By Theodore Taylor
Setting
 February 1942 on the island of Curacao – then part of
the Dutch West Indies
 When Phillip is shipwrecked the setting changes to an
unnamed Cay in Devils Mouth –the long U shaped
coral banks in the Caribbean.
 Most of the action takes place between April and
August 1942, although the narrative actually concludes
in April of 1943
Characters
 Phillip Enright – dynamic, round character
 Timothy – static, round character
 Mrs. Enright (Grace)- static, flat character
 Mr. Enright (Phillip Sr.) – static, flat character
 Henrik van Boven – static, flat character
Point of View, Plot and Theme
 Point of view: First
 Theme:
Person
 Plot: The Cay is a
survival story of a young
boy who loses his
eyesight and an old man.
The two are shipwrecked
on a deserted island
 survival
 Overcoming prejudices
 discrimination
Conflict
Person vs Environment
Person vs Self
 Phillip and Timothy must
 Phillip struggles with his
survive the hot sun, sharks
and lack of fresh water while
on the raft.
 Later they must survive a
hurricane
prejudice of black people
 Phillip has to learn to come to
terms with his blindness to
survive
Story Elements
 Exposition: Phillips mother feels it is not safe to stay in




Curacao while WWII is going on and oil tankers are
being bombed by German U – boats
Rising Action: Phillip and his mother leave on the SS
Hato which is bombed. Phillip is separated from his
mother, and wakes up blinded from an injury and
alone on a raft with Timothy a black man
Climax: a hurricane hits the island, Timothy dies
Falling Action: Phillip learns to survive alone
Resolution: Phillip is rescued by a Navy ship, and is
reunited with his parents