The Mahogany Table

 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.

•       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.

PLOT (exposition)

•       Mrs. Carrington is introduced, leaving Letitia Foley’s house.

•       She praised Letitia for being aeffecient and marvelous.

•       Letitia was humble.

•       Despite all the description of her tasky daily routine.

Rising action

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

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

•       Cecily and Letitia is twin.

•       Before, both ladies lived a slatternly life together

Conflict

•       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

Climax

•       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.

•       Characters:

        Lettitia Folley- Discipline, Meticulous, Organise , Neat-freak, Adhere, Loner

        Cecily Folley-Controlling, Exuberant, Care-free, wishful, Imaginative

        Mrs Carrington-Caring*, Gossiper, Socially-active, Important/well-known

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.

–      Reader can input their personal perception into analysing the characters.

Theme

•       A harmonious relationship with family members will secure a happy home.

Ups and downs in relationship among siblings