The Cay is a novel written by Theodore Taylor that tells the story of a young boy named Phillip and his journey of survival on a small cay in the Caribbean Sea after his ship is torpedoed during World War II. The novel explores themes of racism, friendship, and the importance of self-reliance and determination.
One of the main themes of The Cay is racism. Phillip is a white boy from the United States who is stranded on the cay with an elderly black man named Timothy. At first, Phillip is racist and dismissive of Timothy, referring to him as "the old black man" and treating him with disdain. However, as Phillip and Timothy spend more time together on the cay, Phillip begins to see Timothy as a friend and equal. He learns to respect Timothy's wisdom and knowledge, and comes to understand that skin color does not define a person's worth or intelligence. This theme is powerful because it shows the transformative power of friendship and the importance of breaking down racial barriers.
Another important theme in The Cay is the value of self-reliance and determination. Phillip is forced to survive on the cay with only Timothy for company, and he must learn to rely on his own resourcefulness and strength to survive. He must find food, shelter, and water, and he must also find ways to cope with his blindness, which he develops after a head injury. Through his experiences on the cay, Phillip learns to be independent and to never give up, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Finally, The Cay explores the theme of friendship and the importance of human connection. Phillip and Timothy form a strong bond on the cay, and their friendship helps them both to survive and to find meaning in their experiences. Through their relationship, Phillip learns to see Timothy as a person, rather than just an old black man, and Timothy helps Phillip to see the world in a new way. Their friendship is a testament to the power of human connection and the ways in which it can bring people together and help them to overcome difficult challenges.
In conclusion, The Cay is a powerful novel that explores themes of racism, self-reliance, determination, and friendship. Its message is one of hope and resilience, and it encourages readers to look beyond appearances and to value the worth of all people.
The Cay Lesson Plan
In the world we live in today, classifications of people according to their colour, ethnicity eth — ni — suh — tee , and religion exist. We should expect the general message and theme of the story to be positive and uplifting,… Is the Cay by Theodore Taylor a historical novel? Timothy continues caring for Phillip, even rescuing him from sharks when Phillip falls off the raft. Stew Cat has survived. The events of World War II are critical to the story's development, but this action-packed novel is more a story of self-discovery in the face of extremes than anything else. Phillip experiences internal conflict as he learns to live with his blindness and gain confidence and skill.
An orphan who doesn't know his exact age, he never went to school, but spent most of his life working on ships. He makes Phillip some fishhooks, and dives for seafood for the two of them to eat. One day, Phillip asks Timothy why there are different skin colors. The Cay remains on the list of Addams Award winners, Taylor's claim is widely thought to be true and has become a part of reading and discussing the book as required reading in schools in dozens of U. Hato headed for Virginia, is separated from him when it sinks. Anna Bay, many of whom knew Timothy and remember him fondly.
These details are all present in the story, and although the characters are fictitious, these facts contribute to make The Cay a work of historical fiction. After Phillip is able to set a signal fire with black smoke, a pilot sees him and radios out to a ship. The destruction of the ship Hato causes Phillip to find himself on a raft with an older Black man named Timothy and his cat, Stew Cat. In the movie, Phillip is seen by an airplane and his rescue is not recounted. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
A Theme Of Racism In The Cay By Theodore Taylor: Free Essay Example, 505 words
Initially skeptical of Timothy because of his race, he relies on him when he is blinded and comes to appreciate him, creating a strong bond of friendship and trust with Timothy. Theodore Taylor wrote more than 50 books during his lifetime. Phillip is then rescued by a navy vessel. After a German submarine U-boat sinks an oil tanker off the coast, Phillip's mother becomes nervous about a German attack on the island and arranges for Phillip and herself to go back to Virginia, where they used to live. Once there, Timothy takes it upon himself to teach Phillip how to survive.
A Brief Summary and the Main Theme of the Cay by Theodore Taylor
His mother has always told him to avoid black people because they are different, so Phillip mistrusts Timothy. He is devastated at Timothy's death, makes a grave for him, and sobs. Of course, Phillip at first considers Timothy ugly, and calls him stupid. Phillip's comment about his friend who "seems young" after the return to Curaçao reveals this transformation to the reader. Despite these differences, the two become closer than seemingly possible while trying to survive on the island. The book is narrated by eleven-year-old Phillip Enright, a boy who is lost at sea when the ship he is on with his mother is torpedoed by German U-boats. He lives with his parents, and he likes to go to school and play with his friends.
The Cay by Theodore Taylor is a story about a boy who survives a shipwreck. Lost, lonely, and afraid, Phillip must learn how to do everyday tasks while blind. Timothy takes advantage of nature's bounty by fishing and catching langosta. This section contains 1,009 words approx. Retrieved January 30, 2017. Phillip realizes that Timothy is preparing him for the worst-case scenario of being blind and alone on the cay.
After Timothy's death, he is able to rebuild a shelter and find food for himself until he is rescued. Phillip's father works in oil refining, which is why Phillip, his mother, and father are located in the Caribbean Sea during World War II. The movie also includes the major climatic event of the hurricane which ultimately takes Timothy's life. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating thissection. The cay is only one mile long and half a mile in width. Raised in the Islands, Timothy has superstitious beliefs.
One of the largest conflicts and the initiating conflict is that World War II breaks out and the germans arrive in Curacao. Taylor establishes the novel with a white boy Phillip with parental inflicted, prejudiced views on race. Behind the Covers: Interviews of Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books. Those who survived the attack crawled into a lifeboat, looked back and saw an eleven-year-old Dutch boy. After having several operations that are able to restore his sight, Phillip still misses Timothy and hopes to return to the cay one day. Blindness During the shipwreck, Phillip was blinded, which creates another obstacle for him.
Timothy attaches himself and Phillip to a palm tree for safety, and Timothy dies from exposure. Without Timothy's wisdom and foresight, young Phillip would have had no chance at survival. The camp is made, but Timothy wants Phillip to contribute by making sleeping mats. Phillip refers to this man as "the Negro" at first. The Cay is based on a true story. Stew Cat is not harmed. Phillip notes the man's features such as his "flat nose" and "wiry grey hair".
He teaches these to Phillip so that he won't be an invalid. Phillip and his family return to the Island of Curaçao for the remainder of the war. At first, Phillip doesn't know what to think about Timothy. After a hurricane hits the cay, their shelter is destroyed. He is left with only Stew Cat.
