The Cay Character Analysis Essay

Throughout the Cay Phillip’s character reveals many different character traits. During the time lost on the island Phillip changes into a more positive person. Before Timothy’s death Phillip was a negative person who did nothing. After Timothy died and Phillip was left alone he became positive and willing to do stuff.In The Cay, Phillip’s character reveals that through many conflicts, he developed independence, bravery, and hard work.

Phillip demonstrates independence after experiencing blindness as evidenced in the novel when he was able to survive by himself on The Cay after Timothy’s death. At the beginning of the novel, Phillip responds with stubbornness after arguing with his parents about not wanting to leave Curacao. Phillip’s mother

had made the decision that they would leave Curacao and go back to Norfolk. Phillip did not want to leave and argued with his parents about leaving. He called his mom a coward and said he hated her (Taylor 24). This shows that Phillip was not independent and could not make his own decisions. In the middle of the novel, Phillip starts to develop maturity after adapting to being lost on the island in the middle of somewhere. He begins to be able to do stuff own his own with a little bit of help from timothy. Phillip is learning how to navigate the island and tell what time it is based on the heat he felt from the sun (Taylor 79 ). In this, Phillip is starting to be able to do task on his own. At the end of the novel, Phillip has developed independence. Phillip has learned how to fish and provide food for Stew Cat and himself after Timothy’s death (Taylor 98 ). Phillip can now do everyday task on his own without the help from anyone else. So as you can see, Phillip developed independence throughout the novel.
Phillip demonstrates bravery after experiencing frightness as evidenced in the novel when he learns how to like and understand the noises he hears and the things he feels after becoming blind. At the beginning of the novel, Phillip is frightened by all the sounds he hears. “It was, of course, being unable to see that made all the sounds so frightening (Taylor 65).” It then says how Phillip then began to cry (Taylor 65). This shows that Phillip was not so brave to start with. During the novel, Phillip starts to become fearless. Phillip had been asked by Timothy before to climb the palm tree but he had been to afraid to do it before. “I think it was the fifth afternoon of this week that I blurted out to Timothy, ‘I’ll climb the palm now’ (Taylor 98.)” Phillip had built up the courage to climb the tall palm tree and was overcoming his fears. At the end of the novel Phillip had gained bravery. He was now doing many things he was afraid of at first. Phillip went to the hole where Timothy had told him not to go and hunted for langosta. This was a very dangerous thing for Phillip to do since he would be diving into the hole not knowing what all was down there since he was unable to see (Taylor 121). Phillip, even though he had been warned by Timothy, forgot about all the scary things and focused on the good. He had became a changed, brave boy.
Phillip demonstrates hard work after experiencing laziness as evidenced in the novel when he was able to do the work necessary after Timothy had passed. At first, Phillip did not want to help Timothy do any of the work. Timothy had told Phillip how to weave the mat so they could get their camp set up faster but Phillip used the excuse of being blind to not do any work. After Timothy had stood up and walked over the Phillip and told him again how to do it, Phillip got very angry cause he did not want to work and stood up and threw the palm fibers at Timothy and screamed at Timothy that he was just a ugly black man! He also said how he would not do the work and how Timothy was stupid cause he did not even know how to spell (Taylor 70-71). Phillip was not hardworking at this moment in the novel and was just lazy. In the middle of the novel, Phillip started to become more helpful. One day, Timothy came down with Malaria and Phillip helped Timothy out. Phillip had ripped a piece of cloth of his shirt and dampened it with water to place on Timothy’s forehead because he had remembered that helps with fevers (Taylor 89). He also got water from the hut and brought it down the Timothy and made him drink it so he would not be dehydrated (Taylor 91). This shows how Phillip was starting to do a little more work. Towards the end of the novel, Phillip had become full out hardworking. Phillip was now doing all the work on the island that had to be done since Timothy had passed. Phillip had rebuilt the camp after the hurricane and was now catching all the food for him and Stew Cat. Also, Phillip had realized that the smoke the fire was making was probably white so therefore the airplanes would not be able to see it. Phillip then had made a plan to use sea grape to make the smoke black so it would be noticeable. “ By the time I had carried ten or fifteen bundles of sea grape to the fire, tumbling them in, I was sure that a column of black smoke was rising into the sky over the cay (Taylor 130). “ Phillip had become cable of doing the hard work. He had carried all the sea grape by himself to the shore where the fire was.
So therefore, throughout the book Phillip’s character changes majorly. The traits that Phillip developed helped him turn into a more mature young boy. A boy that could do stuff on his own. In The Cay, Phillip’s character reveals that through many conflicts, he developed independence, bravery, and hard work. In the book, Phillip’s character changes majorly.
Throughout the Cay Phillip’s character reveals many different character traits. During the time lost on the island Phillip changes into a more positive person. Before Timothy’s death Phillip was a negative person who did nothing. After Timothy died and Phillip was left alone he became positive and willing to do stuff.In The Cay, Phillip’s character reveals that through many conflicts, he developed independence, bravery, and hard work.
Phillip demonstrates independence after experiencing blindness as evidenced in the novel when he was able to survive by himself on The Cay after Timothy’s death. At the beginning of the novel, Phillip responds with stubbornness after arguing with his parents about not wanting to leave Curacao. Phillip’s mother had made the decision that they would leave Curacao and go back to Norfolk. Phillip did not want to leave and argued with his parents about leaving. He called his mom a coward and said he hated her (Taylor 24). This shows that Phillip was not independent and could not make his own decisions. In the middle of the novel, Phillip starts to develop maturity after adapting to being lost on the island in the middle of somewhere. He begins to be able to do stuff own his own with a little bit of help from timothy. Phillip is learning how to navigate the island and tell what time it is based on the heat he felt from the sun (Taylor 79 ). In this, Phillip is starting to be able to do task on his own. At the end of the novel, Phillip has developed independence. Phillip has learned how to fish and provide food for Stew Cat and himself after Timothy’s death (Taylor 98 ). Phillip can now do everyday task on his own without the help from anyone else. So as you can see, Phillip developed independence throughout the novel.
Phillip demonstrates bravery after experiencing frightness as evidenced in the novel when he learns how to like and understand the noises he hears and the things he feels after becoming blind. At the beginning of the novel, Phillip is frightened by all the sounds he hears. “It was, of course, being unable to see that made all the sounds so frightening (Taylor 65).” It then says how Phillip then began to cry (Taylor 65). This shows that Phillip was not so brave to start with. During the novel, Phillip starts to become fearless. Phillip had been asked by Timothy before to climb the palm tree but he had been to afraid to do it before. “I think it was the fifth afternoon of this week that I blurted out to Timothy, ‘I’ll climb the palm now’ (Taylor 98.)” Phillip had built up the courage to climb the tall palm tree and was overcoming his fears. At the end of the novel Phillip had gained bravery. He was now doing many things he was afraid of at first. Phillip went to the hole where Timothy had told him not to go and hunted for langosta. This was a very dangerous thing for Phillip to do since he would be diving into the hole not knowing what all was down there since he was unable to see (Taylor 121). Phillip, even though he had been warned by Timothy, forgot about all the scary things and focused on the good. He had became a changed, brave boy.
Phillip demonstrates hard work after experiencing laziness as evidenced in the novel when he was able to do the work necessary after Timothy had passed.

At first, Phillip did not want to help Timothy do any of the work. Timothy had told Phillip how to weave the mat so they could get their camp set up faster but Phillip used the excuse of being blind to not do any work. After Timothy had stood up and walked over the Phillip and told him again how to do it, Phillip got very angry cause he did not want to work and stood up and threw the palm fibers at Timothy and screamed at Timothy that he was just a ugly black man! He also said how he would not do the work and how Timothy was stupid cause he did not even know how to spell (Taylor 70-71). Phillip was not hardworking at this moment in the novel and was just lazy. In the middle of the novel, Phillip started to become more helpful. One day, Timothy came down with Malaria and Phillip helped Timothy out. Phillip had ripped a piece of cloth of his shirt and dampened it with water to place on Timothy’s forehead because he had remembered that helps with fevers (Taylor 89). He also got water from the hut and brought it down the Timothy and made him drink it so he would not be dehydrated (Taylor 91). This shows how Phillip was starting to do a little more work. Towards the end of the novel, Phillip had become full out hardworking. Phillip was now doing all the work on the island that had to be done since Timothy had passed. Phillip had rebuilt the camp after the hurricane and was now catching all the food for him and Stew Cat. Also, Phillip had realized that the smoke the fire was making was probably white so therefore the airplanes would not be able to see it. Phillip then had made a plan to use sea grape to make the smoke black so it would be noticeable. “ By the time I had carried ten or fifteen bundles of sea grape to the fire, tumbling them in, I was sure that a column of black smoke was rising into the sky over the cay

(Taylor 130). “ Phillip had become cable of doing the hard work. He had carried all the sea grape by himself to the shore where the fire was.
So therefore, throughout the book Phillip’s character changes majorly. The traits that Phillip developed helped him turn into a more mature young boy. A boy that could do stuff on his own. In The Cay, Phillip’s character reveals that through many conflicts, he developed independence, bravery, and hard work. In the book, Phillip’s character changes majorly.