Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The setting of the cay plays an essential part in the novel. German uboats are constantly submerged in the vicinity of the. Author theodore taylors childrens novel is both a gripping war story and a classic desertisland tale of survival. My themes essay the cay by theodore taylor michelle flude. Phillip is excited when the germans invade the small island of curacao. Phillip wakes up and finds himself on a raft with a west indian called timothy. The cay is a childrens novel and book one of the cay series, written by american author theodore taylor, and published in 1969. But this one morning, it did not look like a storybook fort at all. An island is a selfsustaining little world, an isolated ecosystem. Set preferences and get ageappropriate recommendations with common sense media plus. The protagonist of the cay is a rather unusual character.
Recently, i have been reading a book called the cay. His novel the weirdo won the edgar allen poe award for best young. Start studying plot events in the cay learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The cay by theodore taylor is a great book for many people. Phillip becomes blind phillip wakes up on a raft with timothy. The cay, first published in 1969, was his first novel for children, and the idea for it came when he was researching a book for adults about german submarine attacks in world war ii. The cay was adapted into a onehour tv drama in 1974. 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. Its a literary mashup of perilous war story and desert island survival tale. The cay is tucked into an outofthe way group of islands called devils mouth, where the coral reefs make it difficult for ships. War has always been a game to him, and hes eager to. Set during world war ii, the main character is elevenyearold phillip enright.
For fans of hatchet and island of the blue dolphins comes theodore taylors classic bestseller and lewis carroll shelf award winner, the cay. See more ideas about teaching reading, teaching and book study. The setting of the cay book is in curacao 1942 in the caribbean. The cay major events of the story class brainstorm list. As we noted in our in a nutshell section, the cay is an amazingly awesome mashup of a harrowing war story and a desertisland survival tale. The ship is torpedoed, and phillip, blinded by a blow to the. Teaching setting with the cay classroom in the middle. This is a quick book summary and analysis of the cay by theodore. The cay is tucked into an out of the way group of islands called devils mouth, where the coral reefs make it difficult for ships to travel. Since theres no shortage of submarines, torpedoes, and hurricaneforce winds, were sure that shmoopers will find themselves flying through this exciting book s pages. When phillip is ship wrecked, the setting shifts to an unnamed cay deep in the devils mouth, long ushaped. The cay is a heartwarming story of survival, friendship and sacrifice.
War, survival, childrens literature, coming of age. The cay has been both celebrated and attacked for its treatment of racism, although recent interpretations of the novel agree that the book s overall message is one of tolerance and embracing people of all races. This book has a very good message for young adults. 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. My themes essay the cay by theodore taylor michelle. Were on the caribbean island of curacao, and world war ii is under way. This is a powerful story of love, prejudice, and survival. Historical world war ii geographical effects oil refinery on curacao timothy and phillip got lost from all the other rafts and had to survive on a small island surrounded by reefs and rocks. High adventure, survival on a small cay in the caribbean, and friendship between a boy and a man are the stuff of theodore taylors enduring tale. The cay, written by theodore taylor, is a story set in 1942 during world war ii. Elevenyearold phillip enright lives on the island of curacao, in the dutch west indies.
In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. Phillip thinks that timothy is ugly, stupid, and different, all because he is black. War has always been a game to him, and hes eager to glimpse it firsthanduntil the fre. In general, the setting of a story includes the time and place. In the novel the cay by theodore taylor, an important theme for this novel is survival. The cay opens in february 1942 on the island of curacao, then part of the dutch west indies. Most of the action takes place between april and august of 1942, although the narrative actually concludes in april of 1943 and the entire book is written from the perspective of an adult phillip recalling.
The cay setting time period geographical location weather and time of year the time period of the novel is important, as it is. It wasnt the best book ive ever read but i would recommend it. 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. Planet book club offers a lesson plan for the novel the cay by theodore taylor. Interesting facts about the cay the cayby theodore taylor.
Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the pacific, atlantic and indian oceans including in the caribbean and on the great barrier reef and belize barrier reef. Fiction this is a powerful story of love, prejudice, and survival. The germans attack caracao phillip and his mom leave the island for the u. Mar 21, 20 in the novel the cay by theodore taylor, an important theme for this novel is survival. If you like the cay you might like similar books maniac magee, my brother sam is dead, freak the mighty, hatchet, among the hidden. Setting this novel is set in the 1940s on a small island, called a cay, in the caribbean sea. Theodore taylors the cay is set during world war ii. Theodore taylor 19212006 was born in north carolina and authored more than fifty books for children and adults. 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.
I think young children would find it boring but teens and adults would find it interesting. It is important because timothy cares for philip because he is blind. See more ideas about southern caribbean and teaching reading. When their ship is torpedoed by a german submarine while leaving cura ao, young philip, a cat, and timothy, a west indian man, find their lives converging as they seek rescue. 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. We can interpret the cay as a mini version of the real world. Both aruba and curacao are home to oil refineries that. Introduction but on the way their ship is torpedoed. As the novel begins, german submarines have bombed an oil refinery on aruba, an island near curacao.
Phillips mother decides to take him back to the united states, where he will be safer. Its a truly beautiful story, as was timothy of the cay, the prequel. Most of the action takes place between april and august of 1942, although the narrative actually concludes in april of 1943 and the entire book is written from the. Timothy and the boy are on the island for quite some time and they dont do much but try to provide for themselves. The cay won 11 literary awards and is in print in 14 languages. Phillip and his mother are returning to the united. Students studying this book may benefit from the use of storyboards in identifying the different. This novel is set in the 1940s on a small island, called a cay, in the caribbean sea. This book changed my life and made me fall back in love with reading. The cay setting storyboard by bridgetbaudinet storyboard that. This historical fiction novel takes place during world war ii. The physical setting of much of the cay is a tiny tropical island. Cay can also be pronounced key as in the florida keys.
This story has three major themes survival, sacrifice, and overcoming prejudice. The cay by theodore taylor overdrive rakuten overdrive. Read on to find out what happens in chapter seven as they. In theodore taylors the cay, there are two ways in which phillips mother behaves uncharacteristically in direct relationship with the setting of the story. The novel the cay by theodore langhans taylor was a young adult novel with the setting in the caribbean islands. The cay by theodore taylor chapter 1 before you read the chapter. The book also gives details of survival and world war ii.
Taylor based the character of the boy in his book on a child who was aboard the. Phillip and his family have been living in aruba where his father is working. It is about a boy named phillip, who was traveling to the united states during the war, when the ship got torpedoed. What is the summary of the book called the cay answers. The book called the cay is about a boy named phillip who gets stranded on an island with a old black man whos name is timothy. Theodore taylors the cay is a desertisland survival story set against the backdrop of world war ii.
The only food is fish, lobsters, mussels, and coconuts. 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. When phillip is ship wrecked, the setting shifts to an unnamed cay deep in the devils mouth, long ushaped coral banks in the caribbean. Think back on some of your favorite characters from past novels you have read. The cay shows that yo should not judge people by their race. Hato to virginia to escape curaaao, which has been surrounded by german submarines. His inspiration to write the cay came from his research into german submarines that fought in the second world war. He is now married with three children and lives in california. The protagonist of the cay is a rather unusual character living a different kind of life than most boys his age. The story is narrated by a blind man named phillip. Symbolism in the cay symbolism art stew cat could symbolize phillips connection with his home because phillip likes to hold stew cat for comfort when he is scared or sad, like it reminds him of his.
Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the pacific, atlantic and indian oceans. Planet book club novels the cay small planet communications. The protagonist in most novels features the main character or good guy. Symbolism in the cay symbolism art stew cat could symbolize phillips connection with his home because phillip likes to hold stew cat for comfort when he is scared or sad, like it reminds him of his normal life. The cay is based on a real story of a kid who was actually stranded and floated on the sea for a long time. German uboats are constantly submerged in the vicinity of the island and williamsted, phillips home, which is a dutch colonized island. Timothy also teaches philip to catch food and he builds a shelter for philip and teaches him how to build his own. In chapter six of the cay, timothy spotted a small island about two miles from the raft.
As a novel written for a young adult audience, the cay has both been taught in and banned from public schools. Set during world war ii, two survivors a white boy and an old west indian man from a torpedoed american freighter have much to learn from each other when the germans invade the small island of curacao. Students studying this book may benefit from the use of storyboards in identifying the different aspects. Since the two islands where phillip lives in the cay are so different, students can practice looking closely at each setting, by focusing on details from the novel. Read theodore taylors classic bestseller and lewis carroll shelf award winner the cay. Phillip is excited when the germans invade the small island of. Timothy guessed that this cay was called the devils mouth and it is a.