The Cay: Chapter 2  Summary & Analysis

After dinner, Phillip’s father goes outside to make sure the blackout curtains completely obscure any light from inside. Then he goes back to the refinery. Phillip lies down to sleep on the couch, but he can’t settle his mind. He worries that the Germans might not just fire on the city but actually invade it. He hides a hatchet under the couch in case he needs to defend himself.

When his father comes back for flashlights, Phillip overhears his parents arguing. His fearful mother wants to take Phillip back to Virginia. His father points out that, unless they fly—something his mother absolutely refuses to do—they will be safer staying put than risking the trip. If they go by boat, they’re likely to be torpedoed by German submarines. Phillip cannot fall back asleep. The thought of leaving the island, which he loves, saddens him.

The effects of the German blockade multiply. The crews who work the crude oil shuttle tankers strike, demanding naval escorts. Even worse, the island depends on massive tankers to supply drinking water, since it has no freshwater wells. After a week, supplies of fresh vegetables begin to dwindle since few sailors want to risk a trip to the mainland. Eventually, some of the tanker workers agree to return to work, but then a German attack on an inbound Norwegian tanker sparks a new round of fear.

In late February, Phillip goes with his father to oversee the crews loading aviation fuel into a British tanker named the Empire Tern. That afternoon, the Empire Tern sails out of the harbor under the watchful eyes of Phillip, his father, the governor, and others. The crowd is beginning to disperse when the ship explodes in a ball of red flames. Looking out to sea, Phillip sees the low, menacing silhouette of the German submarine lurking a mile away from the burning ship. People scream and cry; even Phillip can hardly believe his eyes. He has lost his sense of excitement; now he sees that war means only death and destruction. That night, his mother announces that she’s going back to Virginia and taking Phillip with her. She cannot be convinced to stay, no matter what Phillip’s father says.

Shipping slowly resumes throughout March, despite the ongoing danger. When two American destroyers arrive to protect the oil refinery tankers, Phillip hopes his mother might change her mind. But she doesn’t. One day in early April, she tells him it’s his last day in school; they will be sailing for Miami in a few days. Phillip gets angry and accuses her of being a coward. He tells her he hates her. He considers running away but knows that the small island offers no hiding places. That night, when he tells his parents he wants to stay, his father feigns cheerfulness and tells him how much happier he will be in America. His mother cries and accuses him of not loving her. Phillip’s father has the final word: Phillip will leave with his mother on Friday.

Phillip packs and says goodbye to Henrik. He has a bad feeling that he won’t be back for a long time. Then, he and his mother board the S.S. Hato, a small Dutch freighter. Phillip’s father jokes that the Germans would be silly to torpedo the “old tub,” though—as he says this—he inspects the ship’s safety equipment with a worried look. He makes Phillip promise to take good care of his mother. As the ship sails past Fort Amsterdam, Phillip sees—through the tears in his eyes—his father standing on the sea wall and waving. Phillip stands on deck, watching Curaçao shrink into the distance until his mother makes him come inside.