Mr. Enright's cautious, honest attitude toward the war is slowly revealed throughout Chapter 1 of The Cay.
Phillip's father, Mr. Enright, believes that the threat of war must be taken seriously, that there is no such thing as a safe place in the world as long as the war is going on, and that even his young son is entitled to know the truth about what's going on. Mr. Enright shares all the information he has about the war and its encroaching dangers with Phillip, even admitting openly when he doesn't know something--like whether or not they will be attacked, or how many enemy ships are surrounding their island.
He works at an oil refinery that produces the gas that aircraft need in order to fight the war. Mr. Enright is very dedicated to this work, sometimes staying there until the late hours of the morning. His dedication is also evinced by the fact that he'd moved his wife and child to the island of Curacao so that he could continue helping the Americans' allies in the war, even though his wife is unhappy living there. Though he loves his son Phillip and would probably rather be fishing, sailing, or hiking with him instead of working, Mr. Enright takes his job (and its purpose of supporting the war effort) very seriously.
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