Point of View

The Cay is written as a first-person narrative. The story is told by protagonist Phillip Enright. Initially the reader believes young Phillip is speaking, but as the story progresses, the narrator intrudes to place the events in historical context. Thus the story is actually told by Phillip at an unspecified later date. This technique of narrative intrusion is a wonderful choice for young readers. Given the danger Phillip often finds himself in, it is a comfort to the reader to realize that he has survived to tell the tale.

Phillip's perspective changes radically from the beginning of the novel to the end. The change, however, is not due to a personality change, but rather to a process of maturation which is intensified by his experiences on the cay. The maturity and wisdom which Phillip gains would likely have occurred in any case, for his father at...