The Cay

The novel explores the idea of blindness, both literal and metaphorical. How does Phillip’s blindness impact his understanding of the world and himself? Identify and refer to text details in your answer. Consider these points as you formulate a response:

• How does Phillip’s blindness help him to interpret people and the world differently than before?
• How do Timothy’s actions and guidance help Phillip adapt to his blindness on the cay?
• In what ways does Phillip’s blindness serve as a metaphor for his initial prejudices, and how does his disability lead to a clearer understanding of people and the world?
• How does Phillip’s experience with blindness challenge or reinforce the novel’s message about overcoming obstacles and the human spirit’s resilience?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt connects to the theme Surviving Against the Odds and Overcoming Racism. To better analyze Phillip’s  character change, students might create a timeline to chart significant events that change his worldview. Students also may benefit from discussing Coming of Age in relation to Phillip’s literal blindness and metaphorical understanding.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Survival Guide Creation”

In this activity, students will create a survival guide that integrates survival strategies with references to Phillip’s and Timothy’s experiences.