THE ENEMY

Author

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (1892 — 1973), also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu, was an
American writer and novelist. As the daughter of missionaries, Buck spent most of her life
before 1934 in Zhenjiang, China. She wrote about Chinese people, their attitude and customs.

Her novel ‘The Good Earth’ won a Nobel Prize in literature for her. Buck had a humanistic
attitude towards the problems of life.

She felt that while nations were at war, individuals were humans and they could feel for others.
After returning to the United States in 1935, she continued writing prolifically and became a
prominent advocate of the rights of women and minority groups.

Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson. Analysis of The Enemy

Theme

The Enemy deals with the conflict between Man’s humane feelings and the prejudices created
by nations at war. It deals with the universal human values which must take precedence over
narrow considerations like nationalism. The bond uniting all human beings must transcend the
difference between nations.

The story deals with the conflict between a man’s duty towards the state and towards his own
conscience. In fact, the story raises questions about the ethics of a human being at the time of
war. Dr Sadao has been brought up in a traditional and patriotic environment and he dislikes
Americans. But, at the same time, he is a doctor and cannot let the American bleed to death.
The story condemns racial discrimination and hails the superiority of humanity above any other
thing.

The significance of the Title – The Enemy (Value Based)

‘The Enemy’ is an apt title that has the Second World War as the background. Dr Sadao, being a
skilled surgeon saved the life of an escaped American prisoner of war, his enemy, who was
wounded seriously and had been washed ashore. Torn between his duty and his integrity as a
doctor, he chooses to save the enemy’s life first and then hand him over to the police. His inner
conflict and professional ethics makes him choose the first option. His servants too, desert him
for fear of getting into trouble. He is fully aware of the fact that harbouring a prisoner of war
would endanger his own life as well.

The doctor’s professional ethics urge him to treat the ‘enemy’as a patient. Neither Dr Sadao
nor Hana, at any stage consider him their friend. Yet they treat him as a fellow human being
should be treated. The title is therefore appropriate.

Moral/ Message of the lesson – The Enemy Message

The theme of racism is reflected in the story in several ways. When Sadao recalls how he met
Hana, he remembers that he didn’t become serious with her until he was sure that she “had
been pure in her race” because otherwise, his father wouldn’t have approved. Yumi refused to
touch the American, let alone wash him before the operation, and when he left she “cleaned
the guest room thoroughly…to get the white man’s smell out of it.” Sadao has strong feelings
about white people. He thinks that they are “repulsive” and that “it was a relief to be openly at
war with them at last.” He also believed that Americans were full of prejudice, and it had been
bitter to live there, knowing himself they’re superior. With the backdrop of the Second World
War, the author highlights the horrors of war by portraying the helpless American sailor, who
was tortured.

The author advocates universal brotherhood and highlights that service to the wounded is the
best service to humanity. The story underlines the message that doctors have no nationality.
They must rise above all petty issues like Sadao did and make all possible efforts to save human
life.

Characters

Dr Sadao: Dr Sadao is a Japanese surgeon and Scientist. He was brought up by his father who
was a staunch Japanese, devoted to his culture. Dr Sadao became a skilful doctor and scientist
to fulfil his father’s wishes. His father sent him to America to study medicine. He wanted him to
study for the benefit of his country. Dr Sadao didn’t even marry Hana without his father’s
approval. He was so skilled that the General was totally dependent on him. The General has
blind faith in him which exemplifies him as a skilful and expert surgeon.
Dr Sadao was a loving husband and a good father. He consults and respects his wife. He is
worried ant the future of his kids in case he is arrested. He is meticulous and finally finds out a
middle path. He feels happy to save the life of an American and to secure his and his family’s
future too.

Hana: Hana is an ideal wife, mother and a true Japanese, She is patriotic and humanitarian with
a compassionate heart. She supports her husband in his each and every decision. Though she
does not like the idea of saving the enemy, i.e. the American prisoner of war, she cannot
neglect that before being an enemy, he was a human being first. She is a dignified lady who
carries herself in a very controlled way without sacrificing her dignity when the servants refused
to continue their services and defy her orders. Like any caring mother, she is worried about the
future of her children in case Dr Sadao is arrested for keeping the American in his house.
Despite being worried, tensed and scared, she never loses her cool amid critical situations.

Tom—The American POW: Tom was the American prisoner of war, who was shot and had
escaped. Dr Sadao found him on the shore outside his house in a wretched condition. He had
bled a lot and had a deep wound. He might have to face tortures and pain and suffering. Dr
Sadao saved his life by operating upon him and taking out the bullet. Tom displayed a fighting
spirit which was evident from his speedy recovery. He is surprised and overwhelmed by the
generosity of Dr Sadao and Hana. He didn’t want to leave their house as he felt secure there.
Finally, with the help of Dr Sadao, he is able to escape.

The General: The General is Japan’s Army General. He is Dr Sadao’s patient. He was old and
ailing and had faith only in Dr Sadao for treatment. That is one of the reasons that Dr Sadao was
not sent abroad with the Japanese army. The General himself was educated at Princeton and
had more faith in the doctor trained in America than in Germany as according to him Americans
had sentiments but Germans were cruel. He assured Dr Sadao of help in getting rid of the
American soldier but due to his self-absorption in his ailment, he forgot. When Dr Sadao told
him about the escape of the white man, he took the blame on himself and saved Dr Sadao. The
General knew the worth of Dr Sadao as a surgeon and as a scientist didn’t want to lose him so
protected him till the end.

Dream of Sadao’s Father

Took him to the islands and said they were ‘stepping stones’ to the future of Japan. Sadao
realized education is important. At 22 went to America to study surgery and medicine.
Returned at 30, as a famous surgeon and scientist.
Trusted by general-so not sent with troops.

Short Answer Type Questions (30 to 40 words)

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (3 Marks Each)

Q1. Why did the author say that Dr Sadao was also famous as a scientist?

Ans. Dr Sadao was also famous as a scientist because he had perfected a discovery which could
render wounds entirely clean.

Q2. Why was Dr Sadao not sent abroad with the troops?

Ans.He was not sent abroad for two reasons. He had perfected a discovery which would render
wounds entirely clean. Moreover, the General was in some sort of danger and might have
needed an operation and Dr Sadao was the most skilled doctor available.

Q3. How did Hana come into the life of Sadao?

Ans. Sadao had met Hana at his professor’s house in America. She had also gone there to study.
He had liked her but they had both fallen in love with each other after making sure that they
belonged to the same background and that they were ‘pure’ Japanese. Sadao married her with
the approval of his father.

Q4. Who was the person they saw while standing in the verandah? What had happened to
him?

Ans. Sadao and his wife were standing in the verandah when they saw a man who had been
flung up out of the ocean by a wave. At first, they thought him to be a fisherman but on looking
closely they realised that it was a white man with. long yellow hair. His young face had a rough
yellow beard. He was an American prisoner of war who had escaped. He was injured badly, was
unconscious and was bleeding profusely.

Q5. What did the doctor do on seeing him in the dreadful state?

Ans. Sadao tried to staunch the fearful bleeding. He packed the wound with the sea moss that
was lying nearby on the beach. After seeing the miserable condition of the injured man, he in
consultation with his wife decided to take him home.

Q6. What was the dilemma for them?

Ans.The dilemma they faced was that if they sheltered the white man, they would be arrested
and if they turned him over as a prisoner he would certainly die. He had lost a lot of blood due
to a bullet injury. He required immediate surgery. The man belonged to the enemy’s army and
they were contemplating whether to save him.

Q7. How did they come to know him as an American?

Ans.They examined his battered cap closely and realized that he was a sailor from an American
warship. The words `U.S Navy’ was written on the cap in almost faint lettering. They realized
that he was an escaped prisoner of war.

Q8. Why did they not put him back into the sea?

Ans.They were not able to bring themselves to drop him back into the sea because of their
compassionate and humane nature. Moreover, Sadao, being a doctor himself knew how to save
lives and thought it unethical to let the soldier die if he could prevent it.

Q9. Why were they afraid of taking him to their house?

 Ans. Dr Sadao and his wife Hana were afraid of taking him to their house because of the
servants who would refuse to work for them for the fear of getting into trouble themselves.
They were afraid of harbouring a prisoner of war and knew that the servants would talk.

Q10. How did Yumi react when Hana asked her to obey the command of her master?

Ans. Yumi had refused to wash the white man saying that she had never done such a thing
before and would not do it now especially for this man who was so dirty. But when Hana asked
her to obey the master, there was a fierce look of resistance upon her face. She said she would
have nothing to do with him and that it was not her business to clean him.

Q11. Why did Hana remember such men as General Takima?

Ans. Hana was looking at the recovering young soldier when she remembered General Takima
whose triumphs on the battlefield were not worth remembering in comparison to the cruel
treatment he gave to his wife. If a man like the General could be cruel to his wife, he would be
very harsh to an escaped soldier like this American.

Q12. What did Dr Sadao say when the soldier asked him what he was going to do with him?

Ans. Dr Sadao answered by confessing that he himself didn’t know what he would do with him.
He thought perhaps he would hand him over to the police as he was a prisoner of war.

Q13. Why were, according to the servants, Dr Sadao and his wife saving the American?

Ans.The cook of Dr Sadao declared that the young master was so proud of his skill as a doctor
that he would save any life. Yumi even told Hana that they would not stay if they would
continue to hide the man. She accused Sadao and Hana of having a soft corner for Americans
after staying in America and having forgotten to think their own country first.

Q14. What did the gardener say about his master?

Ans.The gardener who had worked with flowers in Sadao’s house all his life said that the old
master’s son knew very well what he ought to do. He said that the master shouldn’t have saved
the enemy but let him bleed when the young man was so near death.

Q15. What did the cook say about his master?

Ans.The cook said with some contempt that the young master was so proud of his skill to save
lives that he saves any life even if it was an enemy in this case.

Q16. What did the letter of Dr Sadao mean?

Ans. Dr.Sadao had led the prisoner on the road to recovery. One day he went to his office and
typed a letter to the chief of police reporting the whole matter. He just mentioned that he had
found the escaped prisoner in front of his house on the 21″ of February. He could not bring
himself to complete this confession and so, left it in his drawer. He was a law-abiding citizen.

Q17. What happened on the seventh day after Dr Sadao had typed the letter?
Ans.Two things happened on the day the letter was typed. The cook, the gardener and Yumi
had packed up their belongings and left together. Though the servants cried, Hana put up a
brave front. The second thing that happened was the arrival of a messenger to tell Sadao that
he had been called to the palace as the general was in pain again.

Q18. How did Hana feel when she saw a messenger in official uniform?

Ans.Her hands went weak and she could not draw her breath. She thought the servants had
already told the police about the young prisoner they were harbouring. She ran to Sadao
gasping and unable to utter a word. They were relieved to know that the messenger had come
to deliver a message from the general.

Q19. Why was the general not in favour of Sadao’s arrest?

Ans.Sadao’s skill at operating on the prisoner with success, made the general believe only more
firmly that he was indispensable to him. He did not want to have him arrested because Sadao
was the only person who could save him if he had another of his attacks and required an
operation.

Q20. What were the two foreign elements the general wanted Dr Sadao to combine?

Ans.The general wanted Dr Sadao to combine the German ruthlessness with the American
sentimentality. Then only he would be able to turn over the prisoner for execution and yet not
murder the general while he was being operated. His unusual sense of humour made him say
this to Sadao.

Q21. What did the general suggest to get rid of the American?
Ans.The general suggested that the prisoner could be quietly killed by his own private assassins.
He would send two of them to Sadao’s house and all he had to do was to leave the outer
partition of the white man’s room open while he was sleeping. He even offered to have the
body removed quietly.

Q22. Did the plan to kill the American succeed? Why or why not?

Ans.For three consecutive nights, Sadao kept awake, feeling a little disturbed but all the three
nights no assassins came and the young prisoner was still there. Later the general confessed to
Sadao that he had forgotten his promise of having the prisoner killed because he was
preoccupied with his own sufferings. The plan did not succeed.

Q23. Did Dr Sadao take Hana into confidence in the matter of the plan? Why or why not?

Ans. Dr Sadao did not tell Hana about the plan of the General to send his private assassins to
kill the young prisoner and dispose of his body. He did this because he knew she was timid and
would feel very frightened while the plan was being executed.

Q24. What did Sadao do to get rid of the American soldier?

Ans. Sadao decided to help the American soldier to escape to safety. He told him to go to an
island nearby and wait for a Korean fishing boat to pass by. He even gave him a boat, some
food and bottled water. He kept two quilts for him and gave him clear instructions so that this
plan would not fail.
Q25. What measures did Sadao take for the safety of the American?

Ans.He gave the American a stout boat, put food, bottled water and two quilts in it. He
returned to the prisoner’s room, checked his temperature, the condition of his wound, his heart
and his pulse. He decided to even give him his flashlight after a bit of hesitation. He told him
how to catch fish and then use the flashlight to signal to him if he needed food etc.

Q26. Why was Sadao not able to ask the General about the assassins?

Ans. Sadao did not ask the General about the assassins because he knew that they had never
come. He had operated upon the General and had not been sure if he would live. But the
General himself confessed that he was so pre-occupied with his own health that he had
forgotten his promise to have the prisoner killed by assassins.

Q27. How did the American behave while departing?

Ans. The young man first tried to understand all the instructions given to him by Sadao and
then dressed in the Japanese clothes Sadao had given him, he shook his hand warmly and left
for the island from which he had to escape.

Q28. The General wanted to reward Sadao. But Sadao had another reward. What was that
reward?

Ans. The General had wanted to reward Sadao for his loyalty but at the same time, Sadao knew
that he had the general in the palm of his hand, for the latter too, had shown dereliction of
duty. Sadao was rewarded in a different way by destiny. His prisoner was able to escape to
safety on the very first night. All his efforts had borne fruit.
 Q29. How does the writer indicate that Dr Sadao’s father was a very traditional and
conventional man?

Ans. Even though Sadao’s father had sent his son to America at the age of twenty-two to learn
all that could be learned in surgery and medicine, he loved the Japanese race, customs and
manners. Sadao married Hana only after confirming that she was a Japanese, as his father
would not have received her unless she had been pure in her race.

Q30. Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react? What did Hana do?

Ans. Hana told Yumi to fetch hot water. Yumi put down the wooden bucket but refused to
wash the dirty white man. Yumi said that she had never washed a white man and she would not
wash a dirty one. Yumi added that she was a poor person and did not want to associate with
the man. The fierce look of resistance upon Yumi’s dull face made Hana afraid. Under these
circumstances, Hana had no option but to wash the white man herself.

Q31. How did Hana wash the wounded man?

Ans. First, Hana untied the knotted rugs that kept the young American covered. She dipped a
small clean towel into the steaming hot water and washed his face. She continued washing him
until the upper body was clean. She cleaned him but refrained from turning him over for fear of
the wound.
Q32. What did Sadao learn about the white man’s wound?

Ans. The young prisoner of war was unconscious. There was a gun-wound that had been
reopened on the right side of his lower back. The flesh was blackened with powder. The man
had been shot recently and in his attempt to escape, a rock had struck the wound and
reopened it. Later Sadao felt the bullet in the wound. The bleeding was not superficial and the
young man had a lot a lot of blood. The bullet was near the kidney.

Q33. What forced Dr Sadao to be impatient and irritable with his patient?

Ans. Hana had never seen an operation and went outside to throw up. Sado heard Hana
retching in the garden and said that it would be better for her to empty her stomach. Her
distress and his inability to go to her at once made him impatient and irritable with the
American prisoner of war.

Q34. How did Hana help Sadao during the operation?

Ans. As the young American began to stir he had to be administered the anaesthetic. She took
the bottle and some cotton in her hand. Sadao instructed her to saturate the cotton with
anaesthetic and hold it near the man’s nostrils. She had to move it away a little when he
breathed badly.

Q35. What did Sadao’s old American professor of Anatomy tell him?
Ans. Sadao’s old American professor of Anatomy told his students that ignorance of the human
body was the surgeon’s cardinal sin. He would impress upon them to have as complete
knowledge of the body as if they had made it. To operate with anything less than that meant
murder.

Q36. Why does Sadao wonder why he could not kill the young enemy?

Ans. Sadao found it strange that he had spared his enemy. The Americans were full of prejudice
and he found it bitter to live there. The white people were repulsive even in their kindness. Yet
he had operated upon the enemy and let him escape. As a trained medical practitioner, Sadao
had risen above narrow prejudices to save the enemy’s life.

37. Did Hana think that the Japanese tortured their prisoners of war? Why?

Ms Hana had heard rumours that the Japanese torture the prisoners of war. She also
remembered that people like General Takima often beat their wives. She was convinced that if
these people could beat their wives and be cruel to them, then they would certainly torture
their enemies. This became evident when she saw scars on the body of the American soldier.

38. Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself?

Ans. Hana had ordered her maid Yumi to wash the American soldier. But Yumi bluntly refused
to do so and said that she had nothing to do with a white man. She even threatened to leave
the job if forced to wash the American. So Hana had to wash the wounded man herself.

39. What help did Dr Sadao seek from Hana while operating on the wounded man?
Ans. Dr Sadao needed the assistance of Hana while operating. The wound was so deep that the
man was to be given anaesthesia. Dr Sadao asked Hana to help him by giving anaesthesia to the
man during the operation. Though Hana had never done this before even then she managed to
help Dr Sadao in his operation.

40. How nearly had Dr Sadao missed marrying Hans?

Ans. Dr Sadao met Hana at a party at Professor Harley’s house in America. The Professor and
his wife had invited their foreign students home. Students used to get bored there. Dr Sadao
was not in a mood to go to the Professor’s house that night because the rooms were very small
and the food was very bad. Moreover, Professor’s wife was voluble. But he had gone and there
he met Hana. Had he not gone to the Professor’s house that night, he would have missed the
meeting and finally marrying Hana.

41. What made a cool surgeon like Dr Sadao speak sharply to his wife and what was her
reaction?

Ans. When Dr Sadao asked his wife to help him in operating the man by giving him an
anaesthetic, Hana turned pale out of nervousness. She had never seen an operation before.
When Dr Sadao saw her he sharply said, ‘Don’t faint’. It was his dedication to his work as a
surgeon. He wanted to save the life of the man and at this point of time, the only concern in his
mind was the success of the operation. Hana knew him well so didn’t react rather got ready to
give an anaesthetic to the patient.
42. In what context Hana remembers the cruel nature of General Takima?

Ans. While Hana was helping Dr Sadao in operating upon the American, she noticed a red scar.
She wondered if this man had been tortured by the Japanese army. She also remembered that
people like General Takima beat their wives and were cruel to them. She was convinced that if
these people were cruel to their wives, they would certainly be cruel to their enemies.

43. What solution did Hana offer to resolve Dr Sadao’s predicament?

Ans. When Dr Sadao and Hana saw the wounded American soldier, at first they thought of
throwing him back into the sea. But they could not do so. Finally, Hana resolved the problem by
saying that they should carry him into the house. She suggested that the man should be treated
and then given to the poke.

44. How did Hana react when she saw a messenger at the door in official uniform?

Ans. Hana got nervous and scared when she saw a messenger at the door in official uniform.
Her hands went weak and she could not draw her breath. She thought that the servants must
have told about the American man and the man had come to arrest Dr Sadao.

45. Why did the General not order immediate arrest of Dr Sadao who had sheltered a white
man?

Ans. The General was very worried about his own health as he was suffering a lot. He
desperately wanted Dr Sadao beside him and trusted only him for his medical treatment. If Dr
Sadao was arrested, then Et there was no one else who could have operated upon him and
saved his life. So he didn’t order for the immediate arrest of Dr Sadao.
46. Why did Dr Sadao treat the American soldier even though it was an unpatriotic act on his
part?

Ans. Dr Sadao was an expert Surgeon. He was devoted to his work. When he saw the wounded
soldier, his professional ethics compelled him to give the man medical treatment and save his
life. Though he was a loyal and patriotic citizen, humanity and compassion are the supreme
emotions which compelled Dr Sadao to treat the American soldier.

47. In what conditions did Dr Sadao find the American soldier at the seashore?

Ans. When Dr Sadao saw the man at the seashore, he was unconscious and bleeding profusely.
He was in wet rags, had yellow, long hair which was not cut for many weeks and sported a
rough yellow beard.

48. What role did the American professor play in bringing Hana and Dr Sadao together?

Ans. It was at the American professor’s house that Dr Sadao met Hana for the first time. The
professor and his wife, in order to show their kindness to the foreign students, had called them
to their house. Though Dr Sadao didn’t want to go there, he went and there he met Hana who
was a first-year student.
49. Who did Dr Sadao think the survivor from the sea was when he first saw him?

Ans. When Dr Sadao saw the man on the seashore, he thought him to be a fisherman from a
nearby village who had been washed from his boat. There were fishing villages, a mile or two
away on either side.

50. Why did Dr Sadao seek Hana’s help to treat the US soldier?

Ans. The US Soldier was badly wounded. He had a deep wound which was to be operated
immediately. Dr Sadao needed some assistance at the time of operation. The most important
task was to give anaesthesia to the patient at the time of operation so as to stop his movement.
Dr Sadao could not call anyone from outside as he had to keep the presence of the US Soldier in
his house a secret. So he asked Hana to help him during the operation and give anaesthesia to
the patient.

51. On the seventh day, after the American soldier was found by Dr Sadao two things
happened. Why did Hana feel scared of the second?

Ans. The second thing that happened on the seventh day was that a messenger came in official
uniform to call on Dr Sadao. When Hana saw the official, she got scared. She thought that the
servants might have complained to the police about the white man and so the officers had
come to arrest Dr Sadao.

52. Give two reasons why Dr. Sadao was not sent abroad with the Japanse soldiers.
Ans. The General was very ill and he was being treated by Dr Sadao. He needed an operation
and for that, he trusted only Dr Sadao. Moreover, Dr Sadao was doing research to render ‘the
wounds entirely clean’. That is why he was not sent abroad with the Japanese soldiers.

53. Give a character sketch of Dr Sadao’s father.

Ans. Dr Sadao’s father was a traditional man. He was a serious and stern man and a very
concerned father. He never played with Dr Sadao but had been very keen on providing the best
to him. He was mainly concerned about Dr Sadao’s education, that is why he sent Dr Sadao to
America to study. But at the same time, he wanted him to come back to his country and serve
his people. He had great respect for his culture and traditions.

54. How did the General offer to help Dr Sadao in getting rid of the American?

Ans. The General offered to send his private assassins to help Dr Sadao in getting rid of the
American. These assassins would kill the white man noiselessly and also dispose of his body.

55. What was the dilemma faced by Dr Sadao and Hana after encountering the injured
American soldier?

Ans. When Hana and Dr Sadao saw the American soldier, they were in a dilemma. They were
very loyal to their country and didn’t want to save the enemy. They wanted to hand him over to
the police. gut the man was wounded and in a pitiable state. Thus, the doctor inside Dr Sadao
urged him to save his life. Humanity rose above patriotism and they thought of first treating
him and then handing him over to the police.
56. Why does the General not want to be treated by doctors trained in Germany?

Ans. The General trusted Dr Sadao deeply. He didn’t want to be operated upon by anyone other
than Dr Sadao. The General believed that Germans were ruthless and quite cruel. So he was
afraid of being operated upon by them. He believed that the Americans valued life and had
sentiments attached to it. So he wanted to be treated by Dr Sadao who was trained in America.

Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words
each Value-based questions-

ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS (6 Marks Each)

Q1. Dr Sadao’s character is an amalgamation of right and wrong. Discuss.

Ans. ‘The Enemy’, by Pearl S. Buck portrays the character of an American trained Japanese
surgeon, Dr Sadao Hold. Through his character, the author has shown a conflict of ethics
between duty towards the country and compassion towards mankind.

Dr Sadao, being a skilled surgeon saved the life of an escaped American prisoners duty war who
was wounded seriously and had been washed ashore. Torn between his integrity as a doctor,
he chooses to save his life first and then hand him over to the police. His inner conflict and
professional ethics makes him choose the first option. His servants too, desert him for fear of
getting into trouble. He is fully aware of the fact that harbouring a prisoner of war would
endanger his own life as well.

Dr Sadao had been a victim of racial prejudice during his stay in America. He was well-known
for his skill as a surgeon, in his own country so much so, that he had not been sent with the
troops during the war. His character, as the story unfolds, depicts an amalgamation of right and
wrong. He ignores the ‘wrong’ but assumes the role of a compassionate human being and takes
the ‘right’ decision of saving the soldier’s life. All through his effort; he has the undaunted
support of his wife Hana.

The General gave him assurance to get rid of the prisoner but forgot his promise. Eventually,
Sadao helps him to escape. He goes to the extent of calling him ‘my friend’. He rose above
narrow prejudices and political enmity, disregarded the lurking dangers and open defiance of
his loyal servants to help the ‘enemy’ escape. He has transcended racial/ political hatred and
had heard the voice of his conscience.

Q2. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during wartime,
what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?

Ans. ‘The Enemy’ by Pearl S. Buck raises a few important issues. Call of duty towards nation
versus call of duty towards one’s profession is the major issue in the story. Dr Sadao rescued a
wounded prisoner of war who was washed ashore. The prisoner, in a dying state, according to
his call of duty, should have been handed over to the police yet his profession and his
humanitarianism prevented him from doing so. He resolved to treat him first and then hand
him over. However, the patient needed immediate surgery and despite all odds against him, Dr
Sadao went ahead and operated upon him, thus saving his life yet being a traitor to his own
country.

His domestic servants deserted him out of fear but he rose above narrow prejudices to save the
wounded American soldier. Not only that, he helped the soldier to escape to freedom after
having nurtured him to good health. He proved, in the end, that emotions, prejudices and
hatred are man-made but love, compassion for human beings was instinctive. One needs to do
one’s duty towards fellow human beings before anything else.

Q3. What did Dr Sadao do to get rid of his enemy?

Ans. Sadao’s first reaction on seeing the young wounded prisoner of war was to search for the
wound and pack it with sea moss. He then told Hana that the best thing that they could do was
to put him back in the sea. But since he was wounded, Sadao felt they could do was to put him
back in the sea. But since he was wounded, Sadao felt they should not throw him back to the
sea. He operated on the man successfully. During his meeting with the General, Dr Sadao told
him about the prisoner of war. The General promised to send his private assassins to kill the
man silently and would even remove the body. Sadao had left the outer partition of the white
man’s room open. He waited for three nights and then Sadao grew restless.

He devised the plan of letting the man escape to the nearest uninhabited island. He first made
sure that the young man, Tom, was completely healed. He offered to put his boat on the shore
that night. It would have food and extra clothing in it. Tom might be able to row to the island
not far from the coast. He could live there till he saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. The island
was not fortified. He gave the man his flashlight. He helped the enemy escape from Japan and
also got rid of him.

Q4. Good human values are far above any other value system. How did Dr Sadao succeed as a
doctor as well as a patriot? (Word limit 120-150) (NCERT) [Delhi 2017]

Ans. Fate put Sadao in a trying situation—to uphold his duty to his country or prove his
professional loyalty. With his intelligence and dedication, he managed to prove that he could
uphold both. Dr Sadao had given a new lease of life to the American prisoner of war. He didn’t
want to throw him into the jaws of death again. He asked the young soldier to take his private
boat at night. He should row in the cover of darkness to a little-deserted island nearby. The
young American could live there until he saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. Food, bottled water
and two quilts were put inside the boat. If the food ran out, he could signal two flashes.
He had apprised the General of his harbouring the enemy at his home. The General chose to
overlook it. But we shouldn’t forget that Sadao was a doctor. And for a doctor saving a dying
man is the foremost priority. It doesn’t matter if the dying man is an enemy.

Q5. To choose between professional loyalty and patriotism was a dilemma for Dr Sadao. How
did he succeed in betraying neither? (Word limit 120-150) [All India 2017]

Ans. Fate put Sadao in a trying situation- to uphold his duty to his country or prove his
professional loyalty. With his intelligence and dedication, he managed to prove that he could
upload both. Dr Sadao had given a new lease of life to the American prisoner of war. He didn’t
want to throw him into the jaws of death again. He asked the young soldier to take his private
boat at night. He should row in the cover of darkness to a little-deserted island nearby. The
young American could live there until he saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. Food, bottled water
and two quilts were put inside the boat. Moreover, if the food ran out, he could signal two
flashes.

He had apprised the General of his harbouring the enemy at his home. The general chose to
overlook it but we shouldn’t forget that Sadao was a doctor. And for a doctor saving a dying
man is the foremost priority. It doesn’t matter if the dying man is an enemy.

6. Why did Dr Sadao Hold go to America? Narrate his experience there.

Ans. Dr Sadao Hold was a skilled surgeon and a scientist who was working on his discovery to
‘render the wounds clean’. Dr Sadao was brought up by his father who was a staunch Japanese.
His chief concern was Dr Sadao’s education. He was sent to America at the age of twenty-two
to learn all that could be learnt of surgery and medicine. He returned at the age of thirty and by
that time had become famous not only as a surgeon but also as a scientist. Dr Sadao had a
tough time adjusting at America as he remembered that Americans were full of prejudice. It
had been bitter for him to live there. He had an ignorant and dirty old woman as his landlady.
The best thing at America was to meet Hana, his wife at one of his professor’s house who was a
dull man and his wife a silly talkative woman. Her experience at America had not been so good
as he had to adjust a lot there being a Japanese.

7. What impression do you form about Dr Sadao as a man and a surgeon on your reading the
chapter `The Enemy’?

Ans. Dr Sadao was a skilled surgeon and a famous scientist. His excellence in his professional
field was evident from the fact that the General had full faith in him as regards his health. Dr
Sadao was devoted to his work and to the cause of the needy. When he saw the American
soldier in a wounded condition, he was torn between the natural human instinct to save his life
and treat him or as a patriot hand him over to the police.

Dr Sadao saved the life of the man as per his professional ethics as he could not leave a person
to die. It was his duty to save the life of a person as a doctor. At this point of time, when Dr
Sadao saw this dying man, his spirit of humanity surpassed everything else and so he saved one
life irrespective of any colour, caste or creed.

8. Do you think Dr Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the circumstances?
Why/Why not? Explain with reference to the story, ‘The Enemy’.

Ans. Dr Sadao had saved the life of an American war prisoner as his professional and
humanitarian duty. But he was very loyal to his country too. He told the General about the
white man and the Genera; promised to send his private assassins to kill him. But due to his
self-absorption in his illness, the General forget to send them. Thus, finally, Dr Sadao decided to
help the American soldier escape from there. He gave him a boat, flashlight, food and water
and asked him to go to a nearby unguarded island. He could look for a Korean boat and escape.

This could be the best solution in the prevailing circumstances. Dr Sadao was in danger of being
caught for harbouring a POW. In that case, he would be questioned for the reason to give this
enemy a shelter in his house. So in order to save his reputation and the life of the white man,
there could be no better way than what Dr Sadao had decided.
9. Explain the reaction of the servants in Dr Sadao’s house when he decided to give shelter to
an enemy in the house.

Ans. The servants didn’t like the idea of giving shelter to an enemy in the house. Yumi, the
governess of the children, stubbornly refused to wash the white man and threatened to leave
the job if she was forced. When Dr Sadao told his gardener about the wounded white man, he
got upset and even frightened. He opposed Dr Sadao for treating his enemy. In fact, all the
servants in the house were critical of Dr Sadao’s sheltering the enemy. They refused to help
him. They were superstitious and fearful of the wrath of nature. They tried their level best to
send the white man away. Finally, when Dr Sadao didn’t listen to them and decided to give
shelter to the white man in his house, they left the house.

10. What conflicting ideas arise in Dr Sadao’s mind after he has brought the wounded American
soldier home? How is the conflict resolved?

Ans. When Dr Sadao brought the wounded American soldier home, he was wondering whether
what he was doing was right. The conflict was between his duty as a doctor and as a loyal
citizen. As a doctor, it was his professional ethics to help and save a dying man. But as a patriot
and a loyal citizen of his country, he was supposed to hand over this man to the police as he
was a POW, an enemy. The moment Dr Sadao felt his wound and found that the man needed to
be operated upon immediately, he forgot about everything else and his humanitarian virtues to
save a man’s life as a doctor superseded and he operated the man and saved his life.

11. How did Dr Sadao help the American POW to escape? What humanitarian values do you
find in his act?

Ans. Dr Sadao gave the American prisoner of war a boat, a flashlight, food and water. He told
him to go to a nearby unguarded island. He should stay there till a Korean boat passed by and
the escaped taking refuge in it. He dressed him in Japanese clothes and wrapped a black cloth
on his head. He asked him to signal him two flashes at the same instant the sun drops over the
horizon. He asked him to signal him once if he was all right till the time he escaped in a Korean
boat. He helped the American soldier to escape and save his life.

This act of Dr Sadao was an act of humanism and compassion. As a doctor, he had saved the life
of a man irrespective of any prejudice.Dr. Sadao had displayed himself as a man, full of
compassion and humanity by this act.