Introducing….
The Cay
By Theodore Taylor
Setting
The novel is set in the 1940’s
during WWII in the
Caribbean. Young Phillip has
to flee his home in
Willemstad, Curacao, a
Dutch colonized island,
because of the threat of
German attack. After Uboats torpedo their ship, he
ends up stranded on an
isolated small island, or cay,
with an old Negro man and
the ship’s cat.
Willemstad, Curacao
Curacao is an island in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, part of the Dutch West
Indies, that is still connected with the Netherlands (Holland) today. People are of Dutch
citizenship. It is part of the Lesser Antilles chain, which includes Aruba and Bonaire, also
known as the ABC islands.
Oil in the Caribbean
Oil Refinery,
Willemstad,
Curacao,
Netherlands
Antilles, West
Indies, Caribbean,
Central America
The Caribbean region has been a major source of oil since before WWII and still
produces oil today. During the war, the area became a target for German U-boats that
wanted to cut off oil supplies to the allied forces.
U-Boats in the Caribbean
This was one of the most
important areas fought
over in the entire U-boat
war. In May 1942, the
German U-boats began to
sink merchants in these
waters at a shocking rate.
Here they saw the chance
to effectively choke the
allied war effort by
cutting the vital supply
line of oil.
Attack on Aruba
16 Feb 1942
Characters
Phillip Enright- an
eleven-year-old
American; a lean boy
with dark brown hair.
He lives in Willemstad,
Curacao, just off the
coast of Venezuela.
Phillip is intrigued by
the war because he has
never experienced it
before.
Characters
Henrik- a little Dutch
boy who is one of
Phillip’s best friends. He
lives with his family on
the island, too. He’s a
boy who grew up
without the same
prejudices Phillip has
learned from his
mother.
Characters
Phillip’s mother- an
American woman who
lives with her husband
on the island of Curacao,
but she doesn’t like it
there and is distrustful of
its people. She does not
like the black people on
the island and fears
them. When war breaks
out, she wants to return
to the United States.
Characters
Philip’s father- a
responsible and
devoted husband and
father; an American
man who spends much
time working at an oil
refinery on Curacao,
supporting the war
effort. He feels it is
safe on the island.
Characters
Timothy - an old black
man with white hair.
He has a very thick
Caribbean accent. He is
not good with reading
or spelling, but he
knows a lot about
living and surviving.
Phillip thinks he is ugly,
but doesn’t really
understand that beauty
is only skin deep.
Plot
The Island of Curacao where Phillip
lives is attacked by U-boats. The year
is 1942. Phillip’s father sends the boy
and his mother on a ship to the
states. Their ship is torpedoed,
however, and sinks. He awakens on a
raft after a blow on the head. He is
alone with Timothy, an old black
man, and the ship’s cat. Phillip then
loses his sight from his head injury.
Phillip and Timothy arrive on a small
island or cay surrounded by coral
reefs, where they are stranded.
Phillip has to learn to trust Timothy.
Vocabulary
Mussels - edible shellfish
Papaya – sweet tropical
fruit
Schottegat – a large natural
harbor in Curacao
U-boat – a German
submarine used during
WWII
Refinery – a place where oil
is processed into gasoline
Koenoekoe – countryside
Divi Divi Tree – windblown
tree that always points
west
Veer boots- boats similar to
ferries
Negro- a person of black
appearance, whether of
African descent or not
Cay – a small, deserted
island in the Caribbean
Theme
Surviving Against the Odds – How to adapt
and endure Life Hardships
The survival theme in The
Cay is about living in
harmony with nature.
Having spent his entire life
fishing the cays, Timothy’s
knows the assets of nature
as well as its hazards. His
wisdom helps Phillip to
survive.
Theme
Learning from Different Cultures and Races
The novel focuses on the relationship
between Phillip and Timothy, and
Phillip’s efforts for survival on the
forgotten cay. When Philip becomes
blind, he has to totally depend on
kind and compassionate Timothy. He
learns a life lesson not to discriminate
between white and black people. He
had always lived in a world that
segregated black people from white
people.
Read the Dedication of the book.
Who is it dedicated to? As you read
the novel, think about how the
dedication relates to the theme of
tolerance.
Imagine Surviving
On a Desert Island
•
• What would you eat?
• How would you get it?
• Where would you get
water to drink?
• How would you build a
shelter?
• How would you signal for
help?
Discuss these questions with
a partner. Remember, you
are a castaway with no
supplies. You have only what
nature provides you to use
for your survival.
Could You Survive?
Now, imagine you had to do all of those
things and you couldn’t see what you were
doing! What if you were blind?
Food You Could Eat
• Mussels –
• Flying fish –
• Langosta (Caribbean
Spiny Lobster) –
• Coconuts –
Stranded, Blind, Isolated….
It can’t get any
worse than this!
Oh,yes, it
can!
There Must be a Jumbi!
• Timothy thinks there is
an evil spirit on the cay
that is causing all the
bad luck…a Jumbi! But
has he just gone mad?
Is Phillip stranded on a
deserted island with a
mad man? And what
has happened to Stew
Cat?
Oh, no! Is There a Storm Brewing?
Dat Be
True…
Yikes! Will They Survive?
Read and Find Out!
And even if they do, will
they ever be rescued?