The Cay
By Theodore Taylor
Taylor, Theodore. The Cay. Doubleday & Company, Inc. edition, 1969.
Plot:
The Cay is a young adult novel about a young American boy named Phillip who
lives with his mother and father on the island of Curacao. The story takes place during
WWII when the Germans attack these islands. Phillip’s mother is scared and, although
he does not want to leave, she forces him to come with her on a small boat to America;
his mother’s fear makes Phillip angry. While they are on their way to North America, the
small boat is attacked. As everyone is flung overboard Phillip gets hit in the head by a
falling board eventually leaving him blind. He wakes up on a raft with an old black man
named Timothy, and they eventually land on a small island. The majority of the novel is
the daily tasks that Phillip and Timothy must undergo to survive, such as fishing, tying
rope, climbing coconut trees, making a fire, making a shelter, preserving water, etc.
Phillip learns to do things without his eyes, and he and Timothy become friends. There is
a huge storm and Timothy shelters Phillip from it, but he gets sick and dies, leaving
Phillip alone to survive. Phillip eventually makes a smoke signal with the seaweed and is
rescued and reunited with his family.
Organizational Patterns:
The novel is divided into nineteen fairly short chapters. It is very readable for a
younger age group (elementary to middle school). Timothy’s dialogue is in a rich island
dialect and might be difficult to read for some students.
Setting:
The novel is set in Willemstad, on the island of Curacao, the largest of the Dutch
islands just off the coast of Venezuela. The story takes place during WWII. This is
important background knowledge for understanding some of the situation in the plot (the
fact that Phillip and his mother are in danger and must leave) as well as some of the
cultural norms about segregation. Since racism is a major theme it is important to learn
about race relations during the 1940’s and 1950’s. The majority of the story, however,
takes place on the small island that Phillip and Timothy are shipwrecked on. Timothy
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and Phillip guess that the island is the Devil’s Mouth, one of the islands in the Caribbean.
It might be a good idea to have a map of this area to show students.
Issues Related to the Study of Literature:
Themes:
1. War—World War II is raging during the opening of the novel. Hitler’s views on
power and superiority are really put into perspective for Phillip (and the reader)
when he (Phillip) is placed in such an ‘equalizing’ situation fighting for survival.
Neither character on the island is superior and consequently work together.
2. Forgiveness— Phillip must learn to forgive his mother who he is embittered
towards because she is afraid to stay in Willemstad. He blames her for his
blindness as well as the shipwreck.
a. “My mother, I knew, had not wanted to come to Curacoa in late 1939…”
(16)
b. “Suddenly, I felt hollow inside. Then I became angry and accused her of
being a coward. She told me to go off to school. I said I hated her.” (24)
c. “I blurted out, ‘I wouldn’t even be here with you if it wasn’t for my
mother.’” (38)
d. “In early April, I retuned to Willemstad with my mother…” (136)
3. Survival—Phillip and Timothy both have to learn to physically survive on the
island. Things like drinking water, making fires, having shelter (and for Phillip,
seeing) they learn are things that they had always taken for granted.
a. “We were torpedoes at about three o’clock in the morning…” (28)
b. “Sharks” (53)
c. “I asked him for a drink of water…” (35)
d. climbing the coconut tree (77)
e. Ch. 15-the great tempest
4. Racism—Phillip has his views on race from society and from his parents. His
mother has never liked black people and thinks they are inferior to whites.
Phillip’s Dutch friend is more comfortable with blacks.
a. “I was thinking that it was very strange for me, a boy from Virginia, to be
lying beside this giant Negro out on the ocean.” (40)
b. “Young bahss, you want me to say I true come from Afre-ca?” (40)
c. “Because it had been on my mind I told him that my mother didn’t like
black people and asked him why.” (75)
d. “I true don’ know, Phill-eep, but I true tink beneath d’skin is all d’same.”
(75).
5. Blindness—The theme of blindness is very evident throughout the novel. Ironically, it
is when Phillip can physically see that he allows his views to be influenced by society,
his mother, etc. and when he becomes physically blind, his own views on race are
opened.
a. “I kept feeling that Timothy was holding something back from me…” (59)
b. “He felt neither white nor black” (76)
c. “ Slowly, I was beginning to know the island…” (79)
d. “I also think that had I been able to see, I might not have been able to accept
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it all. But strangely, the darkness separated me from everything. It was as if
my blindness were protecting me from fear.” (114)
6. Superstition—Phillip is frightened of Timothy’s supersticious beliefs because he
doesn’t understand them. Timothy believes in voodoo and bad luck, and thinks that
Stew Cat is responsible for their misfortunes.
a. “My father had told me about ‘obediah’ or voodoo,’ in the West Indies…”
(81).
b. “I knew he was looking at Stew Cat when he said, ‘Mebbe dat outrageous
cat is d’jumbi.’” (81)
c. “’Twas off d’shoere, Phill-eep. ‘Tis back now. An’ our luck is change.” (87)
7. Friendship/loneliness—Phillip realizes that he would not have survived alone on the
island alone because he would not have known how to survive physically, but also
both learn that having a friend gave them both a reason to survive.
a. “I repeated, ‘Never leave me alone, Timothy.’” (60)
b. “Aside from him, I was blind and alone on a forgotten cay.” (112)
c. “I’ll say, ‘Dis b’dat outrageous cay, eh, Timothy?’” (137)
Point of View/Voice:
The story takes place from Phillip’s perspective (first person narrative).
Irony:
Irony is a major literary element in this novel. (See Theme: Blindness). “I also
think that had I been able to see, I might not have been able to accept it all. But strangely
the darkness separated me from everything. It was as if my blinds were protecting me
from fear.” (114) The irony is that when Phillip is not blind he cannot “see” clearly the
way that he learns to when he is blind.
Vocabulary:
There are many words specific to WWII, ships, and the Caribbean which might be
new to students. They should learn what the words mean in context, but not formally
focus on vocabulary as a main aspect of the novel.
superstition freighter
voodoo
sextant
papaya
outrageous
cay
mussels
submarines
refinery
mumble
mussels
channel
malaria
palm fronds
conquer
mutiny
alabaster
U-boats
blackouts
hurricane
ballast
noble
sea urchins
explosion
disheartened flayed
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Affective Issues Related to the Work:
Kids can apply the way that Timothy got to know someone on a one-on-one basis
rather than simply taking other people’s views on as his own. They can learn that
friendship can overcome the bounds of racial differences.
Background Knowledge:
WWII
Caribbean Islands
The Dutch
Implications for Students of Diversity:
Students of a minority can relate to Timothy as well as Phillip. Timothy also says
that he has known white people that he has not liked, but to not like all of them would be
foolish. They can learn that preconceived ideas are not always correct.
It might also make them feel more confident of their own differences.
Gender Issues:
There are no females in this entire novel except for Phillip’s mother who is seen
as cowardly by Phillip. You could talk to a class about what the book could have been
like if Phillip had been a girl marooned on a desert isle.
Enduring Question:
What shapes the way we “see” the world?
Research Issues/Project Ideas:
1. Students could make a map tracking Phillip’s journey.
2. Students could do research on any number of things: WWII, boats, the Caribbean
islands, voodoo, brain injuries affecting eyesight, etc.
3. Students could find a poem that has a similar central theme as in the book and present
it as from a character in the novel’s point of view.
4. The book is dedicated to Dr. King’s dream, students could look more into Dr. King’s
“I have a dream speech” and each memorize a part of it and perform it as a class.
5. Students could make a diorama of the island.
6. Students could explore how they view their own world. Bring in influences from the
media, and the outside world that have shaped your view and present them to the class in
a creative way.
7. Students could each teach the class a different strategy for survival (build a fire, make
rope, etc.)
Functional/Informational Texts:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”
A Cat Adrift by Maria Coffey
A Cat in a Kayak by Maria Coffey
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