A Sunny Morning

Summary of A Sunny Morning

A Sunny Morning – A Comedy of Madrid is a one-act play written by Serafín Álvarez Quintero and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero, popularly known as the Golden Boys of Madrid Theatre. The play is a light-hearted romantic comedy that deals with love, memory, and the passage of time.

The play is set in a public park in Madrid on a bright sunny morning. Dona Laura, a seventy-year-old woman, comes to the park with her maid Petra and sits on a bench to feed birds. Soon, Don Gonzalo, an old man of the same age, enters the park with his servant Juanito. At first, both are irritated by each other and complain about disturbances, showing their lonely and unhappy old age.

Gradually, their conversation becomes friendly, especially after they share a pinch of snuff. They begin talking about books and poetry, which leads them to recall their youth. Without recognizing each other, they unknowingly begin talking about their own past love story. Dona Laura speaks of her friend Laura Llorente, known as the Silver Maiden, while Don Gonzalo speaks of his cousin Gonzalo. Through their stories, it becomes clear that they themselves were once passionate lovers separated by misunderstanding and fate.

Each of them believes the other lover died tragically. In reality, both had married later and lived separate lives, but their memories of youthful love remained alive. Even after realizing each other’s true identity, they choose not to reveal the truth, as their youthful charm is gone and the past cannot return.

The play ends on a humorous and touching note, showing that love and memories never fade with time. A Sunny Morning is an entertaining play that highlights romance, irony, and human emotions in a gentle and comic way.

Understanding the Text

a. What makes Dona Laura think that Don Gonzalo is an ill-natured man? Why do neither Dona Laura nor Don Gonzalo reveal their true identities?
Dona Laura thinks that Don Gonzalo is ill-natured because he looks at everything negatively. He is angry when he finds his usual bench occupied, curses the priests sitting there, and asks his servant to drive them away. He also scares the pigeons that Dona Laura is feeding. Because of this rude and impatient behavior, Laura considers him ill-natured.
Neither Dona Laura nor Don Gonzalo reveals their true identities because they are ashamed of their failed love in the past. They have lost their youth and have lived separate lives. Revealing the truth would only bring sadness and pain, so they choose to hide their identities to avoid emotional suffering.

b. At what point of time do Laura and Gonzalo begin to recognise each other?
They begin to recognise each other when they start talking about the past love story of Laura Llorente and her brave lover. Both of them know the details of the same events. Laura claims the woman was her friend, and Gonzalo says the lover was his cousin. Their detailed knowledge makes them realize that they were once lovers.

c. When does Dona Laura realise that Don Gonzalo was her former lover?
Dona Laura realises the truth when Don Gonzalo speaks emotionally and accurately about the tragic love story of the Silver Maiden. His deep knowledge of private matters makes Laura sure that he was her former lover.

d. Why do Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo spin fictitious stories about themselves?
They spin fictitious stories to hide their real identities and their emotional weakness. They want to show that they were sincere in love but were separated by fate. By telling false stories, they protect their pride and avoid painful memories.

e. How do Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo feel about each other?
After recognising each other as former lovers, they feel emotionally connected and happy. Their past love revives as friendship. They decide to meet again, showing warmth and affection in old age.

Reference to the Context

a. “Yes, you are only twenty… Go, if you wish to chat with your guard.”

i. Who is the speaker?
The speaker is Dona Laura.

ii. Who does ‘you’ refer to?
‘You’ refers to Petra, Dona Laura’s maid.

iii. Who is the ‘guard’ the speaker is talking about?
The ‘guard’ refers to the park guard.

b. Dialogue extract

DONA LAURA: (Indignantly.) Look out!
DON GONZALO: Are you speaking to me, senora?
DONA LAURA: Yes, to you.
DON GONZALO: What do you wish?
DONA LAURA: You have scared away the birds who were feeding on my crumbs.
DON GONZALO: What do I care about the birds?
DONA LAURA: But I do.
DON GONZALO: This is a public park.

c. Who is Dona addressing by saying “Look out”?
Dona Laura is addressing Don Gonzalo.

d. What was Dona doing?
She was feeding breadcrumbs to the pigeons in the park.

e. Who scared the birds? Are they pet birds?
Don Gonzalo scared the birds. No, they are not pet birds.

f. Where are the speakers at the time of the conversation?
They are in a public park in Madrid.

g. What is the effect of flashback in the play?
The flashback makes the play more effective and emotional. It reveals the failed love story of the past and explains the present behavior of the characters. Their memories bring them emotionally closer and help readers understand the reason for their separation.

h. Discuss how the play is built around humour and irony.
The play is full of humour and irony. Two former lovers meet as strangers and talk about their own love story as if it belonged to others. Laura calls herself the friend of the Silver Maiden, and Gonzalo claims to be the cousin of her lover. They knowingly lie to each other, creating comic irony. Their witty remarks, exaggerated stories, and playful arguments add humour throughout the play.

i. How is the title A Sunny Morning justifiable?
The entire play takes place in a park on a sunny morning. The bright setting creates a cheerful mood suitable for reunion and humour. The sunny morning symbolizes warmth, happiness, and renewed friendship between two old lovers. Hence, the title is appropriate and meaningful.

Reference Beyond the Text

a. What do you predict will happen in the next meeting between Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo? Discuss.
I predict that in their next meeting, Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo will be more comfortable and happy with each other. Their excitement will increase as they will remember their earlier conversation. They may continue to talk indirectly about their past through imaginary stories. Both of them will try to please each other and enjoy each other’s company. Don Gonzalo will likely behave more politely and respectfully, and Dona Laura may also appear less reserved. Their shyness and playful behaviour will create more humour, and their pretended identities will make their meeting more enjoyable and interesting.

b. Was it wise for Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo to keep their identities secret? How might their secrets affect future meetings?
Yes, it was wise for Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo to keep their identities secret. At the age of seventy, both of them have lost their youthful charm and have lived separate lives. Revealing their true identities could have brought sadness and regret instead of happiness. By hiding the truth, they were able to enjoy their memories of young love without pain.

However, their secrets may affect their future meetings. As they grow closer, there is a chance that their true identities may be revealed accidentally. If that happens, it could create embarrassment or emotional discomfort and might stop their meetings. Still, hiding their identities helped them relive their past joy in a pleasant way, so their decision was sensible.