The Cay Character Analysis

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“ Never be afraid to fall apart because it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself the way you wish you had been all along.” - Rae Smith. This quote made by Rae Smith helps to describe Theodore Taylor character Phillip in the novel “The Cay”. In the Cay, Phillip’s character reveals that personal strength comes from overcoming fears and obstacles standing in the way. Phillip shows three characteristics that he use to get over challenges: innocence, Afraidness, and braveness. In the beginning of the novel Philip can best described as Innocent. Theodore Taylor shows Phillip as Innocent with a scene in the book where Phillip wakes up on a raft blind with Timothy and starts screaming for his mom and dad, “After a moment, lying there in the darkness, …show more content…

Taylor shows Phillip as afraid when he is faced a challenge and said no, “As, yet I didn’t have the courage to climb the palms …” (Taylor 77). This quote from the text shows Phillip as afraid because he believes something bad will happen just because he is blind when it might not. This is significant because he is letting fear take control of his actions so he will not try anything he could do before the accident. In the resolution of the novel Phillip can best be described as brave. Taylor shows readers that phillip is brave with the scene where Phillip faces his fears and climbs the palm, “ I mthink it was the fifth afternoon of this week that I blurted out to Timothy ‘ I’ll climb the palm now’,” ( Taylor 98 ). This quote shows phillip as brave because he faces his fears and climbs the palm. This is significant because Phillip is learning to survive and he is trying new things. In conclusion Theodore Taylor’s character Phillip reveals that personal strength comes from overcoming fears and obstacles standing in the way. Theodore Taylor encourages readers to try new things and to never fear the unknown. Therefore the quote “ Never be afraid to fall apart because it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself the way you wish you had been all along.” - Rae Smith goes well with the theme of The