HUMANISM TRANSCENDS ALL MAN-MADE PREJUDICES AND

BARRIERS
History has always put the spotlight on the achievements of war but swept
its downside under the rug. Behind the glorious gains stand millions of
innocent souls who were annihilated in the most unfair way possible. We
secured territory and economy but let our brotherhood slip away. In the
process of climbing up, we lost ourselves.
At the onset of mankind, there was no race, religion or language. Every
living being stayed together under the same roof, the limitless sky. There
was no superior nor inferior. People were satisfied with the simple things
life had blessed upon them. But in the passing of years, this satisfaction
diminished and was replaced by desire. Individuals created their own
language, religion and culture and persuaded people to follow them. A
whole group was divided into two and kept breaking into smaller and
smaller parts as new differences arose. 'Superior' groups degraded inferior
ones and thus began wars and conflicts. The heavens gifted us with a
garden full of beauty and wonder, but we let our desires burn them down.
While some let their flame of desire grow uncontrollably, others understood
the need to put off this flame and nurture the seed of unity. Thus rose the
subject of humanity, aiming to let this seed of unity grow into a flowery path
and remove the thorns of conflict.
The plot of the lesson “The Enemy” by Pearl.S.Buck revolves around the
period of the Second World War. America and Japan attacked each other to show their power.
The Japanese dropped a bomb in Pearl Harbour in
America and was counter-attacked with the bombing in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. This war for power not only harmed nature but also affected the
lives of innocent citizens and they continue to suffer the aftereffects to date.
The protagonist of the story Sadao Hoki, a Japanese man from a
conservative household, finds himself in a situation where he finds an
American POW unconscious on the shore near his house. He is faced with
the dilemma of whether to help a human being or let his 'enemy' die. As a
surgeon who served mankind, Sadao could not let the man die. So he
decided to aid the American. His servants shamed his decision for
harbouring an enemy in his house but he was determined to nurse the
young lad back to good health. Even though he requested the General to
assassinate the prisoner, his conscience did not agree with him. He not
only treated the American but also helped him escape the land. Sadao was
able to save a precious life because he did not view the young lad as a
man of a different nation but as a human being.
Wars have decreased to a certain extent due to the United Nations (UN)
aiming to maintain international peace and security. Many people have now
realised the need for a utopian society where every living being lives
together as one whole family, no matter poor or rich, human or animal. Let
us all work together to achieve eternal unity and bring back the oneness
that existed at the onset of mankind.