This is a quick book summary and analysis of the cay by theodore. The cay is the story of phillip, a boy living on the island of curacao off the island of venezuela during world war ii. The cay renee armitage 5th the cay by theodore taylor. Much of the emotional impact of the cay comes from the richly developed character of timothy and his paternal relationship with philip, a basically goodhearted boy who must unlearn what he has been taught. For fans of hatchet and island of the blue dolphins comes theodore taylors classic bestseller and lewis carroll shelf award winner, the cay. In the cay by theodore taylor, phillip and his mother must leave curacao as phillips mother no longer considers the area safe, although his father will stay behind to continue his job on the refinery there. An ala notable childrens book, jane addams childrens book award, lewis carroll shelf award, commonwealth club of california. Philip also becomes more dependent on his hearing, and in. His family relocated to the island following the outbreak of world war ii, when phillips father was recruited to work for an oil company and support the war effort. So, phillip and timothy worked and prepared getting ready for the storm that could wipe them. The character of philip lombard in and then there were none. Phillip and stew cat are eventually rescued by a navy ship. Theodore taylor explores a similar dream in the cay.
The first edition of the novel was published in 1969, and was written by theodore taylor. Skeptical of timothy at first because he is black, he relies on him when he is blinded and comes to appreciate him and creates a strong bond of. The events of the adventurous book the cay hopefully you will get intrigued into this timeline and hopefully you will learn some facts about the story. The cay has been both celebrated and attacked for its treatment of racism, although recent interpretations of the novel agree that the books overall message is one of tolerance and embracing people of all races. As a novel written for a young adult audience, the cay has both been taught in and banned from public schools. At first they dont know each other at all, and then later on in the story, there relationship expands. When he finally comes to, he is no longer on one of the lifeboats. As luck would have it, the hato is torpedoed by the germans. When the torpedo hits the ship young philip caucasian wakes up on a lifeboat with timothy an old african american worker. In theodore taylors young readers novel the cay, timothy teaches phillip many things including the value of selfsacrifice, independence, and perseverance. And he was the most stubborn man philip had ever known. This is one of the best survival stories since robinson crusoe. Philip thinks timothy is worthless and when they are trapped at an island they get to know each other better.
The cay poems cinquian theme ballad plot 34 ballad plot 44 ballad plot 14 ballad plot 24 haiku conflict diamante setting tanka characters philips very bold he went blind and is now mean timothy cant spell he is also very strong stew cats very annoying stuck. What did philip decide to burn to make the smoke black. Chapter 1 the novel opens with the arrival of german submarines in the waters surrounding willemstad, the capital of curacao, an island inhabited by the dutch off the coast of venezuela. The cay is a book about a boy named phillip enright living in the time of a world war ii 1942. In the cay, phillip is initially excited that the war, which he has heard so much about but has never experienced, has eventually reached the island of curacao. Great lessons from philip the evangelist back to bible. The cay is an emotion pact book about timothy and his parental relationship with young philip who must unlearn what he has been taught by others before. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. The cay is a teen novel written by theodore taylor.
Read this summary of chapter 15 to find out what happens to them when the storm arrives. In the cay, the firstperson narrator is phillip enright. Which of the following best describes the way phillip felt about leaving his home in willemstad on the island of. He was huge, and he was very old, and to philip he seemed ugly. It is circa 1940s and is about a boy named philip, whom is like any typical elevenyear old.
The cay quiz chapter 1112 9 questions by gwilson7 last updated. After days on the sea, they notice a cay in the distance. Taylor based the character of the boy in his book on a child who was aboard the hato, when it was torpedoed, who drifts out to sea on a lifeboat. Philip goes through adventures trying to survive and overcome his blindness. In theodore taylors novel the cay, the narrator, phillip, finds an unlikely and valuable friend when he is shipwrecked with timothy. The book was adapted into a onehour tv drama in 1974 with alfred lutter as phillip, james earl jones as timothy, and gretchen corbett as phillips mother. Review for our unit test over the novel the cay learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. In the beginning of the book the cay, theodore taylor richly sets up the time and place. The cay by theodore taylor is a book that takes place in the caribbean on a boat that gets raided for merchandise. Phillip is an elevenyearold american boy living in the dutch. I liked the book for the rich description the book is a historical fiction, that took place in ww 2. The guide offered great questions and exercises in helping a 6th grader understand the era, the language, and intricate concepts in the cay. Were on the caribbean island of curacao, and world war ii is under way. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 156 pages and is available in paperback format.
Philip resents timothys efforts to conserve food and water. As the novel ends, phillip is studying charts of the caribbean and dreaming of returning to the cay one day. When german uboats surround the island of curacao, his mother who is frightened wants to go back to the netherlands and take her son with her. Philip also becomes more dependent on his hearing, and in chapter eleven the first and most of the pages. Included are sample plans, author information, vocabularybuilding ideas, and crosscurricular activities. Free download or read online the cay pdf epub book. The cay is a book about a little boy named philip, whos mother is nervous about the war. Philip was a faithful man willing to serve the church acts 6. Their relationship was important because phillip overcame his prejudice towards timothy, timothy taught phillip how to survive and they became good friends who relied on each other. In what three ways was the war affecting phillips life. In chapter six of the book of acts we learn that he was a faithful man willing to serve the church as one of her deacons acts 6.
Philip gets stuck on a little raft with stewcat and timothy, an old black man. Phillip learns to overcome his disdain for timothy and develops a strong bond of friendship by the end of the novel, as timothy takes care of phillip and teaches. Timothy is the father, or grandfather, everyone idealizes. In the novel the cay by theodore taylor, the story is told by phillip enright. What are the physical traits of phillip from the cay. Apr 08, 2003 the cay mass market paperback apr 8 2003. Phillip wakes up and finds himself on a raft with a west indian called timothy. The cay is a wonderful book about a boy named philip who gets lost in sea with a man named timothy.
Once phillip goes blind, he is forced to depend upon a black west indian man named timothy to navigate the world around him. What does timothy do for phillip in the cay by theodore taylor. Once phillip goes blind, he is forced to depend upon a black west indian man named timothy to. You also get a thrilling tale of survival against the odds. Soon, timothy makes a cane for philip and he describes the plants and. In this novel there are many hidden messages one of which is that you dont live by sight. The book the cay was an amazing, sad, and action filled book that grabbed my attention as we were reading it. In 1993, taylor published timothy of the cay, a book which tells both of phillips life after and of timothys life before the ordeal. What did timothy teach philip in theodore taylors the cay. The cay is a heartwarming story of survival, friendship and sacrifice. Each book in this series is a guide for using a wellknown piece of literature in the classroom. Meet timothy timothy is first described as a huge, very old. In almost any survival book the protagonist comes back to society having learned a new kind of selfreliance that most likely cant be learned by a modern civilized area, and this is. So, because of this, philip s mother thinks curacao is unsafe and philip and his mother head back to virginia.
That, i think, is the lesson that theodore taylor would like us to learn from his book. Soon, timothy makes a cane for philip and he describes the plants and what is on the cay. Set during world war ii, the main character is elevenyearold phillip enright. What did the author compare the german submarines to. This story follows the two survivors on one of the lifeboats, philip and timothy.
The cay where phillip and timothy are finally washed ashore has no fresh water supply and no food save what can be fished from the sea. Shortly after, the cay is hit by a tremendous hurricane. Philip wanted to understand and learn about the war surrounding curacao, but his parents had different views on the war. Philip loses his sight, and gets stuck on an island with the black man. Young readers can identify with phillips struggle for independence and his frustration in coping with. Timothy and phillip become the shipwrecked odd couple of theodore taylors novel, the cay, when they climb aboard a raft and eventually make land after several days adrift. These are the questions that you have to answer as we read the book, you will need to answer these questions on your own weebly page. In this lesson, you will learn about phillip and how he changes over the course of the story.
How did phillip feel about timothy in the novel, the cay. Philip also becomes more dependent on his hearing, and in chapter eleven the first and most of the pages in. So, philip tried to figure out for himself what the war was about. The cay in the novel the cay written by theodore taylor an important relationship was between timothy and phillip. She tries to take philip back to the us, but the ship is torpedoed. In this lesson, you will learn about phillip and how he changes over. This prequelsequel tells the rest of their tale in alternating chaptersthe compelling story of two very. As he and his mother are trying to escape the war and head back to their home in virginia, the ship they are riding on sinks. Phillip is an elevenyearold american boy living in the dutch west indies. When philip was rescued, what was the only item he wanted from the island. Elevenyearold phillip was blinded by flying debris when a torpedo struck the ss hato, and old timothy has taught him how to survive. Phillip is emotionally devastated, and buries timothy in a shallow grave. Recently, i have been reading a book called the cay. It proved to be a great guide that led to a lot of discussion about race and age which led to other research.
Phillip enright is 11 years old in the book the cay by theadore taylor. Phillip and the cay after timothys death, phillip finally comes into his own as a fully independent and mature person. The island is being stalked by german submarines that arrived during the nighttime and are targeting the areas oil refineries and tankers. I didnt really enjoy this book because it didnt have enough cliff hangers or action to keep me interested. The cay novel project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Why did the first plane not see philip s signal fire. He teaches philip, and the reader, more by example than by overt instruction.
Taylor has provided an exciting storythe idea that all humanity would benefit from this special form of color blindness permeates the whole bookthe result is a story with a high ethical purpose but no sermon. After timothys death, phillip finally comes into his own as a fully independent and mature person. At first he struggles to navigate the island by himself, but by the book s final chapters he is able to clean up the wreckage after the storm, fish for food, and even figure out how to make a black smoke signal. When timothy returns, he has the real stew cat with him, alive and well. The main characters of this young adult, historical story are.
Timothy and phillip dont really get along at first but they got a lot closer when philip lost his eyesight. On the roof of the hut, philip discovers that timothy had carved a stew cat out of wood to end their bad luck. The cay is the suspenseful story of a young boy, handicapped by blindness and thrust into an unfamiliar environment, who is forced to grow up quickly. In the end, phillip decides he will become a sea explorer and travel to multiple islands and soon hopes to find the cay he and timothy had been stranded on, which he is certain he will be able to recognize by closing his eyes. A guide for using the cay in the classroom philip denny. Jun 20, 2011 then he hears hammering, after which timothy goes down to the beach. Philip thought that someone had found the cay and was going to rescue them, but timothy was concerned and said that it was the sea making the noise, indicating that there was a tremendous storm coming. What does philip in the book the cay look like answers. Phillip wants to stay on the island with his dad, but his mom books passage for him to sail with her on a ship called the s. Test what else you remember the book by taking the quiz below.
The cay by theodore taylor is a thrilling survival tale with a dash of historical fiction. A literature unit for use with the cay, featuring sample lesson plans, pre and postreading activities, a biographical sketch of the author, a book summary, vocabulary lists and activities, chapter study guides with quizzes and projects, book report and research ideas, and options for unit tests. With james earl jones, alfred lutter iii, gretchen corbett. Friendship is conveyed between the two characters philipthe young boy and timothythe adult black man. Phillip enright is a young 11 year old boy living on a small island named curacao in the middle of a war with the germans. Timothy and phillip become the shipwrecked odd couple of theodore taylor s novel, the cay, when they climb aboard a raft and eventually make land after several days adrift.
Phillip undergoes many surgeries to restore his sight. Timothy teaches phillip about the island and shows him skills to take. Phillip is knocked out during his evacuation from the ship. How can philip see timothy describes the cay to him after he goes exploring. Pdf the cay book by theodore taylor free download 156. At first he struggles to navigate the island by himself, but by the books final chapters he is able to clean up the wreckage after the storm, fish for food, and even figure out how to make a black smoke signal. In chapter 14 of the cay, timothy and phillip prepare for a tempest that is coming to their cay. He begins with a main character an 11yearold white boy named phillip who has bigoted views on race. Timothy and the boy are on the island for quite some time and they dont do much but try to provide for themselves. Philip is lucky to have an awesome guardian like timothy and if it wasnt for him philip.
A quote that explains the cay good is dis bdat otrrageos cay. Philip s father took him to see the ship sail away. The cay by theodore taylor, doubleday, 1969 activities 1998 nancy polette. War has always been a game to him, and hes eager to glimpse it firsthanduntil the freighter he and his mother are traveling to the united states. It helps with understanding the historical and geographical aspects of the book as well. Phillip is excited when the germans invade the small island of curacao. Timothy a black elderly man and philip an 11 year old boy are the main characters. It is about a boy named phillip, who was traveling to the united states during the war, when the ship got torpedoed. In the novel the cay, a young white boy and an old black man are stranded on a small sandy cay in the caribbean sea following a shipwreck.
Phillip thinks that timothy is ugly, stupid, and different, all because he is black. It is a prequel for timothy and a sequel for phillip to the cay. Hes super rude to his mother and tells her he hates her 2. Philip got saved by a navy vessel after a year of being trapped on the island. As the ship left the harbor, it was torpedoed by a german submarine and philip saw firsthand the true meaning of the word war. When young phillip is separated from his mother and found by a black man named timothy and his cat stewcat, phillip becomes blind and they all end up on an island. This novel is an inspiring castaway like novel but with a racial twist. The cay by theodore taylor is a story about a young boy who is stuck on an island with an elderly west indian man. Shipwrecked on a tiny caribbean island, philip must overcome his prejudice towards timothy, the old black sailor who becomes the key to his survival.