What Were Lencho’s Feelings When the Hail Stopped?

Answer in One Line

Lencho felt completely shattered and filled with deep sorrow as he stared at his destroyed crops, realizing that the hail had left nothing and his family would go hungry that year.

Quick Revision Summary

• The Shift: Lencho’s emotions drastically shifted from immense joy and hopeful anticipation during the gentle rain to absolute despair and grief after the hailstorm.
• Core Theme: The devastating reality of a farmer’s vulnerability to nature, highlighting the heavy burden of survival and providing the catalyst for his unshakeable faith.
• Important Metaphors to Remember: The comparison of the hailstorm’s destruction to a “plague of locusts”; the description of his soul being “filled with sadness.”
• Textbook Reference: Chapter A Letter to God, Book First Flight, Class 10 English Literature.

Detailed Explanation: What Were Lencho’s Feelings When the Hail Stopped?

To fully understand this crucial turning point in A Letter to God by author G.L. To truly understand Lencho’s emotional state in this crucial scene of A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes, we must look at the devastating aftermath of the storm. Lencho was a hardworking farmer whose entire life revolved around his fields. When the violent storm finally passed, his reaction was one of pure heartbreak.

1. A Soul Filled with Sadness: As soon as the brutal, hour-long hailstorm ended, the valley fell dead silent. Lencho walked out into his fields, and the textbook specifically notes that his “soul was filled with sadness.” All his hard work, sweat, and anticipation for a prosperous year had been wiped out in just sixty minutes.

2. The “Plague of Locusts” Realization: Standing right in the middle of his completely white, barren cornfield, Lencho turned to his sons in despair. He told them, “A plague of locusts would have left more than this.” Locusts are destructive insects that swarm and eat crops, but Lencho realized that even a terrible insect infestation would have spared some of the corn. The hail, however, was merciless and left absolutely nothing.

3. The Fear of Starvation: Beyond the immediate sadness of losing his crop, Lencho was hit with a terrifying realization about the future. His feelings shifted to deep parental worry and existential dread. He lamented, “This year we will have no corn,” and concluded that they would all go hungry. His sorrow was not just for the plants, but for the very survival of his beloved family.

It was out of this very deep, dark pit of despair that Lencho’s single ray of hope, his unwavering faith in God, began to shine.

Why This Question Matters for CBSE & SEBA Board Exams

This specific question is a highly repeated topic among board exam paper setters for several reasons:

• It marks the lowest emotional point for the protagonist, making his subsequent decision to write to God much more powerful and understandable.
• It requires students to recall exact phrases used by the author (like “plague of locusts” and “soul filled with sadness”).
• It proves that Lencho is not just a blind believer, but a deeply caring family man who is grounded in the harsh realities of agricultural life.
• It frequently appears as a 2-mark or 3-mark short answer question and is a mandatory point to include when writing a 5-mark character sketch of Lencho.

Key Exam Keywords to Secure Full Marks

When writing your answer in the exam, make sure you include these specific keywords:

• Filled with Sadness: Always use this exact textbook phrase to describe his immediate emotional state.
• Plague of Locusts: Mention this comparison to show you understand the extent of the destruction.
• Left Nothing: Emphasize the totality of the crop loss.
• Starvation / Go Hungry: Clearly state his fear for his family’s survival to show the stakes of the situation.

Common Mistake Students Make

• The Mistake: Many students write, “Lencho was angry at God for destroying his crops” or “He immediately decided to write a letter to God.”
• The Correction: Lencho was never angry at God; he was deeply sad and devastated by the weather. Furthermore, he didn’t immediately write the letter. As he stood in the field, his only feeling was despair. The idea to seek help from God came later that night as he pondered his family’s bleak future. Stick to his immediate feelings of sorrow.

More Important Questions from A Letter to God:

• 

  How Did The Rain Change What Happened to Lencho’s Fields ?

• 

  Was Lencho Surprised To Find a Letter For Him With Money in It ?

Frequently Asked Related Questions

What did Lencho mean when he said “a plague of locusts would have left more than this”?

Locusts are large insects that fly in massive swarms and devour crops, causing severe agricultural damage. By making this comparison, Lencho meant that the hailstorm was the absolute worst-case scenario. Even a devastating swarm of insects would have left at least a little bit of the harvest behind, but the hail was so violent that it stripped the field completely bare, leaving zero chance of recovery.

What was Lencho’s only hope after the hailstorm destroyed his fields?

Although his soul was filled with sadness and he feared his family would starve, Lencho and his family had one single hope left in their hearts: help from God. Because of his immense, unquestioning faith, he firmly believed that God sees everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience, and would not let his family die of hunger.

Final Understanding

When the hail finally stopped, Lencho was a broken man. The storm stripped away his crops, his livelihood, and his immediate hope, replacing them with a profound sadness and the terrifying prospect of starvation. However, it is exactly this moment of absolute rock-bottom despair that sets the stage for his extraordinary demonstration of faith.

NCERT Verified Answer with Expert Review

This study material has been carefully prepared after analyzing the NCERT English textbook First Flight, Chapter A Letter to God, for Class 10, along with reliable academic sources, topper answer sheets, and previous year question papers. It has been reviewed by the Teachiki Editorial Team to ensure strict alignment with the latest CBSE and SEBA marking schemes.

Source Reference: NCERT Textbook: First Flight Chapter A Letter to God