[Literature] Question 10 (A) - Teachoo Sample Paper 1 - English Class 10 - Solutions to CBSE Sample Paper - English Class 10 - English Class 10

You have been asked to write a character sketch of Lencho and the postmaster based on their actions and attitudes in the story A Letter to God. Write this character sketch in about 120 words, explaining how they differ from each other in their faith and morality. 

     You may begin this way: The story A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes portrays two contrasting characters, Lencho and the postmaster, who have different views on God and humanity. Lencho is a poor farmer who has a strong and naive faith in God, while the postmaster is a kind-hearted man who has a realistic and compassionate outlook on life.

Answer as written by the student:

The story A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes portrays two contrasting characters, Lencho and the postmaster, who have different views on God and humanity .

Lencho is a poor farmer who has a strong and naive faith in God , while the postmaster is a kind-hearted man who has a realistic and compassionate outlook on life.

1. Lencho believes that God is the only one who can help him in his troubles, and he does not doubt that God will answer his prayers.

• He writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to buy seeds and food for his family, and he expects to receive the exact amount.
• He does not appreciate the efforts of the postmaster and his friends, who collect 70 pesos for him as an act of charity.
• He thinks that they have stolen some of the money from God, and he accuses them of being dishonest.

2. The postmaster, on the other hand, is a generous and sensible man who understands the plight of Lencho.

• He is amused by Lencho’s letter to God, but he also admires his faith.
• He decides to help Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends, and he sends it to him in an envelope marked “From God”.
• He does not expect any gratitude or recognition from Lencho, but he hopes that his gesture will make him happy.
• He is disappointed when Lencho complains about the missing money, but he does not reveal his identity or confront him.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

To write a character sketch, we need to describe the personality traits, actions and attitudes of the characters based on their words and deeds in the story.

• We can use the following format to write a character sketch:
  • Introduction: Introduce the story title, author and the characters that we are going to describe.
  • Body: Write one paragraph for each character, describing their traits, actions and attitudes with examples from the story.
  • Conclusion: Summarize the main points of our character sketch and state our opinion about the characters.
• Here is an example of how we can write a character sketch of Lencho and the postmaster based on their actions and attitudes in the story A Letter to God:
  • Introduction: The story A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes portrays two contrasting characters, Lencho and the postmaster, who have different views on God and humanity.
  • Body :
    • Paragraph 1: Lencho is a poor farmer who has a strong and naive faith in God. He believes that God is the only one who can help him in his troubles, and he does not doubt that God will answer his prayers. For example, he writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to buy seeds and food for his family, and he expects to receive the exact amount. He does not appreciate the efforts of the postmaster and his friends, who collect 70 pesos for him as an act of charity. He thinks that they have stolen some of the money from God, and he accuses them of being dishonest. For example, he writes another letter to God complaining about the missing money and asking him to send it directly to him.
    • Paragraph 2 : The postmaster is a kind-hearted man who has a realistic and compassionate outlook on life. He understands the plight of Lencho, who has lost his crops due to a hailstorm. He is amused by Lencho’s letter to God, but he also admires his faith. For example, he says that Lencho’s faith is admirable even if it is absurd. He decides to help Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends, and he sends it to him in an envelope marked “From God”. He does not expect any gratitude or recognition from Lencho, but he hopes that his gesture will make him happy. For example, he says that it is worth making a joke for such a good cause. He is disappointed when Lencho complains about the missing money, but he does not reveal his identity or confront him. For example, he says that nothing can be done about it now.
  • Conclusion : In conclusion, Lencho and the postmaster are two different characters who have opposite views on God and humanity. Lencho is a simple-minded farmer who has a blind faith in God, while the postmaster is a generous and sensible man who has a humanistic approach to life.