Claudia Arellano - Phillip's Journey

In The Cay our hero, Phillip, leaves home with his mother because of the war. He is then separated from her when their boat gets torpedoed. He is brought aboard a raft by Timothy. During the next few months many things happen which changed him into a hero. He creates a better world for himself because he grows up.
Phillips mom was afraid of the war, so she talked to Phillip’s dad about leaving. Telling him about all the horrible things about the island and about the war. She was terrified that the war might affect her life and her family’s. Phillip’s parents argued about leaving the island. His mom wanted to leave but his dad needed to stay and help with the refinery. Then one day Philip and his mom packed their bags and they were on their way to the U.S. They went to port to wait for their boat the S.S Hato. They board their boat, and off they go to the U.S. On their way to the U.S their boat the S.S Hato gets torpedoed. Phillip and his mom get separated. Phillip gets hit in the head and becomes unconscious. When he wakes up he notices he is on a raft with a black man named Timothy. They spend about two days on the raft. Phillip becomes blind; he begins to blame everything on his mom. He hits Timothy, blaming him for what had happened. Not being able to trust someone he never met and someone who was so different from him. Timothy sees a cay, with amazement Phillip gets up and falls into the water. Timothy dives in to save him.
Timothy decides they should land on the cay. Phillip hated the idea. He wanted to stay on the raft. Now they were in a deserted island in the middle of the Caribbean. Phillip was very angry with Timothy. He called him a stupid black man that did not know how to read. Timothy slapped Phillip. Making him realize that all he was doing was helping him. That made Phillip want to be friends with Timothy. Thinking they would never get rescued, Timothy began to build a hut. They began to make their life. He taught Phillip the way around the island, he taught him to fish and to get coconuts from the palm trees. Timothy knew that he could not work as hard any more. He was making Phillip independent. Timothy realized that there was a storm on the way. He prepared and hid their belongings. Timothy got hurt during the storm but he did not want to tell Phillip. When they were in the eye of the storm Timothy laid on the sand. Phillip knew something had happened. He lay next to him and cried. Timothy was dead.
Phillip got rescued days after Timothy’s death. He was happy to leave the island he hated, but he was sad to leave Timothy behind. Phillip looked back at all he had been through with Timothy, as he left the island. When he gets home his mom apologizes for everything he had gone through. But Phillip did not blame her, he was glad it happened. Now he thought about the native people in Willemstad differently. He wants to be able to communicate with them as he did with Timothy.
Phillip’s story demonstrates a true Hero’s Journey. Phillip is called to leave. During his journey he over comes fear with help from Timothy. Phillip proves himself to be a true hero.