63 pages • 2 hours read
The Cay
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Symbols & Motifs
Phillip’s Blindness
Symbolically, Phillip’s blindness represents his inability to properly understand himself and his world. When Timothy sees the cay, Phillip does not want to go there; he would rather stay on the raft, even though the island represents a much better chance of survival. When Timothy asks Phillip to help weave sleeping mats, Phillip uses his blindness as an excuse to exempt himself from the work. At this point in the book, Phillip’s blindness indicates that he has not yet Come of Age.
Once Phillip starts to better understand and respect Timothy, his blindness takes on a new symbolic quality. Rather than limiting what he can understand about the world, it actually increases his insight. He starts to hear and pay attention to specific sounds on the island, coming to “know the different cries of the birds that flew by the cay” (115), appreciating its creatures, and learning about the environment. He also begins to see Timothy as a complete person, rather than a representation of a racist stereotype. Once Phillip regains his sight, he retains the lessons he learned while blind. Phillip’s belief that he will only be able to recognize the cay if he closes his eyes symbolizes that when he lost his sight, he gained the greatest level of understanding.
Stew Cat
Stew Cat is Timothy and Phillip’s only other companion on the island, and they perceive him very differently. For Phillip, Stew Cat starts out as a source of comfort. He holds and pets him when he gets scared, and he connects with Stew Cat much more readily than he connects with Timothy. Phillip gradually starts to perceive Stew Cat as an individual with needs rather than a pet designed for Phillip’s comfort. This becomes clear when Stew Cat remains with Phillip in the hospital after he is rescued.
For Timothy, Stew Cat is a bad omen. He feels that having a cat on board the raft is bad luck, but killing Stew Cat would bring even worse luck. His feelings about Stew Cat are connected to his religious beliefs. Later, when Timothy starts to worry that the island is home to a jumbi, he wonders if killing Stew Cat as a sacrifice would protect them from the spirit. When Phillip objects to this plan, Timothy carves an effigy of a cat instead. It is unclear whether this is out of respect for Phillip’s feelings, out of compassion for Stew Cat, or out of the belief that killing a cat is bad luck. Regardless of Timothy’s reason for sparing Stew Cat, the gesture is meant to humanize Timothy for Theodore Taylor’s readers. Showing that Timothy can compromise his Vodou beliefs—which American readers at that time considered superstition or paganism—makes him relatable to the novel’s intended readership.
The Storm
The storm that hits the island signals Phillip’s break into adulthood and is a corollary for the German torpedo that hits the Hato. Both crises take away Phillip’s protectors; the torpedo attack separates him from his mother while the hurricane kills Timothy. Both events also provide an opportunity for Timothy to save Phillip; first, by taking him aboard the raft, and later, by shielding him with his body during the storm. Finally, both the storm and the attack are out of Phillip’s—or any character’s—control, making it impossible for Phillip to avoid the events and challenges that follow.
Phillip’s ability to survive on the island after the storm also points to his triumph over the German attack: Though the torpedo sank Phillip’s ship and caused his blindness, it did not destroy him. This is a subtly patriotic message meant to attest to American strength and perseverance. In addition to Timothy’s expert guidance, Phillip’s bravery, hard work, and dedication enable him to survive on the island. Though Phillip only fully realizes these characteristics after the storm hits, Taylor implies that Phillip’s Americanness helps him manifest these strengths. Likewise, the narrative makes a point to identify Timothy as American, implying the strength of both Black and white Americans.
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