The Cay is a novel by Theodore Taylor. The book's plot revolves around a twelve-year-old boy, Phillip, who, although born in America, lives on the Caribbean island of Curaçao due to his father's job at an oil company. However, World War II rages and Phillip leaves the island aboard a steamer with his mother. The steamer is torpedoed by a Nazi German submarine, and Phillip is saved by an elderly West Indian named Timothy, who drags him aboard a life raft. The two float to a deserted island, on which they struggle to survive, even more so after Phillip becomes blind due to a head injury sustained during the sinking of the ship. An important and vital element in any adventure novel is the inclusion of a hero or character. heroin. In The Cay, Phillip is the hero. This twelve-year-old boy is the main character of the story and his struggle for survival is described as the main problem of the book. Phillip was "transformed" by the author, Taylor, into a character that a Deer Creek seventh grader, or any other American middle school student, can identify with. Phillip's most relatable look ...