Phillip Enright
Phillip Enright is a typical carefree eleven-year-old boy when the story begins. In the year that passes, he gains more wisdom and maturity than many adults display. This transformation comes about through the life-threatening adventures he experiences on the cay. Timothy is the one who teaches Phillip his remarkable wisdom, but Phillip deserves a great deal of credit for being open to this knowledge.
At first, Phillip is not open to learning anything from Timothy. When blinded and stranded at sea, Phillip blames anyone he can think of for his predicament, including Timothy. Yet once Phillip is safely on the island with Timothy, he begins to accept his situation, and grows to like and respect Timothy. By the end, he has matured greatly symbolised by him walking down to the boats where the black men work to converse with them, something he would never have done at the start of the novel.
At first, Phillip is not open to learning anything from Timothy. When blinded and stranded at sea, Phillip blames anyone he can think of for his predicament, including Timothy. Yet once Phillip is safely on the island with Timothy, he begins to accept his situation, and grows to like and respect Timothy. By the end, he has matured greatly symbolised by him walking down to the boats where the black men work to converse with them, something he would never have done at the start of the novel.