The Coffee Table Symbol Analysis

The coffee table that furnishes Monique’s apartment, which is missing until the end of the novel, is a symbol of Monique’s separation from her husband, David, and her complex attitude towards his presence in her life. Early in the novel, Monique returns to her apartment and notices the absence of the coffee table, which was a wedding present from David’s mom (David took the table following the couple’s separation). Monique considers David petty for taking the table with him, especially because his new apartment is fully furnished. After a while, though, Monique forgets that the table is gone; at one point, she tries to put her feet up on it before remembering that David took it away—a sign that David’s absence is no longer Monique’s most pressing issue, especially now that she’s become passionate about her job and is learning to exert her authority as a writer. Listening to Evelyn’s reflections on her own divorces allows Monique to understand that she’s been preoccupied with the idea of her marriage and her identity as a married woman rather than the truth of the relationship itself, which is perhaps another reason why the coffee table, not David’s absence, is more upsetting to Monique. After Monique and David decide to get a divorce, David returns the coffee table to Monique. The physical presence of the coffee table signifies the finality of Monique’s decision to move on from David without mulling over his absence or nursing the doubt and frustration that once plagued her.