ELEMENTS OF THE CHAPTER

▪SETTING

▪CHARACTERS

▪MOOD

▪TONE

▪CONFLICT
 SETTING

The story takes place on a

coastal town of Japan in the
year 1941 when Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor. A war
going on between America and
Japan. Japanese were hostile
to the Americans and ready to
kill any American found in their
soil.
 CHARACTERS
 Dr. Sadao Hoki: Dr. Sadao Hoki is the protagonist of the
story and Hana’s husband. A skilled surgeon educated in
America, Sadao is wholly responsible for saving the life of
Tom, an American prisoner of war who washes up on the
beach alongside Sadao and Hana’s isolated home on the
Japanese coast.
 Hana: Hana is Dr. Sadao Hoki’s wife. The couple met at a
university in America, but “waited to fall in love” until their
parents back in Japan could properly approve of and arrange
the marriage. Hana shows a deep love for Japanese customs
and the old way of living, seen through her traditional house
(peppered with patios and courtyards) and her role as a
subservient housewife. She largely bends to Sadao’s will,
often without resentment, and upholds him as the head of
the household.
 Tom / The American: Tom is a teenage American prisoner of war
who was captured and tortured by the Japanese but somehow
escaped. He washes up on the beach near Dr. Sadao Hoki and
Hana’s isolated house, and they discern that he’s a prisoner of war
from his recent bullet wound (reopened by one of the rocks out at
sea), his blonde hair, and his U.S. navy cap.

 General Takima: General Takima was a cruel and selfish man.

The rumor was he often beat her wife. If he could be cruel to his
own wife, how must he trat his enemies? His selfishness is visible
from the fact that he condoned Dr Sadao's harbouring and
sheltering an American prisoner of war which was tantamount to
treachery to the nation. He did it for his own selfish purpose. He
knew Sadao was an accomplished doctor who could treat his
ailment. So he kept him safe. He was forgetful too. He forgot to
send his assassins to Sadao's house to have the prisoner of war
murdered and his body disposed of.
 The Gardener: The elderly gardener is one of the servants
who works for Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana. Like the cook, he’s
been an instrumental part of the household ever since Sadao
was just a boy. He is fiercely loyal to Sadao’s father, who is
dead at the outset of the story. The gardener is especially
skilled with flowers and moss; in his younger years, he
created “one of the finest moss gardens in Japan” for Sadao’s
father. He refers to Sadao’s father as “my old master” and
Sadao as “my old master’s son,” demonstrating his lopsided
loyalty to Sadao’s father over Sadao.

 Yumi: Yumi is one of the servants at Dr. Sadao Hoki and

Hana’s house. She largely tends to the children and is seen
with them far more than Hana herself is. Like the gardener,
she is openly prejudiced against Tom and speaks critically of
Sadao and Hana for saving a white man.
 The Cook: The cook is one of Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s
servants. She is critical of her “young master,” implying
that she is more loyal to Sadao’s father, even though he is
dead. Like the gardener, the cook has worked in the
household since Sadao was a little boy. She believes Sadao
to be arrogant and undiscerning in the way he employs his
talents, “so proud of his skill to save life that he saves any
life.”

 Sadao’s Father: Dr. Sadao Hoki’s father is dead from the

outset of the story, but his presence lingers throughout the
story due to Sadao’s reflections and the servants’ loyalty to
their “old master.” At the start of the story, Sadao thinks
about how his harsh, domineering father, “who never joked
or played with him,” pushed Sadao toward the best
education possible, even if that meant sending him to a
university in America.
 Sadao’s Anatomy Professor: Dr. Sadao Hoki’s strict
anatomy professor from college in America. The professor
believed fervently in “mercy with the knife,” gesturing to the
undertones of human compassion and altruism that run
throughout the story.

 The American Landlady: When Dr. Sadao Hoki moved to

the United States for college, he struggled to find housing
because he was Japanese. Only one landlady—“fat and
slatternly”—welcomed him into her home. Instead of feeling
grateful for her open-mindedness and generous spirit, Sadao
“had despised the ignorant and dirty old woman” who
“house[d] him in her miserable home.”
 MOOD
Within this materialistic universe, dominated by
hate and disorder, morality and love are the only
saving grace. The story is having a touch of all
these. There are just a few of them living for our
own self, family, profession, and country. At
times, however, keeping this balance is
complicated, and is overshadowed by
uncertainty and dilemmas. This is the ideal mood
that comes out of this story “The Enemy”.
Dr.Sadao Hoki risked his entire family’s life to
harbor his duty towards mankind. He overcomes
the dilemma and deliberates his duty.
There is a touch of dilemma, excitement, fear,
patience and bravery.
 TONE
 There are many dimensions of life. We live it by
maintaining a delicate balance between the
different facets it offers to us as part of our
individual existence in society.
 This is exemplified in the story about Dr. Sadao,
Hana and the prisoner of war.
 Dr. Sadao and Hana can't decide what to do when
they discover a wounded war prisoner washed
ashore. They are confused as to whether they
should save and tend the injured, or whether they
should let him die or inform the army.
 Dr. Sadao finally strikes a balance by attempting to
rescue him before handing him over to the
military.
 CONFLICT
 This story is set at the time of the Second
World War. It is a heart rendering portrayal
of the conflict between man’s head and
heart. An American sailor is washed
ashore in a dying state and is found at the
doorstep of a very eminent Japanese
surgeon and scientist, Dr. Sadao Hoki.
Sadao is torn between his duty as a doctor
and as a patriotic Japanese. His heart is
telling him to save the prisoner while his
mind is fighting to turn him over to the
poice. It is a difficult choice to decide
whether one should allow oneself to be
governed by emotion or by reason.
THEME
 KNOW YOUR AUTHOR

 Pearl
Sydenstricker Buck (1892 – 1973)
was an American writer and novelist.

 Shehad a Chinese name – Sai Zhenzhu as

she spent her childhood in China, being
the daughter of missionaries.

 She was awarded the Pulitzer prize in

1932 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in
the year 1938.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS

 Yonder – there
 Set upon –
established
 Stepping stones –
first steps
 Outlined – stood in
rows
 VALUE POINTS
 The writer introduces the main character of the story –
Dr.SadaoHoki.
 Dr.Sadao’s house was situated on the coast of Japan.
He had been living there since his childhood.
 The house had a low height and was made of stone. It
was set upon the rocky beach which had a boundary
line made with pine trees that were tilted towards one
side.
 When Dr.Sadao was a child, he would climb up the pine
trees imitating the men who do so in order to get
coconuts from the trees.
 He would accompany his father to the islands of the
South Seas often.
 His father would point towards the islands and say that
those were the stepping stones towards the future of
Japan.
 Dr.Sadao asked childishly that where would they reach
from those islands.
 His father would reply that it was not known as it
depended on the future. The future had no limits. It
depended on mankind how it shaped its future.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS

 Infinite – endless
 Chief – main

 Render – make

 Troops – soldiers

 Mists – clouds of small drops

of water in the air
 Creeping – crawling

 Wreathing – winding around

 Haori – frock, a loose outer

garment
 Kimono – a Japanese dress
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao retained all the things that his father would tell him as a child.
 His father never played or joked with him.
 They shared a mature relation and his father underwent a lot of
hardships to bring him up.
 Sadao knew that his father was concerned about his education.
 He was sent to America at the age of twenty – two to study surgery
and medicine. He returned at the age of thirty.
 Before dying Sadao’s father saw Sadao become famous not only as a
surgeon but also as a scientist.
 Sadao was on his way to discover a treatment for wounds which would
make them absolutely clean.
 So, he was not sent abroad with the armed forces as a doctor.
 Also, he was retained in Japan because the old General was suffering
from an ailment which needed to be operated upon in case of an
emergency. The writer describes the scene outside Dr. Sadao’s house.
 As the days were unusually warm and the sea waves were cold, the
nights became foggy.
 Dr. Sadao saw the boundary of a nearby island became invisible
gradually, as it got covered in the mist.
 Slowly, the mist was coming closer to him. He thought to go back into
the house, to his wife, Hana who was waiting for him along with their
two children.
CONT…
 Before Sadao could go inside, the door opened and his wife
looked out for him.
 She was wearing a dark – blue coloured gown over her dress.
She lovingly crossed her arm with his, smiled at him,
remained silent and stood by him.
 They had met in America.
 Sadao knew that his father would marry him to a Japanese
girl only and so, he ensured this before falling in love with her.
 Sadao considered himself to be lucky to have accidentally
met her at an American Professor’s house.
 He thought that the professor and his wife were kind as they
were keen to help foreign students.
 He was glad that they had accepted this kindness and went
to their house because it was there that he had met Hana.
 Sadao would often tell Hana that it was a mere coincidence
that he went to the professor’s house that night as the rooms
in his house were small, the food was not good and the
professor’s wife was very talkative.
 If he had not gone there that night, he would not have met
Hana. At that time, Hana was a new student.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Voluble – talkative
 Heedlessly – carelessly

 Beforehand – already

 Flung up out – thrown out

 Breaker – big wave

 Staggered – walked
unsteadily
 Curled – circling

 Leaned over – bent over

 Railing – iron enclosures

 Washed from – flowed out

from
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao and Hana loved each other even after having
two children – after many years of marriage.
 They had not married in a haste in America rather they
returned to Japan, sought permission from their
parents and then got married in a traditional Japanese
ceremony.
 Hana rested her cheek against Sadao’s arm with
affection.
 That moment they saw a figure appear out of the mist.

 It appeared black in colour due to the mist in the air.

 He walked unsteadily with his arms above the head. It

was an indication that he was a prisoner. The man
walked a few steps and then disappeared in the mist.
 Upon seeing the figure, Hana reacted by asking that
who was that.
CONT…
 She took her arm out of Sadao’s arm and both
of them bent forward over the railing of the
veranda to have a closer look at the man.
 They saw him again. He was crawling on his
hands and knees. Then he fell on his face and
kept on lying there. Probably he had fainted.
 As the area had villages full of fishermen,
Sadao said that probably it was a fisherman
who had been washed off his boat.
 He ran to help him, Hana followed him.
 The loose sleeves of her haori flew as she ran.
 This part of the coast was not inhabited as it
had dangerous rocks on it.
 As the rocks were pointed, the man could be
badly injured although he had managed to
come through them.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Bare – empty
 Surf – foam of sea waves
 Spiked – pointed pieces
 Torn – pulled apart
 Haste hurry
 Stuck – blocked
 Rags – old and torn clothes
 Tended – looked after
 Struck – hit
 Solemn – serious
 Chance (here) – without planning
 Beachcombers – searchers at
the beach
 Muttered – murmured
 Stanch – to stop the flow of blood
 VALUE POINTS
 As the Japanese couple saw the man, they realized that he was
badly injured.
 The sand on which he lay had blood stains on one side which
indicated that he was wounded.
 Sadao said that the man was wounded. He approached the man
who lay motionless with his face buried in the sand.
 An old cap hung on his head soaked with the sea water, dress
wet and torn.
 Sadao turned the man’s head seeing his face Hana spoke he is
white i.e. an American.
 The injured man was an American.
 As his cap fell off, they saw his wet, yellow – coloured hair which
had not been cut for a long time.
 He was young, his face had such marks which indicated that he
had been tortured.
 He had a rough, unkept yellow – coloured beard. As he had
fainted, he did not know of the presence of Sadao and Hana.
CONT…
 Sadao was reminded that the man was wounded as he had
seen blood stains on the sand.
 As he was a doctor, he moved his trained fingers around
the man’s back to search for the wound.
 He felt blood oozing out of a wound in the lower part of his
back. It was a gun shot. The man had been injured a few
days ago.
 He had not got any medical help to treat the wound as he
had himself used some black – coloured powdery
substance on it.
 The sharp rocks on the shore had pierced it and so, it was
bleeding.
 Hana was concerned that the man was injured.

 The mist had intensified now. The three of them could not
be spotted by anyone.Moreover, the fishermen and the rag
pickers did not visit the place at that time of the day.
UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Moss – small green plan
that spread over damp
surface
 Strewed – lay over
 Moaned – long deep
sound of pain
 Stupor –
unconsciousness
 Repulsion – dislike
 Inert – motionless
 Battered – pounded
 Lettering –the letters
printed on something
 Resolution –
determination
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao answered to himself and said that the best thing
was to put the man back into the sea.
 As the bleeding stopped, he stood up and removed the
dust from his hands. Hana supported his opinion but
looked intently at the man as he lay still.
 Sadao said that if they gave him shelter, they would be
arrested for sheltering an enemy.
 If they handed him over to the Japanese army as a
prisoner, then he would die in the prison.
 As he thought that both the options were not favourable, so
the best option was to put him back into the sea.
 Hana added that the kindest act for them was to put him
back into the sea.
 Both of them did not move ahead to do so, rather they
stared at the motionless figure with dislike. They disliked
him because he was an enemy – an American.
CONT…
 Hana was inquisitive as she asked about the man’s identity.
Sadao replied that he appeared to be an American.
 He picked up the torn cap and read the words written on it
which were slightly visible.
 He said that the man was a sailor from an American warship and
read out the words – “U.S. Navy” written on the cap.
 They concluded that the man had been taken into captivity
during the war.
 Sadao and Hana discussed that the man had tried to escape
from the prison and had been shot in the back.
 They were not able to gather the courage to throw him into the
sea. Hana called upon Sadao with firmness. She asked him if he
was ready to put him into the sea.
 Sadao told her that he was able to do so and asked that did
Hana have the courage for it. Hana replied in the negative and
added that if he could not do it by himself, then she had to help
him.
CONT…
 Sadao was reluctant in throwing the man into the
sea.
 He reasoned that if the man was well, he would
hand him over to the police without any hesitation.
 He added that he was not concerned about the man
and considered him to be an enemy as he was an
American.
 He wanted to say that he was not bothered about
the injured man but his only concern was that he
was wounded.
 Hana said that if he could not throw him into the sea,
then the second option was to carry him home.
 Sadao was concerned that the servants would
object as they are sheltering an enemy.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Fowl – a bird used for its
meat or eggs
 Starved – made hungry

 Matted – covered with

mats
 Quilt – a decorative
cover for bed
 Distress – pain

 Fetch – bring

 Bear – tolerate

 Utter – complete

 Pallor – paleness

 Stoop – bend down

 Gazing – looking intently

 VALUE POINTS
 Hana said that they would tell them that they intended to hand him over
to the police once he recovered. She told him that they must do that.
 She added that they must consider their children’s future and Sadao’s
position sheltering a prisoner of war would bring them danger.
 Sadao replied that certainly he would do so and he did not think of
doing anything else.
 Sadao and Hana lifted the injured man into the house.
 The writer compares his weight to that of a hen that has not been fed
for a long time and its body loses flesh and reduces into mere feathers
and skeleton.
 The man’s arms were hanging and the duo carried him up the steps
into the side door of the house. The door opened into a passage and
they went down the passage towards an empty bedroom.
 The bedroom belonged to Sadao’s father and had not been used after
his death.
 The injured man was laid on the thick mat on the floor.
 The writer describes the room – everything in the room was Japanese
as Sadao’s father disliked foreign things.
 Hana went to the cupboard in the wall and took a soft quilt. She
resisted putting it on the injured man.
 The quilt was made of silk, had a flowery print on it and the lining was
made of pure white silk.
CONT…
 She was sad and spoke slowly that the man was very dirty.
Sadao said that the man had to be washed.
 Sadao asked Hana to get hot water to wash the man. Hana did
not want that Sadao should touch the man.
 She said that they would ask the servant (Yumi) to wash the
injured man.
 Sadao thought for a moment and then agreed with Hana.
 He asked her to call Yumi while he would call the other servants.
 Before he could go out, he saw the injured man’s face. It was so
pale that he stopped, bent forward and felt his heartbeat to see
if he was alive.
 The heartbeat was very faint but it was there. Then Sadao
placed his hand on the man’s heart to feel it. It was also beating.
Sadao concluded thus, that the injured man was alive.
 Sadao commented that if the man was not operated upon, he
would die.
 He added that even if he was operated upon and saved, he
would die at the hands of the Japanese army. So, either ways he
would die.
 Hana screamed with fear and asked Sadao not to save the man,
she feared that if he lived, they would be in danger.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Extraordinary - rare
 Vitality – strength,
energy
 Menace – danger

 Nursery – a room
where children play
 Bluntly – in a direct
way
 Heals – cures

 Courteously – politely

 Superstitious – who
has blind faith in
things
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao questioned that what would be the implications if the
man died, he wondered that he had a lot of energy which had
kept him alive through such torture.
 He countered his thought with the fact that the man was very
young – he seemed to be twenty five years of age and at that
age, people do have a lot of energy.
 Hana asked him that did he mean the man could die during the
operation. Sadao confirmed her question.
 Hana was pondering over this possibility and as she was taking
time to reply, Sadao left.
 He said that something had to be done with the injured man
irrespective of the result.
 The first thing was to wash him.
 Hana followed Sadao as he walked out of the room, she did not
want to remain in the room, alone with the white skinned man.
 Since she had left America, he was the first white man she had
seen. She had no contact with the Americans whom she had
met as they were her enemies. This injured man was also an
enemy and was a threat to them.
CONT…
 Hana turned to the children’s room and called out to Yumi.
As the children heard her voice, she went inside, smiled at
them and played with her three – month old son.
 As she held the baby who had soft black hair, she motioned
with her mouth to Yumi asking her to come.
 Yumi replied that the baby was ready for sleep and that she
must put it to sleep before accompanying her.
 Hana held the baby and went to the bedroom next to the
nursery with Yumi.
 Hana led the way towards the kitchen. The two servants in
the kitchen were scared after hearing their master’s words
regarding the injured man.
 The old gardener who also worked as a servant was
pondering over the news and pulling the hair from his
upper lip.
CONT…
 The old gardener spoke bluntly to Hana. He said that Sadao
must not treat the injured white man. He reasoned that the man
was destined to die.
 Firstly, he had been wounded by a gun shot and secondly, the
rocks of the sea wounded him further.
 If Sadao healed the wounds given by the gun and the sea, then
the gun and the sea would treat them as enemies and seek
revenge.
 The gun represents the Japanese army and the sea represents
the country of Japan. If they treated the enemy, they would be
punished by Japan.
 Hana politely said to the gardener that she would pass his
message to Sadao.
 She was frightened though not superstitious like the old man.
 She thought that helping an enemy could never be good for
them. Still, she asked Yumi to get hot water into the room where
the injured man was kept.
UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Nevertheless – in spite
of
 Slid – slipped
 Stubbornness – not to
change one's attitude or
position on something.
 Fiercely – violently
 Dignity – honor
 Sustained – kept going
 Conviction – belief
 Impulsively – acting
suddenly without caring
 Exposure – openness
 Blond – pale golden in
color
 VALUE POINTS
 Hana went inside first and moved the partition to one side.
Sadao was not there. Yumi followed her and kept the wooden
bucket on the floor.
 As she saw the white man, her thick lips folded and the
expressions on her face indicated her determination.
 She said firmly that she had never washed an American man
and that she would never wash one who was as dirty as that
injured man.
 Hana reacted to Yumi’s refusal. She screamed at her that she
was supposed to follow her master’s orders.
 Yumi resisted strongly. Her dull face had a dangerous look of
protest which scared Hana. She was worried that if the servants
reported something different from what had happened, they
could land into trouble.
 Hana changed her expressions to respect and said, “very well”.
She explained to Yumi that they intended to bring the
unconscious man into his senses and then, they would hand him
over as a prisoner.
CONT…
 Yumi said that she was not concerned about their plans.
She added that she was a poor person and it was none of
her business to know about their plans.
 Hana said to Yumi that then she should return to her work.
Yumi left the room at once.
 Hana was again left alone with the white man. She would
have been afraid to remain there all alone but her anger on
Yumi’s firm determination made her stay in the room.
 Hana said with anger that Yumi was a stupid person. She
said that it was just an injured man.
 Hana was so full of anger at the refusal by the maid, Yumi
that without thinking, she opened the blanket in which the
man was injured. His chest was bare.
 Hana took a small clean towel, dipped it in the steaming
hot water and washed his face. The man’s skin was rough
due to being exposed to the sun, but it had a good texture
and he must have been very fair as a child.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Ebbing – declining

 Sterilized – germ free

 Anxious – eager

 Tokonoma – part of the

wall built farther back
than the rest of the wall
 Linen – a fabric made
from flaz
 Matting – rough materials
used for making mats
 Strips – long narrow
pieces
 Concise – short

 Absorption – total
attention
 VALUE POINTS
 Hana kept on cleaning the man’s upper body as she had
these thoughts. She did not like the man as he was not a
child anymore.
 She did not have the courage to turn him over and thought
of Sadao.
 Her anger was decreasing and she started becoming
restless.
 She did not want the man to freeze due to the cold weather,
she put the quilt on him.
 Hana called out to Sadao softly.
 He had been on the door when she called him. He opened
the door.
 Hana saw that Sadao was carrying his surgeon’s
emergency bag and was wearing his surgeon’s coat.
 He was prepared to operate upon the injured man.
 Hana asked Sadao that had he decided to operate the
man.
CONT…
 Sadao replied that he had decided to operate him. He
turned his back to Hana as he did not want her to object to
his decision.
 Sadao started his work. He opened a sterilized towel on
the floor of the tokonoma alcove and placed his surgical
instruments on it.
 Sadao asked Hana to get some towels.

 Hana obeyed Sadao and went out to get the towels. She
was curious as Sadao was operating upon the injured man.
 She thought that the blood from his wounds could stain the
fine mats.
 So, she got some rough mats from the backyard which
were used by the gardener to cover the delicate shrubs
from the cold weather.
 By the time Hana reached the room it was too late as blood
had stained the mat beneath him. Her effort was futile.
CONT…
 On seeing the stained mat, Hana cried that the mat had
been spoiled.
 Sadao agreed that the mat had been ruined in such a
manner which indicated that he was not bothered by it.
 Sadao ordered Hana to help him turn the man over.
 She obeyed him and then Sadao started washing his back.
 Hana told Sadao that Yumi had refused to wash the injured
man. Sadao asked her that did she wash him. He did not
stop cleaning him.
 He made fast small movements of his hands as he cleaned
him carefully.
 Sadao was engrossed in work and did not seem to hear
Hana.
 Hana wondered that Sadao was not bothered who the
injured man was.
 He was only concerned in performing his work well.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Anaesthetic – medicine
that causes
unconsciousness
 Peered – looked into
carefully
 Fastened – tied

 Superficial – not deep

 Her face the colour of

sulphur – sulphur is a
yellow coloured element.
The clause means that
her face became pale –
yellowish in colour.
 Retching – trying to
vomit
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao told Hana that she would have to inject the injured man
with a substance that induces insensitivity to pain.
 Hana replied that she had never done that earlier.
 Sadao said in a haste that it was very easy.
 Sadao was removing the packing and now the blood started
flowing faster.
 He looked at the wound with the help of the bright surgeon’s
light fixed on his forehead.
 He announced that the bullet was inside the man’s body.
 He wondered that how deep the wound made by the rock was.
 He said that if the wound was not very deep, then he could get
the bullet out.
 He added that the bleeding was not from the surface of the skin
which meant that the wound was deep and the man had already
lost a lot of blood.
 When Hana saw Sadao inspecting the wound, she could not see
the sight and so, she coughed.
 Sadao looked at her and saw that her face was yellowish in
colour like the colour of sulphur.
CONT…
 Sadao reacted and ordered Hana not to faint. He did not
stop his work and continued inspecting the wound.
 Sadao said that if he stopped, the injured man would
certainly die.
 Hana put both her hands on her mouth, jumped up and ran
out of the room.
 Sadao heard her vomiting in the garden but he continued
with his work.
 As Sadao needed Hana’s help to operate the man, he
thought that it would be better for her to empty her
stomach so that she would not feel uneasy time and again.
 He was reminded that Hana was seeing an operation for
the first time and it was not a pleasant thing to see.
 Sadao was irritated and impatient as his wife was under
stress and he was not able to help her due to the man who
lay under his knife.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Ruthless – cruel, harsh
 Moaned – groan,
whimper
 Saturate – soak
 Intricate – minute,
complex
 Crouched – bent low
 Piteously – causing you
to feel sad and
sympathetic
 Manchuria:
Manchuria (Northeast
China) is the homeland
of the Manchu people.
To the Chinese, the
region is simply known
as the Northeast.
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao thought that there was no reason for him to make efforts
to save the man because there was no reason for him to live.
 Sadao became merciless and started working fast. The injured
man moaned in his state of unconsciousness but Sadao kept on
working without paying attention to the man’s pain.
 Sadao said to the injured man that he was free to cry in pain.
 Sadao was not concerned that the man was in pain.
 Hana entered the room and asked Sadao for the anaesthetic
which she had to administer to the injured man.
 Sadao moved his chin to guide her to the bottle of anaesthetic.
 He added that it was good that she came as the man had started
to gain consciousness and it was important to sedate him.
 Hana held the bottle and some cotton in her hands.
 She asked what she was supposed to do.
 He told her to put some anaesthetic on the cotton and to place
the cotton near the man’s nostril.
 He did not stop his delicate work and added that she should
remove the cotton when the man started to breathe badly.
CONT…
 Hana sat in a squat and went close to the face of the sleeping American
man.
 She felt sad and sympathetic towards him as she saw his thin face and
twisted lips.
 She knew that he was suffering. She wondered whether the stories that
she had heard about the torture meted out to the prisoners were true.
 The stories were like rumours which spread when people told them to
others.
 On the other hand, in the printed media like the newspapers, it was
mentioned that the Japanese army was welcomed wherever it went, and
people praised it for their freedom.
 Hana recalled an officer of the Japanese army, General Takima who was
cruel to his wife and would beat her.
 No one talked about it anymore as he had won the war in Manchuria.
 Hana thought that if a man could be cruel towards his wife then he could
also be cruel to the prisoners in his captivity.
 Hana hoped that the man had not been tortured by the army.
 Just then she saw deep red coloured marks (injury marks) on his neck,
under the ear.
 Hana mentioned the scars to Sadao and asked about them.
 Sadao did not answer.
 At that moment, the tip of his instrument hit something hard (the bullet). It
was very close to the kidney.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Probed – searched
 Cardinal – basic,
fundamental
 Precise – exact, accurate

 Incision – a sharp cut

 Quivered – trembled

 Guts – intestines

 Profound – deep

 Feeble – weak

 Hypodermic – an
injection given under the
skin
 Perceived – imagined
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao was not thinking of anything else.
 He was happy to have finally found the bullet. He moved his fingers inside
the wound.
 Sadao was familiar with the tiniest part of the human body.
 His professor of anatomy in America had told them that if a surgeon
ignored the knowledge of any part of the body, it was the first misdeed
that he had committed.
 To operate upon a body without detailed knowledge of it as much as the
person who makes it has would amount to committing murder of that body.
 Sadao’s professor would repeat these words in his class often.
 Sadao spoke to the injured man.
 He said that the bullet had just missed his kidney.
 When Sadao would get engrossed in the operation, he would start talking
to the patient.
 He addressed thet patient as ‘my friend’. He called the injured man also
‘my friend’.
 He forgot that this man was not a friend but an enemy.
 Sadao was quick. He made a few surgical cuts on the body and removed
the bullet. The man trembled in pain but remained unconscious.
 He spoke a few words in English which were an expression of the pain that
he was experiencing.
CONT…
 The injured man choked and said “guts,” “They got my guts”.
 He meant that he was brave and courageous and the Japanese army
would have a tough time while punishing him.
 Upon hearing him Hana cried out to Sadao. Sadao hushed her to keep
quiet.
 The man became so quiet that Sadao held his wrist to check his
heartbeat.
 He was checking if the man was still alive. His pulse was there
although it was very weak.
 Sadao thought that it was enough for a person who had a desire to live.
 There was still hope that the man would survive.
 Sadao was sure that he did not want the man to live.
 Sadao stopped Hana from administering anesthetic.
 He turned quickly and chose a small bottle from the medicines.
 He filled a syringe with the medicine and pushed the vaccine into the
man’s left arm.
 Sadao placed the needle down and held the man’s wrist.
 The pulse shivered once or twice and then improved.
 Sadao took a deep breathe as he told Hana that the injured man would
live.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Compelled – forced

 Apologize – feel sorry

 Summon – to gather

 Gasped – to catch one’s

breathe due to
astonishment
 Knelt – sat on her knees

 Porcelain – a white
vitrified translucent
ceramic also called china
used for making utensils,
pottery, etc.
 VALUE POINTS
 He woke up, his blue colored eyes were full of fright as he realized were he was.
Hana felt sorry for him.
 She served him food as the servants refused to enter the room where he was kept.
 When Hana met the injured man for the first time she saw that the man was
gathering strength and he was full of fear.
 Hana said softly to the injured man that he should not be afraid.
 He was astonished that she could speak English.
 Hana replied that she had lived in America for a long time. The man wanted to
speak further but was not able to speak.
 Hana fed him gently with a spoon made of porcelain. The man did not want to eat
but still he ate.
 As Hana fed the man, she said that soon he would become strong.
 She said so despite the fact that she disliked him. The man did not reply to her.
 Sadao visited the man on the third day after the operation.
 The young boy was sitting but his face was pale and weak due to the effort that he
made while sitting.
 Sadao screamed at him and ordered him to lie down He said that the man would die
if he stressed himself.
 Sadao forced him down and inspected the wound that he had operated upon. He
scolded the man that he could die if he tried to exert himself.
 The boy asked Sadao that what would he do with him now.
 It seemed that the boy was hardly seventeen years old.
 He asked Sadao that would he hand him over to the Japanese army.
CONT…
 Sadao did not reply instantly.
 He completed examining the boy and then put the silk quilt on him.
 Sadao said that he himself did not know what he should do with the
boy.
 He added that he was supposed to hand him over to the police.
 He also disclosed that he knew that the boy was a prisoner of war.
 As Sadao saw that the boy was about to speak, he raised his hand to
indicate him not to do so.
 Sadao asked him not to speak and not to tell his name also unless he
asked him to do so.
 Sadao and the boy exchanged glances and then the boy closed his
eyes and turned his face towards the wall.
 He said okay in a low voice as he felt bitter by Sadao’s words.
 Outside the door Hana was waiting for Sadao.
 He saw that she was in some sort of a trouble.
 Hana said to Sadao that Yumi told her that the servants would not stay
with them if the American man lived there any longer.
 She also said that Sadao and Hana had been in America for such a
long time that they had forgotten their country’s priority.
 Yumi and the servants thought that Hana and Sadao liked Americans.
 ASSIGNMENT
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS ( 2 MARKS EACH)

1. Who was Dr.Sadao? Where was his house?

2. Will Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an
enemy?
3. What was the chief concern of Sadao’s father about Dr.
Sadao?
4. Why was Dr. Sadao kept in Japan and not sent abroad with
the troops?
5. How did the gardener react when Dr. Sadao told him about
the wounded American Soldier?
6. ‘Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier’. How did Yumi react?
7. In what condition did Dr. Sadao find the American soldier at
the seashore?
8. What was Dr. Sadao’s father’s dream for him? How did
Sadao realize it?
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Contemptuously –
disrespectfully
 Wistaria wine – a flowering
plant used for decoration
 Pine needles – very thin,
sharp leaves that grow on
pine trees
 Marred – spoiled

 Traitor – a person who

betrays his country
 Condemned – criticized
 VALUE POINTS
 Hana said to Sadao that Yumi told her that the servants would not stay
with them if the American man lived there any longer.
 She also said that Sadao and Hana had been in America for such a
long time that they had forgotten their country’s priority.
 Yumi and the servants thought that Hana and Sadao liked Americans.
 Sadao reacted harshly and said that this was not true. He said that
Americans were their enemies.
 He had been trained in such a way that he could not let a man die and
would help to save him in whichever way he could. That was what
Sadao had done.
 Hana said that the servants could not understand Sadao’s
predicament.
 Sadao agreed with this.
 Both of them had nothing more to say. The chores of the house
continued but the servants were vigilant.
 They were polite but unfriendly towards their masters.
 One morning, the old gardener said that it was obvious what their
master should have done.
 The old gardener had worked with flowers all his life and specialized in
moss.
 He had been employed by Sadao’s father. The gardener had made one
of the best moss gardens in Japan for Sadao’s father.
CONT…
 He would sweep the bright green coloured carpet of the moss clean so
that the sharp leaves of pine tree could not spoil the soft velvety surface.
 He plucked a flower bud from the bush as he said that his master’s son i.e.
Sadao knew very well what he was supposed to do.
 He added that when the man was almost dead, he should have left him to
bleed to death.
 The cook said disrespectfully that their master was so proud of his skill at
saving lives that he did not bother whose life he was saving.
 She cut the neck of a hen skilfully and held the bird as it shivered.
 She let the blood of the hen flow into the wisteria plant.
 The old gardener had instructed her that blood was the best fertilizer for
the plants and he did not allow her to waste a single drop of it.
 Yumi was worried about the fate of Sadao and Hana's children. She
wondered that when they grew up they would be labelled as the children
of a traitor.
 As Sadao was helping an American, all the people of Japan would
consider him to be an enemy of Japan, a traitor of his country.
 As Hana stood in the verandah arranging the flowers, the servants
discussed the matter in her presence as they wanted her to know their
views about the matter.
 Hana also felt that the servants were right, but she had some feelings for
the injured man which she could also not analyse.
 She did not like the Prisoner neither was she attached towards him.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Impulsive – emotional
 Bowed – bent down

 Assuage – calm down

 Dismayed – felt bad

 Grieving – sad

 Brusquely – sounding
rude
 VALUE POINTS
 The day before the injured man told her that his name was Tom.
 Hana did not like him at that moment also. She had reacted by bowing her
head mildly.
 She saw that her reaction hurt the injured man, but she did not want to reduce
this hurt that she had caused to him because the injured man was a great
trouble to her.
 His presence was a threat to Hana and Sadao.
 Sadao was performing his role perfectly. He would examine the wound every
day.
 One morning the last stitches were removed from the injured man's body and
he would be as well as ever in the next 15 days.
 In the meantime, Sadao went to his office and wrote a letter to the chief of the
police to report the entire matter to him.
 Sadao started his report and he wrote that on the 21st of February an escaped
prisoner was washed up on the shore in front of his house.
 Sadao had just typed this much of the report.
 He opened the drawer of his desk and kept this unfinished report in it.
 On the seventh day after that two things happened. The servants of the house
left in the morning.
CONT…
 They had tied their belongings in huge pieces of cloth. When Hana got up in
the morning, she saw that the work had not been done – the house was dirty,
and the food had not been cooked.
 She realized that the servants were up to something.
 She was shocked and horrified when she came to know that the servants were
leaving.
 Hana did not show her feelings to the servants, instead she remained calm and
maintained her grace as the lady of the house.
 She paid the servants and thanked them for their services. As the servants
had been working there for many years, they were crying but Hana did not cry.
 The cook and the gardener were very old employees. They had been
employed by Sadao’s father and had served Sadao since his childhood.
 Yumi was crying because she would miss the children.
 She was so sad that she ran up to Hana after she had left.
 Yumi said to Hana that if the baby missed her at night she could call her.
 She further added that she was going to her own house and Hana knew where
her house was.
 Hana smiled and thanked her for the offer but to herself she said that in case
the baby cried she would not call for Yumi.
CONT…
 The next morning Hana prepared the breakfast and Sadao
helped her by looking after the children.
 Neither of them talked regarding the servants but after Hana
served the morning food to the Prisoner of War she came back
to Sadao probably to talk something.
 Hana was very worried, and she questioned that why they were
not very clear about what they ought to do.
 She added that even their servants were very clear as
compared to them.
 She said that why were they behaving differently from other
Japanese people.
 Hana wanted to say that as Americans were their Enemies they
should not have treated that Prisoner Of War and they should
have let him die just like any other Japanese would have done.
 Sadao did not reply to Hana but after some time he went into
the room where the Prisoner of War was resting and spoke very
fast.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS

 Evidently – clearly
 Crimson – dark red

 Unaccustomed – unusual

 Gasping – struggling to
breathe, unable to speak
 Merely - only
 VALUE POINTS
 He said that that day the man could get up and stand on his feet. Sadao wanted him to stand
only for 5 minutes at a time.
 Further he added that the next day he could try to stand for double the time that is 10 minutes.
 Sadao also said that it would be good for everyone that the man regained strength as soon as
possible.
 Sadao hinted that they wanted to get rid of the American as early because he had become a
cause of trouble for them.
 Sadao saw that his words brought a hint of terror and scare on the face of the young boy.
 His face was still very pale and colourless because he was very weak. The boy spoke in a low
voice and said “Okay”.
 It appeared that he wanted to speak something more but he just said that he wanted to thank
Sadao for saving his life.
 Sadao was very expressionless when he said that the boy did not need to thank him yet.
 As he spoke this he saw that the hint of scare again appeared in the boy’s eyes.
 The writer compares the boy’s terrorized eyes to that of a scared animal.
 The injury marks on the neck of the boy turned the bright red in colour for a while. Sadao
thought that what has caused those injury marks, but he did not ask the boy about them.
 That day the second incident happened in the afternoon. Hana was busy with the household
work as the servants had left. All of a sudden, she had to perform all the work which she was
not used to.
 She was very tired. She saw that a messenger wearing official uniform had come to the house.
As she saw him her hands went week and she was unable to breathe.
CONT…
 This was because she felt that the servants must have told the authorities that they were
sheltering an enemy.
 Hana ran up to Sadao and she was struggling to breathe. She was unable to speak.
 By that time the Messenger also followed her through the garden and he stood in front of
Sadao.
 Hana was helpless, and she pointed her finger towards the Messenger.
 Sadao was reading a book and when he saw Hana, he looked up. He was sitting in his office
which had a partition in it.
 The part of the office beyond the partition opened into the garden and was full of shady
sunshine.
 Sadao asked the messenger the matter due to which he had visited them.
 When he saw that the Messenger was wearing a uniform he stood up as a mark of respect.
 The Messenger said that Sadao was supposed to accompany him to the palace.
 He added that the old general was suffering in pain and Sadao was supposed to visit him and
treat him as a doctor.
 Upon hearing this Hannah was relieved and she said, “oh”. With this, she took a deep breath
and asked that was that all for which the Messenger had come.
 The messenger reacted and said, “All?” he could not understand that what else could it be for
which he was supposed to visit the house.
 He asked that was that not enough, did they want any other reason for him to visit them.
 Hana was sorry for her reaction and said that the reason was enough for the messenger to
visit them. She did not need any other reason for him to visit them.
 As Sadao had to accompany the Messenger, he went to Hana to say goodbye.
 Hana was in the kitchen but she was not doing anything. The children had gone to sleep, and
Hana was taking rest.
 She was more tired due to the scare on seeing the messenger than she was from doing the
household work.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Indispensable –
unavoidable
 Ruthlessness –harshness

 Sentimentality – being
emotional
 Execution – killing

 Overwhelmed – defeated
completely
 VALUE POINTS
 Hana said to Sadao that she had thought that the messenger had come to arrest him.
 Sadao looked carefully at Hana’s anxious eyes. He was very sad and distressed, and he
said that he must get rid of the man for her sake.
 Sadao went along with the messenger to visit the general
 Sadao narrated the entire story to the general.
 The general who was very weak said that he understood Sadao's position because he
had also studied in America at the Princeton University.
 Sadao replied that he did not care for the American man but as he had operated upon
him successfully. The general interrupted him and said, “yes, yes”.
 He felt that Sadao was a necessary part of his life. He felt that Sadao was very skilled.
 The general asked that did Sadao think that the general had any chance of surviving
another heart attack as the one he had that day.
 Sadao replied that in his opinion the general could not survive more than one such heart
attack.
 The general said that then in that case he could not allow anything to happen to Sadao.
 He wanted to say that he needed Sadao and so, he would protect him.
 The general's long, weak yellowish face became expressionless because he was
thinking about Sadao being arrested.
 He became serious, closed his eyes at the thought of Sadao being arrested and said that
Sadao could not be arrested.
 If Sadao was sentenced to death and he needed an operation the next day, then who
would operate upon him.
CONT…
 So, the general needed Sadao and so he would protect him.
 Sadao suggested to the general that there were many other surgeons in Japan.
 The general replied that he did not trust anyone else other than Sadao.
 He added that the best surgeons had been trained by the Germans and for them the
operation would be successful even if the general died.
 He did not care for their point of view. The general added that the Japanese could not
combine the harsh nature of the Germans with the emotional nature of the Americans.
 So the general wanted to say that they did not have such persons who could combine the
harsh nature of a German and the emotional nature of an American.
 Sadao could be harsh and could turn the prisoner to the Japanese and at the same time,
be emotional and not murder the general during the operation.
 With this the general laughed. The writer says that the general had a strange sense of
humour.
 He was very witty.
 Then he asked Sadao that being Japanese could he not combine these two foreign
elements.
 So, the foreign elements to which the general is referring is the harsh nature of a
German and the emotional nature of an American.
 Sadao smiled at the general’s question and said that he was not quite sure about it but
for his betterment, he was willing to try it out.
 The general shook his head as he did not want to be such a person on whom a new trial
would be made.
 Suddenly, the general felt weak and emotional as he was reminded of the problems he
had faced throughout his life while fulfilling his duties and responsibilities in various
wars won by Japan.
 ASSIGNMENT
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS ( 2 MARKS EACH)

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

2. How does the writer indicate that Dr Sadao’s father was a

very traditional and conventional man?

3. Why did the messenger come to Dr Sadao? What did

Hana think about it?

4. Why did the servants leave Dr Sadao’s house?

5. What secret plan did the General have about the

American soldier staying under the
care of Sadao?
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Assassins – killers
 Timid – scared and
nervous
 Absolute state – a state
with unrestricted powers
 Gaily – happily

 Gosh – an expression
when someone is
surprised or shock
 VALUE POINTS
 The general was irritated and said that the happening of the injured
man reaching his house was an unfortunate one.
 Sadao agreed with him.
 The general said that the best solution was to kill the man quietly.
 He added that he would not be killed by Sadao but by his hired killers.
 He would send two killers to Sadao’s house that night or any night.
 Sadao did not need to know about it. As the weather was warm those
days, he wanted Sadao to act naturally and keep the door of the outer
partition of the man’s room open.
 As it opened into the garden, it would give easy access to the killers
while the man was asleep.
 Sadao agreed that the idea seemed natural. He added that they did
leave the door of the outer partition open at night.
 The general was over with the talk and so, he yawned to show
disinterest.
 He commented that the killers were experts – they did not make any
noise and killed the person in such a way that he bled inside.
 There would be no traces of blood on his body. He would even ask
them to remove the dead body if Sadao wanted.
 Sadao thought about Hana and said that that would be very good.
C ONT …
 Sadao went back home and on the way he kept on thinking of the plan that
he had made along with the general.
 He thought that in this way, he would not be involved in the death of that
American man.
 He planned that he would not tell Hana anything about this plan.
 Hana would not like the idea of the hired Killers coming to their house but
such persons were essential in a place like Japan.
 It was the only way for the rulers to deal with their opponents.
 Sadao did not let any thought enter his mind as he went into the room
where the American man lay asleep.
 He was surprised to see the man out of his bed. He was getting ready to
go out into the garden.
 Sadao was shocked as he asked him that who had permitted him to stand
and walk.
 Tom was happy and said that he was not in a habit of taking permission
before doing anything.
 He said that he felt good again, just the muscles on the sides of his body
were stiff and rigid.
 Sadao was surprised to hear that.
 He forgot all work and said that he had warned the man not to stand and
walk.
 He lifted the man’s shirt and inspected the scar. He said that massage
could heal it if it would not be healed by exercise.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Gaunt – gloomy, weak
 Stubbly – unshaven, bearded
 Blond - light – coloured,
yellowish colour
 Gripping – holding tightly
 Rustling – the sound made by
footsteps
 Twig – branch of tree
 Burden – here, it refers to a
dead body.
 Shaggy – hairy
 Refrain – a sound that is
repeated time and again
 Boughs – branches of trees
 Partitions – structures
dividing a room into parts
 VALUE POINTS
 The man said that the scar would not trouble him.
 His young, bearded face was weak. He thanked Sadao and said that if
he had not reached Sadao that day, then he would have died.
 Tom added that he was sure of that.
 As he held the chair tightly with his thin hands, the knuckled turned
white in colour.
 This indicated that he was still weak and had not recovered fully.
 Tom added that if all the Japanese people would have been like Sadao,
then the war would not have happened.
 Sadao said that maybe that could be true. He added that the man
should go to sleep.
 He helped the man lay in bed, bowed to him, said “goodnight”.
 Sadao was restless all through the night as he felt that the hired killers
were there to kill the man.
 He imagined hearing the sound of footsteps, branches being broken,
stones moving as men walked on them and imagined that he heard
such a noise which indicated that some men were carrying the
American’s dead body.
 All this anxiety kept him awake.
CONT…
 In the morning Sadao made an excuse to go into the American man’s
room first.
 He had planned that if the man was gone then he would tell Hana that
the general had ordered for him to be removed from there.
 When he opened the door, he saw the man who had lots of yellowish
coloured hair was asleep.
 He could hear the sound of his breathing. Sadao closed the door of
the room.
 Sadao said to Hana that the man was asleep. He added that now he
was well and did not need to sleep like that.
 Hana again asked Sadao that what should they do with the man.
 Sadao shook his head and promised her that he would decide it in one
or two days.
 Sadao thought that perhaps the killers would come the next night. The
night was windy.
 He heard the sounds made by the branches as they bent due to the
wind and the partitions made whistling sound as the wind passed
through them.
 Hana woke and asked that should they close the partition door of the
man’s room.
 Sadao refused and said that the man was capable to do that himself.
 The next morning the American man was still there in the room.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Eaves – part of the roof that
meets or overhangs the wall
of a building
 Wail –cry loudly

 Crept – crawled

 Weary – tired

 Strain –stress

 Fortifying: putting security at

a place
 Submerged –sink into the sea

 Fathom – a unit of measuring

the depth of the sea.
 Comprehending –
understanding
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao was hopeful that they might come on the third night.
 Instead of the wind, there was rain that night. The garden was full of
noises as the water dripped down the roof and tiny rivulets flowed
through the garden.
 Sadao slept a little and jumped as he heard a loud noise.
 Hana heard the loud crash and asked what it was.
 The baby also woke up and started crying. Hana wanted to go and
check on it but Sadao stopped her.
 Hana screamed at him and asked what the matter was. Sadao spoke
slowly and asked her not to go.
 He was scared and his scare affected Hana too. She stood without
breathing and waited.
 There was silence and both of them crawled back into the bed with the
baby lying on the bed in between them.
 In the morning, Sadao went into the guest room and saw the man was
there.
 He was happy and had taken his bath and had started moving around.
 He had borrowed a razor from Sadao the previous day and had shaved
his beard.
 The colour of his cheeks was slightly pinkish which indicated that he
was recovering and regaining good health.
 The man announced happily that he was well.
CONT…
 Sadao wrapped his traditional Japanese gown around his tired body.
 He was tired because the curiosity had kept him awake for two
consecutive nights.
 He decided that he could not pass one more night in such a way.
 He was not bothered about the man’s life but he could not bear the
stress and anxiety any longer.
 Sadao said to the man that he was well now.
 He lowered his voice and said that he was strong enough to sail a
boat.
 Sadao planned that if he arranged a boat, stock it with food and extra
clothing, the man would be able to row it to the nearby island.
 As the island was so close to the coast, it had not been guarded.
 It was not inhabited as it sunk into the sea during the storms.
 As it was not the season of storms at that time, the man could live on
the island until he spotted a Korean fishing boat pass by.
 The Korean fishing boats passed near the island as the sea was very
deep there.
 The young man stared Sadao as he understood his words.
 He asked that was it necessary for him to do so.
 Sadao pleaded that he must understand that the fact that the man was
living at his house was known to everyone.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Dragged – pulled
 Stout – fat, big
 Pawnshop – a store that lends
money in exchange for a
valuable thing that they can
sell if the person leaving it
does not pay an agreed
amount of money by an agreed
time
 Post – pole
 Flashlight – torch
 Supper – an evening meal,
typically a light or informal
one.
 Runs out – finishes
 Sun drops – the Sun sets
 Horizon – the line at which the
earth's surface and the sky
appear to meet, skyline
 Raw – uncooked
 VALUE POINTS
 The young man agreed with him and said “okay”. He moved his
head to indicate his acceptance
 Sadao left and did not meet the young man until evening. During
the day, he made arrangements for him.
 As it became dark, Sadao pulled out a big boat to the shore. He
placed food and bottled water in it that he had bought secretly
during the day.
 He kept two quilts in it. He had purchased them from the
pawnshop.
 As there was a high tide in the sea, he tied the boat to a pole.
 It was a dark, moonless night and Sadao worked without a
torch. He did not want to be spotted by anyone.
 When Sadao came home, he pretended as though he had
returned from work so that Hana did not guess anything.
 Hana served him the evening meal and said that Yumi had
visited them that day as she missed the baby a lot.
 Although Yumi was modern, she did not eat with Sadao.
 Sadao said that as soon as the American man left, the servants
would return.
 That night before going to bed, Sadao visited the man.
C ONT…
 He checked his body temperature, the wound, his heart and heartbeat.
 The heartbeat was unsteady due to excitement as he was about to leave
their home.
 The man’s lips were pressed together and his eyes were red in colour
which seemed to be burning with fire.
 The scars on his neck were still red as they had not healed yet.
 The young man said to Sadao that he was saving his life once again.
 Sadao said that it was not like that. He was sending him because he could
not keep him any longer.
 Sadao was reluctant in giving him a torch as he felt that if the man used it
unwisely, he could be spotted and land into trouble.
 Finally, he gave him his own torch, the one that he used when he had to
attend to patients at night.
 Sadao instructed the man. He said that if his stock of food finished before
he found a Korean fishing boat, he could signal him with two flashes of the
torch at dusk time.
 He asked him to be careful not to signal when it was dark because light
was more visible in the dark as compared to dusk.
 He added that the man could find fish in the sea near the island but he had
to eat it raw.
 He was not supposed to cook it because fire would be spotted by the
guards and put him in danger.
 The man drew a breath on hearing the instructions and said “okay.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Suspected – doubted

 Gall bladder – the

small sac-shaped
organ beneath the
liver, in which bile is
stored after secretion
by the liver and before
release into the
intestine.
 Sulphur – a chemical
element used as a
disinfectant
 Cross – angry,
disappointed
 Chrysanthemum – a
flower
 VALUE POINTS
 The man wore the traditional Japanese dress that Sadao gave him to
wear.
 Finally, Sadao wrapped a black cloth around his head to hide his
golden coloured hair.
 The American man shook hands with Sadao as he walked away
towards the boat.
 He used the torch twice to find his way, but the guards would not doubt
that. Sadao waited till he saw the torch light once more as the man
boarded the boat.
 Sadao closed the door of the partition and slept well that night as he
had finally got rid of the man.
 A week ago, the general had been operated upon in an emergency in
which Sadao took part.
 Sadao informed him that the man escaped. The general was weak as
he was recovering from the operation.
 For twelve hours after the operation, his condition was critical and
Sadao was not sure that he would survive. They had operated upon his
gall bladder.
 The general was an old man. After the operation, gradually, he started
eating food and breathed deeply.
 Sadao did not have the courage to ask him what happened to the
professional killers that he had promised to send to kill the American
man.
C ONT…
 Sadao knew that the killers did not turn up ever. At Sadao’s
home things returned to normal.
 The servants returned, Yumi used Sulphur to disinfect the
room used by the American man. The servants did not
speak anything.
 The gardener was annoyed because he had got late to
plant the chrysanthemum flowers due to this incident.
 After one-week Sadao felt that the general was well enugh
that he could discuss the man with him.
 Sadao said that the man had escaped.
 Sadao coughed up which indicated that Sadao had not told
him everything as he did not want to disturb him.
 The general was reminded of his promise to send the
professional killers and he opened his eyes suddenly when
he heard about the American man.
 The general was reminded of his promise and asked Sadao
that had he not promised him to get that man killed by his
personal professional killers.
 UNFAMILIAR WORDS
 Dereliction – failure to perform one’s duty
 the General was in the palm of his hand: he
had control of the general
 Consequence – result
 Zeal – great energy or enthusiasm
 Twilight – at the time of twilight i.e. sunset or
sunrise.
 Prick – slightest amount
 Dusk: the time of sunset
 Whence – where
 Anatomy – the branch of science concerned
with the bodily structure of humans, animals,
and other living organisms, especially as
revealed by dissection and the separation of
parts.
 Slatternly – dirty, untidy
 Prejudice – preconceived idea or opinion
 Despised – hated
 Miserable – in poor condition
 Nursed him – taken care of him
 Influenza – a highly contagious viral infection
of the respiratory passages causing fever
 Repulsive – awful, terrible
 Haggard – looking exhausted and unwell,
especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.
 VALUE POINTS
 Sadao replied that he had promised him.
 The general was surprised and said that as he was suffering due to bad health,
he had forgotten all about the promise that he had made.
 Sadao spoke softly that he wondered that the general had forgotten his
promise.
 The general felt sorry that he had been careless.
 He said it was neither that he did not love Japan nor that he was shirking from
his duty.
 He looked at Sadao with curiosity as he sought support from him.
 He wondered that Sadao understood his problem.
 Sadao said that he understood the general’s position well.
 He understood that the general was in his control and as a result, Sadao was
safe.
 Sadao said that he could swear upon the general’s loyalty towards Japan and
his enthusiasm to fight the enemy.
 The general was relaxed and said that Sadao was a good man.
 He closed his eyes and said that Sadao would be rewarded for his goodness.
 Sadao got his reward when at dusk, he looked towards the island and saw no
trace of torch light.
 This meant that the American man had found a Korean fishing boat and had
gone with it safely back home.
 Sadao did not doubt this as he had instructed the man to wait for a Korean
fishing boat.
 Sadao stood in the veranda and recollected the past events.
C ONT…
 He looked at the sea from where the man had come that night.
 He had flashbacks of all the Americans he had met in his life – the dull
professor at whose house he had met Hana, his silly, talkative wife who was
very kind.
 He remembered his teacher of anatomy who had taught them to cut open the
body with a knife.
 Then he remembered the fat, untidy landlady.
 Being a Japanese, he had found an accommodation in America with great
difficulty.
 He hated living there knowing that the Japanese were superior to the
Americans and still being treated like inferiors.
 Sadao disliked the dirty old woman who finally agreed to let him live in her
home which was in a bad condition.
 Sadao tried to be thankful to her because she had taken care of him when he
was struck by influenza during the last year of his stay in America.
 It was difficult for Sadao to be thankful to her as he hated her even though she
was kind to him.
 Sadao hated her so much that her kindness also did not make him like her.
 Finally, Sadao remembered the weak face of the American prisoner – it was
white in colour and was terrible.
 Sadao felt that it was strange that he could not kill his enemy.
 ASSIGNEMNT
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (6 MARKS EACH)
1. What impression do you form about Dr. Sadao as a
man and as a surgeon on your reading the chapter
“The Enemy”?
2. Describe the difficulties faced by Dr. Sadao when
he tried to help the enemy soldier.
3. Why did Sadao Hoki go to America? Narrate his
experiences there.
4. Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to
help the enemy soldier. What
made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the
face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
5. What was the General’s plan to get rid of the
American prisoner? Was it executed?
What traits of General’s character are highlighted
in the lesson?
SUMMARY