Download - The Mahogany Table
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….