Textbook Comprehension I (with answers)
1. Do you think Laura was a regular visitor to the park? What makes you think so? Yes. She was glad her seat was not occupied, the pigeons "know just when to expect me", she knows the birds individually, and she promises, "I'll bring more tomorrow."
2. Why are Don Gonzalo and Laura annoyed with each other? Gonzalo scares away the pigeons Laura was feeding, and he is rude about it. Laura teases him about the priests taking his bench. When he has to share her bench, they quarrel over greetings, manners and his glasses.
3. Dona Laura reads without her glasses as: a. she has keen eyesight b. she wants to impress Gonzalo c. she knows every word by heart Answer: c.
4. Gonzalo and Laura keep up humorous conversation because they: a. have nothing else to do b. enjoy being with each other c. have the same temperament Answer: b. (They are also alike in temperament, which is why the talk sparkles.)
5. Laura and Gonzalo's friendly conversation begins with: a. Gonzalo reading the poems b. Laura's witty remarks c. a pinch of snuff Answer: c.
6. Do you think Laura is an effective narrator? Yes. Her story of the Silver Maiden waiting for a year, writing his name on the sand and being swept away by the tide is vivid and moving - so much so that Gonzalo exclaims "Good heavens!" and "Poor Laura!" She even adds the fishermen's legend about the name on the sand.
7. Gonzalo does not reveal his identity because: a. he no longer loves Laura b. his appearance has changed c. he looks grotesque and old Answer: c. He says aside, "I am grotesque now," and wants her to remember the gallant horseman.
Textbook Comprehension II and III (model answers)
Q. At what point do Laura and Gonzalo begin to recognise each other? (II-1) They begin when Laura names the villa Maricela and Gonzalo, startled, names Laura Llorente. Laura is startled in turn. As they recall the duel, Gonzalo says aside, "This is Laura!" and Laura says aside, "Gonzalo!" The recognition is confirmed at the end when he picks up her violets.
Q. What circumstances led Gonzalo to flee Valencia? (II-2) Laura's parents wanted her to marry a merchant. One night, as Gonzalo waited under her window, the merchant appeared and insulted him. They quarrelled and fought a duel at sunrise on the beach, and the merchant was badly wounded. Fearing the consequences, since the merchant was highly regarded there, Gonzalo hid for a few days and then fled.
Q. Did Laura and Gonzalo pine for each other after they were separated? Who is more passionate? How do they react to each other now? (II-3) Not really. Their asides reveal that Gonzalo ran off to Paris with a ballet dancer within three months, and Laura married two years later. Of the two, Laura seems a little more sentimental - she remembers the poem by heart and sighs over the window with the red roses - while Gonzalo recovered faster. Now they are fond of each other, enjoy each other's company, and agree to meet again, but choose not to reveal who they are.
Q. What makes Dona Laura assume that Don Gonzalo is an ill-natured man? (II-4) He scares her birds, says "What do I care about the birds?", is rude when she speaks to him ("we have not met"), grumbles about the priests, and calls her a "senile old lady".
Q. Laura and Gonzalo build up stories about themselves so that they can: a. fool each other b. forget the past c. conceal their emotions (II-5) Answer: c. conceal their emotions.
Q. Trace how irony is built in the play. (III-1) The irony begins when two quarrelling "strangers" turn out to be old lovers. Once Maricela and Laura Llorente are named, the audience knows who they are, but each thinks the other is unaware. They talk about themselves as "my friend" and "my cousin", invent grand deaths for themselves, and in asides accuse each other of lying. Even Laura reading the poem "Can it be that this is he?" is ironic, because it is exactly their situation. Most readers guess the truth before the characters admit it.
Q. Why do Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo spin fictitious stories about themselves? (III-2) To hide the ordinary, unromantic truth - he ran off with a dancer, she married someone else - and to protect their pride. By giving the lovers tragic, faithful endings, each keeps alive a beautiful memory of their youth and avoids embarrassment.
Q. Bring out the feelings of Laura and Gonzalo as they leave the park. Is it different from the beginning? (III-3) At the start they were irritated strangers who insulted each other. As they leave they are warm, tender and nostalgic. Gonzalo trembles as he picks up her violets; each silently rejoices, "It is he!" / "It is she!" They smile at each other as if they were young again, and look forward to meeting the next sunny morning.
Q. What would have happened if they had revealed their identity? Do they know who they are at the end? (III-4) If they had revealed themselves, they would have had to admit their lies and the fact that neither had stayed faithful, which might have caused embarrassment or regret and spoiled the romance. Yes - by the end both clearly know who the other is, but they happily keep the secret.
Q. How is the title 'A Sunny Morning' justifiable? (III-5) The sunny morning brings both to the park, so it causes their meeting. The mood of the play moves from gloom and irritation to warmth and cheer, like the sun. Their plan to meet again "if it is a sunny morning" makes the sunshine a symbol of their renewed friendship and of hope in old age.
Exam-Pattern Questions and Answers
Two-mark questions
Q1. Name any two poet friends mentioned by Don Gonzalo in 'A Sunny Morning'. (asked in the 2025 board paper) Don Gonzalo mentions Espronceda and Zorrilla. (He also names Becquer and Campoamor.)
Q2. What was Laura Llorente called in her young days? She was called "The Silver Maiden" in that locality.
Q3. What made peace between Laura and Gonzalo? A pinch of snuff. Both sneezed three times, and Laura said, "The snuff has made peace between us."
Three-mark question (about 60 words)
Q4. Describe the quarrel between Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo at the beginning of the play. Gonzalo scared away Laura's pigeons and said he did not care about birds. Laura called him ill-natured and mocked him when the priests kept his bench. Forced to sit on her bench, he complained about her greeting, and she mocked his handkerchief, his many glasses and his hunting - "kill time, that is all you kill."
Four-mark question (about 100 words)
Q5. What were the imaginary stories narrated by Don Gonzalo and Dona Laura about their past? (asked in the 2025 board paper) Gonzalo said that his "cousin", after fleeing Valencia, wrote many letters to Laura which her parents intercepted. In despair he joined the army, went to Africa and died a glorious death in a trench, grasping the flag of Spain and whispering Laura's name. Laura said her "friend" waited a whole year for a letter. One evening she went to the beach, wrote his name on the sand, sat on a rock and was swept out to sea. In truth, as their asides show, Gonzalo ran off to Paris with a ballet dancer within three months, and Laura married two years later.
[Exam Tip] — This play is often used for the reported speech question. Example: Dona Laura: "Are you coming tomorrow?" becomes Dona Laura asked Don Gonzalo if he was coming the next day.