1. THE MAHOGANY TABLE
SYLVIA TOWNSEND WARNER

2. LITERARY THEORIES

3. SUMMARY
• The short story tells us about the life of an old
woman, Letitia Foley. She had a twin sister, Cecily
Foley. During their childhood times, they used to
always play under the mahogany table that they
inherited from their parents. They lived together in
a small villa.
• Cecily got married to a Californian man, Dexter.
After getting married, Cecily left Letitia alone. Cecily
did not take the mahogany table along with her but
she left it to Letitia because her husband kept many
furniture already.

4. • Letitia was glad to get to keep the mahogany
table because it reminded her of sweet
memories she had gone through with her family.
• Letitia alternately wrote to Cecily and Cecily’s
letters came intermittently. She told Letitia
about her daughter. The next letter to Letitia
came from Dexter’s mother saying that Cecily
died in a road accident and Dexter had taken an
overdose.
• Letitia continued her lonely life till she died.

5. HISTORICAL
THEORY

6. • Sylvia Townsend Warner was portrayed as
Letitia Foley meanwhile her lover, Valentine
Ackland was portrayed as Cecily Foley in the
story. This can be proved as in real life, Sylvia
was in a special relationship with Valentine.
Meanwhile Letitia and Cecily are twins. There
is a relation between the characters and
Sylvia’s life.

7. Sylvia & Valentine

8. • This was obviously shown when Letitia lost
her sister, Cecily as Cecily was killed in a car
accident. In real life, Sylvia lost Valentine as
she died due to serious breast cancer. As a
result, Letitia tried her best to move on her
life and same goes to Sylvia but in a different
way.
“ The next letter came from Dexter’s mother. Cecily
had been killed in a road accident; Dexter had taken
an overdose.”
Real life : As Valentine died, Sylvia managed to live
for another nine years, dying on May, 1978

9. GENDER
THEORY

10. MEN SHOULD BE STRONGER
THAN WOMEN
Men are synonym with the terms like strong,
masculine, and rational. In this story, men were
indirectly portrayed as a weaker character than
women. Dexter, Cecily’s husband who was had taken
an overdose due to Cecily’s death. His action showed
that he cannot face the problem. As a man, he should
able to accept the fact of his wife’s death instead of
taking such action. Although he loved Cecily too
much, he should be able to consider about the
consequences of his action, furthermore he still have
a daughter to be raised up.
“The next letter came from Dexter’s mother. Cecily had been
killed in a road accident; Dexter had taken an overdose”
pg 26 paragraph 1

11. While Letitia, a woman who was the closest sibling
to Cecily, though she had lost hers identical twin
twice ( Cecily’s marriage and death), she did not
take the irrational action such Dexter did. She still
able to carry on her life although it would not be the
same anymore. She managed to handle the
situation by make herself busy by doing housework.
So that she will forget about the problem temporarily.
She died but the death was not due to her irrational
action but it was an accident.
“ By half-past eleven I have finished the housework and have the rest of
the day before me to do as I please in. I never find time heavy on my
hands; there is always something to do, polishing, or mending, ironing,
spraying the window-plants , turning out cupboard ;there is always
something interesting to do and always something interesting to do…”
page 24 paragraph 1 line 3-7

12. WOMEN ARE SENSITIVE/CONCERN
ON SOMETHING THAT MEMORABLE
TO THEM
In this story, women were seen as someone who
appreciate something that was memorable to them.
Letitia kept the mahogany table because she felt
that the mahogany table gave a lot of memories for
her and Cecily. The mahogany table kept their
childhood memories. But for Dexter, he was not
concerned on Cecily’s memories about the table
instead saying that he was already swarmed with
furniture he calls missionary.
“The invitation ripped open Letitia’s sense of injury. ‘Will you be taking
the mahogany table? She asked. The words were not sooner out her
mouth than she blushed for them. Cecily appeared to consider. ‘ Dear old
thing … no, I don’t think so. Dexter swarms with furniture he calls
missionary’ “

13. CULTURAL
THEORY

14. MARRIAGES
• We can see the culture a wife of following the
husband after getting married. In the short
story, Cecily Foley moved with her husband his
house after she became Dexter’s wife.
“As though she were speaking a part in a play she told
Letitia that everything was settled, that she had never been
so happy in her life, that as soon as Dexter’s new leg had
settled in they would marry and leave for California.”

15. INHERIT FAMILY’S PROPERTIES
• The inheritance of family’s properties. In the
short story, Letitia and Cecily received their late
parents property. The got all the furnitures in the
house including the mahogany table that they
think was the most valuable to them.
“When she and Cecily set up house together after the
parents were dead, Cecily had insisted on the mahogany
table. Neither of them wanted the tallboys; but as belated
twins at the end of a long family they had to take what was
allotted and be grateful of it.”

16. SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE MAHOGANY TABLE

17. CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
• The mahogany table brings happiness to
Letitia and Cecily after their parents died as it
is the only thing that being inherited from
their parents. Letitia and Cecily tend to play
with the mahogany table during their
childhood times.
“…none of the rich fruit-like glow of the
mahogany table under which she and Cecily used
to play houses.”

18. IRONY OF THE MAHOGANY TABLE
• At first, the mahogany table brings happiness in
Letitia and Cecily’s life. Ironically, the mahogany
table brings sadness to Letitia in the end of the
story when she died under it as the leg of the
table broke when she tried to stand but she
panicked as her leg cramped and thus the table
fall over her.
“…none of the rich fruit-like glow of the mahogany table under
which she and Cecily used to play houses.”
“…she must get onto her knees, for that she must have
something to haul on. Still sitting, she writhed about
directionless till she felt a table leg…it reeled away from her,
the flap of the table fell, and knocked her senseless.”