The Cay

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1969

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Introduction

Teacher Introduction

The Cay

Genre: Fiction; middle grade adventure
Originally Published: 1969
Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 860L; grades 6-8
Structure/Length: 19 chapters; approximately 156 pages; approximately 3 hours on audio
Protagonist and Central Conflict: When his boat is torpedoed by Germans, 11-year-old Phillip Enright is suddenly adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. An injury to his head causes blindness after Phillip’s raft reaches a deserted cay, and he must rely on his only human companion, a man from the West Indies named Timothy, for care and survival.
Potential Sensitivity Issues: Racism; prejudice; death; wartime violence

Theodore Taylor, Author

Bio: Born 1921; died 2006; born and raised in North Carolina; became a reporter after covering high school sports in his teens; served in the US Merchant Marine and as a Navy officer in World War II; also served in the Korean War; worked in the film industry as a story editor and associate producer before becoming a successful novelist; writer of fiction and non-fiction, short stories, screenplays, and poetry with over 50 published titles for young readers and adults

Other Works: The Weirdo (1992); Timothy of the Cay (1993); The Bomb (1995); The Flight of Jesse Leroy Brown (1998)

Awards: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1970)

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CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

Surviving Against the Odds
Overcoming Racism
Coming of Age

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

Gain an understanding of the survival story genre and discuss the historical context regarding the setting of the novel.
Study paired texts and other resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Overcoming Racism and Surviving Against the Odds.
Design and create a practical survival guide using outside research and examples from the text.
Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the symbolism of Stew Cat, Timothy’s mentorship, and other topics.