MODULE 4/6

Class X Eng

IRONY and CONFLICT

in the lesson
A Letter to God
IRONY
• It is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that
their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the
words.
• It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than
what is generally anticipated.
• Sometimes the reader of the story knows certain details which the
characters in the story do not!
• Example: How soft the butter is, just like a slab of marble!
A vehicle was parked right in front of the ‘No Parking’ sign.
In the story of Snow White and the seven dwarfs, the readers
knew that the apple was cursed but Snow White did not!
What is the irony in this lesson?
Answer the following to understand what is the irony in this lesson…

• What did Lencho ask for in his letter to God?

• Who read the letter and decided to help?
• Who contributed/ helped in raising the money?
• How much did he collect and what did he do with it?
• How did Lencho react on counting the money? Why?
• Who ,according to Lencho, has taken the rest of the money?
• What does he call them? Is he right in saying so? Why?
Check your answer…
• Lencho had asked for a 100 pesos from God so that he could sow his fields
again and he could feed his family until then. The postmaster read the
letter and decided to help him. To collect 100 pesos, the post office
employees and his friends donated some money and he himself gave a part
of his salary. He managed to collect 70 pesos and he sent it. When Lencho
received the letter, the post master waited to see his reaction and expected
Lencho to be happy, grateful and excited.
Ironically,Lencho was not at all surprised to get a letter from God but was
angry when he counted the money. It was 30 pesos less and God could not
have refused or made a mistake. So ,he doubted the post office employees
of stealing that money. Ironically again, he called the people who has helped
him ,a bunch of crooks.
Throughout the second part of the story, the readers know how the post
office employees had helped but Lencho does not , nor does he realize the
source of the money.
 CONFLICT
• A conflict is any struggle between opposing forces. Usually ,the main character
struggles against such force. It creates tension as the character tries to reach
his/her goals.
• There are two kinds of conflict
a) Internal conflict b) External Conflict
There are two conflicts in this lesson:
A) between humans and nature.. How is it illustrated?
• Who is the main character?
• What does he want in the beginning of the story?
• Does it happen according to his plans?
• What is the specific opposing force?/ What has brought unhappiness to Lencho ?
Check your answer…
• Lencho is the main character in the story. He wants a good downpour
so that he could harvest a good crop which would bring prosperity to
him. But the good downpour turns into a hailstorm that destroys his
crop. All his hopes are smashed as his fields are devastated.It upsets
him a lot. This shows the disagreement between humans and nature.
The humans want nature to act according to their needs/ aspirations.
 B) Conflict between humans themselves. How is it illustrated?

• Lencho gets his money but he is angry . Who is he angry with?

• What does he do then?
• Were they really crooks? How do you know?
Check your answer…
• On receiving 30 pesos less, Lencho becomes angry. He doubts the
post office employees for stealing that amount whereas he doesn’t
know the fact that the 70 pesos he had got , was sent by them only.
This is the conflict wherein we are ready to trust God’s existence but
are not ready to trust each other.

Home task:
Complete the questions given under “Thinking about the Text” on page
number 7 and 8 in your notebooks.