The Cay Violence Quotes Page 1
(Chapter.Paragraph)
| Quote #1 Like silent, hungry sharks that swim in the darkness of the sea, the German submarines arrived in the middle of the night. (1.1) |
The novel begins with this image of the German submarines preying on the islands. Why does the author compare the German submarines to sharks? How is man-made violence connected to violence in the natural world?
| Quote #2 I was not frightened, just terribly excited. War was something I'd heard a lot about, but had never seen. The whole world was at war, and now it had come to us in the warm, blue Caribbean. (1.5) |
At 11 years old, Phillip is as innocent as they come. Having no experience of the violence of war, he is excited by the arrival of the Germans in the Caribbean.
| Quote #3 Then I began to wonder if the Germans would send soldiers too. About nine-thirty I sneaked out of bed, went to the tool house, and took a hatchet out. I put it under the couch. It was the only thing I could think of to use for fighting the Germans. (2.3) |
Phillip begins to fear the Germans, so he arms himself with a hatchet. What else might Phillip have done besides arming himself? Is there ever a nonviolent solution to violence?
