The Cay Hannah Hall 6th Grade Reading / 4th Hour February 2, 2010 Final Project

Themes Hope Adventure Survival Desperation Will Prejudice Forgiveness Wisdom Trust Life and death War Loss

Characters Has to leave the island with his mom. They will go on a boat. Every boat that leaves gets torpedoed. Leaves all his friends behind. Leaves his dad behind. Gets stuck on a raft with someone he does not want to be with. Is blind. Phillip Enright

Mrs. Enright Wants to leave the island. Wants to take Phillip with her. Thinks it’s not safe. War is going on. Wants to leave because not very many black people around.

Phillip Enright Sr. Wants to stay. They need his help. Works at an oil refinery. Thinks that his family should stay on the island because it is saver.

Timothy (Page 36 )He saves the water for later. (Page 34) They used the clothing to block the sun from them. (Page 42)They get the fish out of the water to eat. Old. Very Muscular. Skin was tough from age and walking. Powerful. Neck was the size of a small tree trunk. Nature Sleep (Page 43)

Phillip’s Rudeness and Prejudice Rudeness (Page 38) Phillip says to Timothy “ You are saving all the water for yourself.” (Page 31) Phillip called Timothy an old negro. (Page 41) Phillip called the town where Timothy lives color town. (Page 32) Asked his name Prejudice (Page 31) Called him an old negro. (Page 35) Phillip did not feel like Timothy should be called mister because he is black. (Page 41) Phillip calls the area where Timothy lives, “Colored Town.” (Page 42) Phillip thought that Timothy was from Africa without even knowing him. (Page 45) Old people didn’t sleep much.

Forgiveness When Phillip first met Timothy he didn’t like him just because he was a different color. Phillip would call Timothy different things to make himself feel better about himself. By the end of the book Phillip wants to be Timothy’s friend. It tock him a long time to realize that people are no different from each other just because some people have a different skin tone as you. Ever since he was blind, Phillip realized that that black people and white people are not different from each other. It may be a hard lesson to learn, but it is a good lesson to learn. On page 76 Phillip says that he wants to be Timothy’s friend. Timothy says that they are already friends. That night Phillip felt closer to Timothy and Phillip thought to himself that Timothy was not white or black. Phillip gave up believing the bad things his mom told him about black people and what everyone else told him about black people. This story was dedicated to Dr. King. The author believes that Dr. King’s dreams can come true “if the very young know and understand.” Phillip is finally understanding that older people who make fun of people different from themselves are not right about them. Phillip could go and tell everyone that black people are nice and not as mean as everyone says they are. However, he could only tell people if they get saved from the island.

Phillip Phillip does not want to leave the island from all his friends and family and dad too. He is mad at his mom for making him leave the island. He had no choice but to leave with his mom. Phillip thinks he can help out in some way in the war. Phillip’s desire to help in the war shows that he cares about things that are going on. Phillip had to make the mats that he and Timothy were sleeping on. However, it tock him a long time to make them because he was blind and he thought that blind people can’t do anything. Even though it was a hard lesson for Phillip to learn well, he did learn his lesson.

The day he left with his mother on the boat to wherever his mom wanted him to go, every boat got torpedoed. Phillip’s mom just wants to be somewhere safe and where there weren’t very many black people around. So they get on a boat and they get torpedoed. Phillip is separated from his mom and stuck on a raft. A big black man that Phillip learns to really like, dies. Phillip goes blind from looking at the sun even though Timothy told him not to. Just because Timothy is black Phillip does not have to do what Timothy tells him to do. After a while Phillip wants to be friends with Timothy. This shows that he is getting mature.

Epilogue When I went back to the island to see how it looked and to visit Timothy’s grave on the hill everything seemed so different now that I was able to see. I tried to go around the island with my eyes closed. It was harder than it was before because I had not been there in a long time. I visited Timothy’s grave. I thanked him for helping me to see the truth about black people and for other things he taught me when he was alive. When I was standing at his grave I wished that he was still here and that he knew I was ok and that I could see again. I was glad that everything that happened to me helped me with life lessons. I wish I could take back many of the things that I said to him, but I cannot take back those words. He was the closest friend that I ever had. I also wish that I could do more for him just like the things that he did for me. However, at his grave where I was standing I prayed and told God to take care of him and to tell him that I was ok and to thank him for everything he did for me.

It was really nice to go back to the island without being blind so I could see how everything looked. I was feeling really, really good and really bad at the same time. I was feeling really good because I got to see how the island looked and I got to see Timothy’s grave. I felt bad because of everything I did and everything that I said to him.

Musical Connection To Dr. King’s dream, which can come true if the very young know and understand.