What is Phillip's personality like in Theodore Taylor's The Cay? What are his ambitions? What is his appearance? What are his relationships with...

In Theodore Taylor's The Cay, the first thing we learn about Phillip's personality is that he is very stubborn and prone to put his own desires above anything else.We see his stubbornnessthe morning after German submarines torpedo the oil refinery on Aruba at midnight. The morning after the midnight attack, his mother tells him to stay close to home, but instead he wanders off with his friend Henrick. First, they go...

In Theodore Taylor's The Cay, the first thing we learn about Phillip's personality is that he is very stubborn and prone to put his own desires above anything else.

We see his stubbornness the morning after German submarines torpedo the oil refinery on Aruba at midnight. The morning after the midnight attack, his mother tells him to stay close to home, but instead he wanders off with his friend Henrick. First, they go to look at the old fort; then, they make their way to the Queen Emma pontoon bridge to see what war-related activities are going on there. His mother, always fearing for his safety, is very upset to discover he wandered off. Yet, one reason why Phillip wandered off is because he put his own desires to satisfy his curiosity above his mother's fears.

A second time in which he puts his own desires above others is when he first finds himself on the raft with Timothy. When he is awakened from being knocked unconscious due to a severe blow to the head, he is very hot and thirsty and asks Timothy for water. When Timothy only gives him a tiny amount and refuses to give more, Phillip begins crying. Phillip's tears are a result of his inability to understand Timothy's caution that "we mus' be wise 'bout what we 'ave," which is a direct result of Phillip's inability to value others' needs as well as his own. If he was able to value Timothy's needs as well as his own, he would see the need to share and conserve.

Yet, as the novel progresses, Phillip learns a great deal from Timothy that significantly affects his personality. Phillip learns how to be independent, strong, courageous, and even how to sacrifice one's self for the sake of others, just as Timothy sacrificed his life by protecting Phillip from the hurricane.