1. Novel Study

2. THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

3. I would be willing to save the life of a stranger, no matter who it was. TRUE FALSE

4. People from different races and religions can never be completely trusted TRUE FALSE

5. If you lose one sense (vision, hearing), other senses become stronger to make up for it. TRUE FALSE

6. I could survive on a deserted island with no fresh water, toilets, refrigeration, computers, electricity or phones TRUE FALSE

7. To be wise you must be educated TRUE FALSE

8. People can never really change TRUE FALSE

9. Kids always act just like their parents TRUE FALSE

10. Prejudice comes from fear TRUE FALSE

15. Theodore Taylor  Born on June 23, 1921 in North Carolina  Began writing by covering high school sports for a local newspaper at age 13  At 17 became a copyboy for the Washington Daily News  Two years later he began writing sports copy for NBC Radio  Has written over 50 books

16. Taylor’s The Cay  Taylor wrote The Cay in 1969  The Cay was awarded 11 literary awards, including the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award  Taylor dedicated The Cay to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  It only took Taylor three weeks to write The Cay, which is in print in 14 foreign countries, and has passed 4,000,000 copies in publication, worldwide

17. His Inspiration for the Book  While researching for a nonfiction book, Taylor came across a story of a Dutch ship being torpedoed by the Germans in 1942.  The survivors all climbed into a lifeboat, except one 11- year-old boy, who was seen swimming to a raft.  The attempts to get to the boy, were unsuccessful during the attack.  When the submarine left, it was too dark, and the raft was no longer visible.  Taylor often wondered what happened to that boy.

18. Setting of The Cay  Begins on the island of Curacao in February 1942 (during World War II)  Curacao is an island in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela  During the time of the novel, it is part of the Dutch West Indies

19. Willemstad, Curacao Curacao is an island in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, part of the Dutch West Indies, that is still connected with the Netherlands (Holland) today. People are of Dutch citizenship. It is part of the Lesser Antilles chain, which includes Aruba and Bonaire, also known as the ABC islands.

20. Curacao Colorful houses mark the shores of Punda in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao.

21. The famous Queen Emma bridge floats on pontoons. The main character, Phillip, crosses the bridge in Chapter One.

22. Picture of Fort Amsterdam, taken around 1970s

23. Image of German U-boat

24. U-Boats in the Caribbean This was one of the most important areas fought over in the entire U-boat war. In May 1942, the German U-boats began to sink merchants in these waters at a shocking rate. Here they saw the chance to effectively choke the allied war effort by cutting the vital supply line of oil. Attack on Aruba 16 Feb 1942

25. U-boat emerging from water

26. Setting of The Cay Continued  The main character, Phillip is stranded on a barren island with a complete stranger and a cat  The stranger, Timothy, believes that they are on a Cay in the Devil’s Mouth

27. Characters Phillip Enright- an eleven-year- old American; a lean boy with dark brown hair. He lives in Willemstad, Curacao, just off the coast of Venezuela. Phillip is intrigued by the war because he has never experienced it before.

28. Characters Henrik- a little Dutch boy who is one of Phillip’s best friends. He lives with his family on the island, too. He’s a boy who grew up without the same prejudices Phillip has learned from his mother.

29. Characters Phillip’s mother- an American woman who lives with her husband on the island of Curacao, but she doesn’t like it there and is distrustful of its people. She does not like the black people on the island and fears them. When war breaks out, she wants to return to the United States.

30. Characters Philip’s father- a responsible and devoted husband and father; an American man who spends much time working at an oil refinery on Curacao, supporting the war effort. He feels it is safe on the island.

31. Characters Timothy - an old black man with white hair. He has a very thick Caribbean accent. He is not good with reading or spelling, but he knows a lot about living and surviving. Phillip thinks he is ugly, but doesn’t really understand that beauty is only skin deep.

32. Plot The Island of Curacao where Phillip lives is attacked by U-boats. The year is 1942. Phillip’s father sends the boy and his mother on a ship to the states. Their ship is torpedoed, however, and sinks. He awakens on a raft after a blow on the head. He is alone with Timothy, an old black man, and the ship’s cat. Phillip then loses his sight from his head injury. Phillip and Timothy arrive on a small island or cay surrounded by coral reefs, where they are stranded. Phillip has to learn to trust Timothy.