Reading Book Report #1 Mrs.

Anderson
Nov. 30, 2020

The Cay
Theodore Taylor
Realistic Fiction

The Cay takes place on an unnamed island in the Devil’s Mouth in the spring and
summer of 1942. The protagonist is Phillip and he is immature and has prejudices against black
people. He sometimes makes poor decisions due to his lack of life experience. The other main
character is Timothy. He is tough, but caring and is knowledgeable about the skills needed for
survival, even though he has no formal education.
The tone is solemn and matter of fact, although there is some humor. In The Cay, Phillip
and Timothy’s boat is torpedoed by the Germans and they are stranded on an unknown island.
Phillip is injured during the bombing and loses his sight. Timothy gets malaria, recovers, and
realizes he may not be around to help Phillip forever. After Timothy’s partial recovery, a
hurricane hits the island and alters their situation.
The conflict in this story is person vs. nature. On pg. 125 it says, “They were fighting for
survival after the storm as I was.” (The Cay, pg. 125) The storm destroyed their shelter and
washed away their food. They now have to start over again and try to survive with whatever
survived the storm. This time there isn’t even a keg of water. It’s man vs. nature because they
must survive on only what nature provides. Nature also provides a storm that destroys
everything.
The theme of this book is acceptance for all. In his dedication, Theodore Taylor says, “To
Dr. King’s dream, which can only come true if the very young know and understand.” This book
was written during a time of Civil unrest. Taylor wanted children to accept and love others in
spite of differences. It’s important to get to know people and to celebrate differences because
everyone has something valuable to offer.
I give The Cay 4 stars…