his boss. The postmaster didn’t want to disillusion Lencho’s faith so they answered the letter but they were able to raise an amount of money which is more than a little half of the amount he asked. This is now the denouement of the story when Lencho received the letter which he thought God has sent to him. But he was so disappointed of the amount of money he receives. But still his faith in Him is still intact trying to send another letter telling Him not to send the letter to the post office because those employees are a bunch of crooks.

If we will analyse the story in depth, we could say that it is a satyr of the reality happening in our country. If we take Lencho’s character, someone who is very faithful to the creator but still very malcontent of what he receives. If we take the characters of the postmen they are those people who are willing to help and gave help but still they appear to be the antagonist. And if we take the situation that someone gives what a person who is need but he used another person to give it to the needy one there could be possibility that the aid he sends will not be fully received by the supposed receiver. The situation which I mentioned is very rampant especially here in Philippine setting.

Nevertheless, even if you experienced harshness in life always remember you should not lose hope and do something to overcome that problem by doing the best because remember God will do the rest and He will send instruments that will help you. He will do it in his own best ways!

Note: Please click the link for the copy of the short story.

Refs

http://lstc-learning-shortstories.blogspot.com/2008/03/letter-to-god.html

cafetalk, 14-08-08 11:56, 14-08-08 11:56, Marz

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Lencho character
18-09-19 22:53,

Lencho is the main character of the story mentioned in the analysis above. A more descriptive characterization about him can be found in the analysis. Thanks.
18-01-30 18:57,

Who is lencho?
18-01-29 22:37,

Who is lencho?
18-01-29 22:20,

Tell about the author of the story?
18-01-24 21:25,

suppose that you are lencho in the story 'letter to god' which was written by g.l. fuentes .tell your children about your correspondence with god
18-01-01 15:15,

What could be the possible response of the postman to the second letter of Lencho?
17-12-29 23:44, Al

Hi Lailane,
His family suffered from a calamity, hailstorm to be specific, which destroyed their crops.
17-11-02 17:31,

What did his family suffer from? Why?
17-11-01 23:54, Lailane agson

What did his family suffer from? Why?
17-11-01 23:43,

describe the character of lencho in the story
17-10-11 22:40,

Who is the protanogist
17-09-25 04:48,

Brief character sketch of postmaster.
17-08-29 14:19,

what is the style of the story
17-08-21 20:37,

Lencho as a tragic/ comic hero
17-08-02 13:57,

The falling action is when Lencho wrote a letter to God for the second time around and requested God not to send to the post office because the post men were a bunch of crooks.
17-07-23 15:52,

The raising action is when Lencho's family experienced the tragic hailstorm. During the hailstorm, the family's crops were completely ruined which made Lencho decide to write a letter to God.
17-07-23 15:49,

raising and falling action
17-07-23 01:03,

what is raising&falling actions of A otter to god
17-07-18 21:12,

Mention Lencho as a tragic hero.
17-06-23 02:42,

Hi Maul. It's third person omniscient.
17-06-02 18:41, Marz Dee Rivera

what the point of view from this story?
17-06-01 20:46, maul

Lencho wrote a letter to God after a hailstorm stroke in their place which conspicuously destroyed his crops. His family was left nothing after the storm and since, he badly needed help he thought to send a letter to God through the post office. Needless to say, Lencho has an unquestionable faith in God.
17-05-30 18:33, Marz

What made lencho write to God???
17-05-30 16:59,

Character sketch of lencho
17-05-02 00:32,

The character trait that the postman possesses is being helpful. Since, Lencho's recipient of his letter is God then, the postman has no idea as to whom would he send the letter. So, he decided to read the letter of Lencho. And from there, he decided to help Lencho. The postman is a discreet giver in the story. And he made it possible by replying Lencho and sent the amount through the post office. And, Lencho being an innocent man believed that the help sent to him literally came from God.
17-04-22 17:53,

what character traits in the postmaster made him help a person in need without revealing his identity?
17-04-08 23:27, khadija ali

Lencho used Literal Imagery as well as few figurative imagery. His word choice is direct and not florid. His style in this text is for the hoi poloi as he's kind of using layman's term in his story. Likewise, he's using dialogues that give the readers ideas about the characters as well as allow the readers to foreshadow the next.
17-03-18 14:01, Marz Dee Rivera

Hi. To know the author's style, we can check on the literary devices, techniques or figurative languages he used.
17-03-18 13:47, Marz Dee Rivera

what is the style of the story ?
17-03-16 16:35,

what is the reaction of this story?
16-10-09 19:29,

That part is the turning point of the story where there is a changed on Lencho's perspectives to the postmen.
16-10-09 10:07, Marz

What I'm giving you Melody is the greatest conflict. The climax is when Lencho receives an amount from "God" which he found insufficient to his needs. I thought of conflict earlier.
16-10-09 10:05, Marz

Hi Melody,
Sorry for a late reply. The climax of the story is when the big storm stroke in the place of Lencho which devastated his crops.
16-10-09 09:28, Marz

WHAT IS THE CLIMAX OF THE STORY A LETTER TO GOD
16-10-08 20:39, ME;LODY

How are women portrayed in this extract
16-08-10 20:48, shelema

16-06-26 13:33, mandono

With regards to the Characterization:

Lencho is the main character of the story. Conspicuously, he is a farmer whose livelihood is tested and challenged due to the hailstorm that stroke their place which destroyed his farm. Despite that, Lencho is hopeful. He believed that God will help them recover and will send them the amount they need to recover. Because of his innocence he went to the post office to send a letter to God which he thought will really be received by God. In summary of his character, Lencho is a farmer whose life is challenged but still hopeful to receive a monetary help from God and his innocence decided him to send a letter to God.
16-05-14 11:02, Marz Dee Rivera

Hi Hadiya,

The story happened in the rural area of Mexico. Almost all of the scenes happened in the place where Lencho and his family live. It is described as a little house which is singled out in the entire valley where a river can be found and Lencho's farm as well. (very countryside)
16-05-14 10:53, Marz Dee Rivera

what is the characterization and the setting of this story?
16-05-11 16:16, Hadiya

What is the climax and resolution to this story?
16-01-22 09:01, Vivian

The conflict which is very evident in the story is Man vs. Nature. Somehow, we can say that the antagonist is nature (natural calamity) while the protagonist is Lencho since, if we analysed the story Lencho, together with his family, was a victim of the calamity.

Note: Our sincere apology for the very late response
15-12-22 20:50, Marz Dee Rivera

who are the antagonist and protagonist????????????????????????
15-11-04 01:11, HElp

Hi nurye,

I believe the story is told in third person omniscient because the author reveals two or more characters' thoughts and feelings. This answer is quite contrary to my first answer but as I reread the story I found out that the writer also revealed how the postmaster thinks and feels in the story. I hope my answer answers your question and satisfies you. Thank you for appreciating us and patronising our website. Please keep posted. ☺ The author did not participate in the story.
15-08-28 08:48, Marz Dee Rivera

first iappreciate you! is it limited or omniscient p.o.v , is the author participate in the story,is he kow all thing in the story?
15-08-26 05:23, nurye wedaje

Third person limited or omnicient?
15-07-15 20:40, GIRMA

Hi Ewunetu,

In this story we cannot use another point of view because this is a story of Lencho, the main character. If you change it to first person point of view, it means you are directly involved in the story. The writer of this story is simply narrating the experience of Lencho.
15-04-29 22:14, Marz Dee Rivera

can we use another point of view in these story?
15-04-29 01:51, Ewunetu Addissie