drew bowers phillips journey

The Cay- Final Essay
By Drew Bowers


In the cay our hero, Phillip, leaves home with his mother because she didn’t feel safe at the island while World War 2 was going on. He is separated from her when the S.S.Hato (the ship they got on to leave the island) is sunk. He is brought aboard a raft by a black man named Timothy. During the next few months many things happen that change/transform Phillip into a man. He creates a better world for himself because he is blind & needs to survive.
Phillip is called onto the S.S.Hato when his mother is leaving. When the S.S.Hato is torpedoed, it sinks & a piece of timber hits Phillip on the head. Phillip wakes up on a boat; he was hauled onto it by a man named Timothy. Phillip is on a boat with Timothy & Stew cat (a cat), while on the boat Phillip goes blind from the wound on his head.
Timothy & Phillip soon find them selves on an island in the devils mouth. Timothy tries to teach Phillip to be more independent, because he is 70 something & thinks that he might not survive. On the island Phillip calls Timothy “a stupid old black man who can’t even spell.” Timothy slapped him & Phillip realized Timothy just wants to help him. Soon Timothy teaches Phillip how to fish; Phillip already can walk around the island freely. Then Phillip climbs a palm tree & retrieves the coconut, Phillip is proud of himself.
There is a hurricane & Timothy dies. Phillip is sad but using the skills Timothy taught him he signals a plane that fly’s by & at first doesn’t think it saw him. Then that night a boat rescues him & he is reunited with his family. When he gets back he has three operations on the third one he can see. Timothy likes to talk & listen to other black people because they remind him of Timothy. Phillip’s story demonstrates/shows/reveals/describes a true hero’s journey. Phillip is called to the S.S.Hato. During his journey he over comes prejudice with help from Timothy. Phillip proves himself to be an epic hero/archetypal hero/warrior hero/true hero.