What is the conflict in the book The Cay?

The primary conflict in Theodore Taylor's novel,
The Cay, concerns the two main characters--Phillip, an American
boy, and Timothy, a West Indian sailor--and their long stay on a deserted island after
surviving the torpedoing of their ship. It becomes a story of man versus nature, and how
Timothy teaches Phillip, who is blinded when their ship goes down, to fend for himself
against the elements. Phillip is initially dependent upon Timothy, but the aging sailor
knows that they may be stranded for a long time, and he teaches Phillip how to fish and
take care of himself in case he is left alone. Timothy eventually dies, and Phillip uses
the lessons learned from his West Indian friend to stay alive until he is rescued. There
are other conflicts between the two characters earlier in the story. Phillip, who has
been brought up by a racially intolerant mother, has little respect for the "ugly" black
man at first, but the boy comes to love the man after he gets to know
him.