Man in Nature

Unlike the common literary theme of Man against Nature, the survival story told in The Cay is about living in harmony with nature. Having spent his entire life fishing along the cays, Timothy recognizes both the assets nature provides and the dangers it poses. Without Timothy's wisdom and foresight, young Phillip would have had no chance at survival. Timothy takes advantage of nature's bounty by fishing and catching langosta. He also boils sea-grape leaves for stew and enhances their diet with mussels and sea urchin eggs. Timothy takes advantage of the falling rain by preparing a water catchment from driftwood and bamboo to funnel the rainfall into their empty water keg. He knows how to determine if food is safe to eat and if water is safe to enter. Timothy gets to know the cay in detail, and then begins gradually teaching its layout to Phillip...