The Mahog

any Table

Sylvia Townsend Warner

Author’s Background• Born in 1893

• An only child of Harrow School housemaster George Townsend Warner (remembered as a brilliant teacher) and his wife, Nora.

• Sylvia Townsend Warner contributed short stories to the New Yorker for more than forty years.

Continue…Author’ s Background

• At Theodore Powys's house, Sylvia first met the poet Valentine Ackland.

• When in 1930 she bought "the late Miss Green's cottage" opposite the village inn, she invited Valentine to live there. So began a love affair which lasted until Valentine's death from breast cancer in 1969. 

• She died 9 years after Valentine’s death.

Valentine Ackland

PLOT

EXPOSITION

CONFLICT

CLIMAX

RESOLUTION

RISING ACTION

FALLING ACTION

Exposition• Mrs. Carrington is introduced, leaving

Letitia Foley’s house.• She praised Letitia for being effecient

and marvelous.• Letitia was humble.• Despite all the description of her tasky

daily routine.

• Letitia was old and living alone in a large house.

• The mahogany table she inherit from her late-great-grandmother reminded her the memories she had with her sister, Cecily.

• Cecily and Letitia are twin.• Before, both ladies lived a slatternly life

together

RISING ACTION

• 1918, Cecily introduce Dexter, a limping missionary American.

• She planned to marry Dexter.• Letitia asked Cecily whether she will be taking

the mahogany table. • After Dexter’s departure, Letitia and Cecily

fought.• Cecily left the house without reconciling with

Letitia.

CONFLICT

• Letitia was left alone since then, organised her own life.• Continuous post letters to Cecily

despite Cecily intermittent reply.• One day, Letitia received news,

Cecily died in a car accident.

CLIMAX

• Since then till present, Letitia’s life is caught up between past and present.

• Daily routines remind Letitia of Cecily• Today, as any other day, she cleans the mahogany

table whilst reminiscing her past time with Cecily.• The day is getting dark, Letitia is searching for the

cap of the canister.• A strange event happened. (loud rap at the door)• Found it under the table and Letitia fells asleep.• She dreams of Cecily.

POST-CLIMAX

Mahogany table

• Meanwhile, Mrs.Carrington on the other side of neighbourhood talked off about Latetia. She claimed Letitia, old and alone, should stay at a Home.

• That evening, Letitia woke up and still lying under the table. She tried to stand up but experience cramps in her legs.

• Admits the darkness, Letitia tried to grab on to the table’s leg. The movable leg reeled away form her, flap of the table fell- knocked her senseless.

FALLING ACTION

• In another setting, a few days later, in a Home at Sorrento, Marina Wickstead read the news of Letitia’s death.

• She proclaimed,– “ Some people have all the luck!”

RESOLUTION

CHARACTERS

LETITIA FOLEY

CECILY FOLEY MRS CARRINGTON

DisciplineMeticulousOrganise

Neat-freakAdhereLoner

ControllingExuberantCare-freewishful

Imaginative

Caring*GossiperSocially-active

Important/well-known

Other character: Dexter, Marina Wickstead

Point of View• The third point of view.–An outlook from the narrator.–Clear descriptive of the situation and

events, narrate by the narrator, allow readers to imagine the story and plot clearly. – E.g:- “Dinah grew old and died, and was not

replaced, for by then Letita Foley too was growing old..” (pg.24, para. 3)

Point of View–Reader can input their personal perception

into analysing the characters.– Eg.:- As Cecily was about to migrate to

another house, Letita asked if Cecily wanted to bring along the mahogany table. Cecily said, “No.”– Then, Letita was in triumphant satisfaction

wadded her against reproach. In lines “one might as well be sarcastic to a cat with a bird between its jaws.” (pg 25, para 3)

Theme The importance of good relationship among siblings.

~Cecily and Letita were in good terms until Cecily decided to move out to a county without

association.~Then, Cecily died in an accident.

~ Finally, Letita was sent to the old folk’s home because there was

nobody to take care of her.

Setting…• Letita & Celily’s house• Letita tells of her daily activities.

• T.E:- “I get up at seven, I wash my dishes etc…By half past eleven, I have finished the housework…” (pg. 23-24, prgh. 3)

LANGUAGE & STYLES

Literary Devices1. Simile~ like dark bubbles that would burst

on the surface of the waking and be gone (page 27, prgh. 2)

To reminisces her grudge with her sister, Cecily and trying to detach her remorse.

~ like a hermit crab (pg. 28, prgh 2)

Literary Devices2. Foreign Language (German)

~ Ohne Hast, ohne Rast (pg. 24, prgh 1)

3. Personification~ the garden was noisily slaughtered. (pg. 24, prgh 4)

• 4. Oxymoron– They lived a happy(+ve) slatternly(-ve) life.– Referring to Cecily.– * slatternly means untidy and dirty or have

many sexual partners.• 5. Onomatopoeia–“..There was a loud rap at the door.”

•Pg 26 para 2.

Literary Criticism

• Social criticism- –Marxism–Feminism

Audience: WHAT is your opinion?

QUESTION?

The end….