Theme Of Alienation And Prejudice In Taylor's The Cay
Being different can change your perspective but can also result in alienation and prejudice. This aspect of being different is raised in the book The Cay by Theodore Taylor. The book is about a white eleven year old boy named Phillip who is rescued by an elderly, black man named Timothy after their ship is torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine during World War 2. Phillip loses his eyesight after being hit on the head by a large plank of wood during the evacuation while Timothy reveals that he is illiterate, which causes them to be dependent on each other. They stumble upon an empty, deserted cay and must help each other to survive. Taylor uses a variety of techniques such as the setting, metaphors and exclusive language to convey the issue
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In the beginning, Phillip and Timothy do not get along well which is shown when Phillip insults Timothy superficially and says “You ugly black man! I won’t do it! You’re stupid, you can’t even spell...” However, Phillip’s perspective soon begins to change when he looks past Timothy’s outside and sees what a kind and loving person Timothy is on the inside. He also realises that Timothy is only there to help and wants the best for him. Phillip’s new perspective towards Timothy can be seen when Phillip says “I had now been with him every moment of the day and night for two months, but I had not seen him. I remember that ugly welted face. But now, in my memory, it did not seem ugly at all. It seemed only kind and strong.” By doing this, the author is implying to the reader that most prejudice towards different races is simply superficial and that you should get to know someone first before you judge and insult them.
To conclude, The Cay is a book written by Theodore Taylor about a white boy named Phillip and a black man named Timothy who become castaways on a secluded cay after their ship is sunk by a German submarine. By using an assortment of techniques such as metaphors, the setting and exclusive language, Taylor has successfully expressed the issue that being different can change your perspective but can also result in alienation and
In the beginning, Phillip and Timothy do not get along well which is shown when Phillip insults Timothy superficially and says “You ugly black man! I won’t do it! You’re stupid, you can’t even spell...” However, Phillip’s perspective soon begins to change when he looks past Timothy’s outside and sees what a kind and loving person Timothy is on the inside. He also realises that Timothy is only there to help and wants the best for him. Phillip’s new perspective towards Timothy can be seen when Phillip says “I had now been with him every moment of the day and night for two months, but I had not seen him. I remember that ugly welted face. But now, in my memory, it did not seem ugly at all. It seemed only kind and strong.” By doing this, the author is implying to the reader that most prejudice towards different races is simply superficial and that you should get to know someone first before you judge and insult them.
To conclude, The Cay is a book written by Theodore Taylor about a white boy named Phillip and a black man named Timothy who become castaways on a secluded cay after their ship is sunk by a German submarine. By using an assortment of techniques such as metaphors, the setting and exclusive language, Taylor has successfully expressed the issue that being different can change your perspective but can also result in alienation and