THE ENEMY

By-Pearl S Buck
 Introduction
‘The Enemy’, by pearl S Buck is a conflict between fellow-
feeling and loyalty shown through several incidents and
situation between Tom, the American prisoner of war, and the
Japanese couple Dr. Sadao and the Hana. This story hails the
superiority of humanity above any other thing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973), also
known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu, was an American writer
who spent most of her life until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good
Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and
1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, she was awarded
the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for her rich and truly epic
descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical
masterpieces."
After her return to the United States in 1935, she continued her
prolific writing career, and became a prominent advocate of the
rights of women and minority groups, and wrote widely on Asian
cultures, becoming particularly well known for her efforts on
behalf of Asian and mixed race adoption.
CHARACTERS
Dr Sadao, Hana, Tom, General
STORY
Dr. Sadao, a Japanese surgeon finds a wounded American
soldier on the beach near his house .He is unable to throw
him back though he was his enemy as he was a doctor and
his first duty was to save a life. Hana, his wife, though
initially reluctant because it was dangerous for all including
the children to keep the enemy in the house, joins her
husband in operating and nursing the enemy soldier back to
health, even though the servants desert the house. Hana
assists Dr. Sadao in operating the soldier in spite of her
physical discomfort and hesitation
STORY
Though it was war time and all hands were needed at the
front, the General did not send Sadao with the troops as he
is an expert surgeon and the General needed him. Sadao tells
him about the enemy soldier but he does not take any action
as he is self‐absorbed and forgets his promise that he would
send his private assassins to kill the enemy and remove his
body. Taking advantage of the general’s self‐absorption
Sadao decides to save the soldiers life. After the soldier is
out of danger Dr. Sadao helps him to escape from his house
to safety.
CHARECTER SKETCH
DR.SADO
Dr. Sadao a professional and skilled doctor from Japan and when it comes to commitment
towards his profession even his obligation towards his country becomes secondary to him.
He brings a man back to life who is on the verge of death without caring about the fact
that the person whose life he is saving is a soldier of the enemy . It is Dr.Sadao’s
conscience and professional ethics that supercede his patriotism and so he saves the
American soldier. He rises above narrow prejudices as he realizes his job as a doctor is to
save a life and not to take it away. He made elaborate arrangements for the soldier’s safe
escape. He rose above narrow prejudices of race and country and helped the young
soldier to escape. Basic human goodness overpowers Dr. Sadao and he helps the wounded
soldier first by saving his life and then by arranging his escape, risking his own life and
reputation in the process.
CHARECTER SKETCH
TOM
Tom was a young American soldier and a prisoner of war. He was
a courageous boy who displayed maturity much beyond his age.
Tom was strong minded because he patiently suffered all the
torture given to a prisoner of war. He had strong willpower to
bear the pain during his medical treatment. Though he was anxious
on meeting Dr. Sadao, he realises his good nature and shows
gratitude
CHARECTER SKETCH
HANA
In the lesson, Hana plays a crucial role in saving the life of the enemy
soldier. She is coordinative, dutiful and a perfect companion to Sadao.
She renders all possible ways to save the life of the enemy soldier. In
spite of the chaos and tension she acted efficiently. She remains calm
and tends to clean the wounds of the enemy soldier. Though she faced
open defiance from the servants of the house who disapproved of helping
the soldier, she took upon the duties of the house . She supported her
husband even in the times of conflict and ultimately saved the life of the
prisioner.
MESSAGE:-
Being a doctor, Sadao gives top priority to saving the life of a
dying man despite the ongoing war between America and Japan
and the fact that all Americans were considered to be their
enemies. But the doctor not only saved him from dying but did
not even hand him over to the police. He rose above narrow
prejudices of race and country and helped the young soldier to
escape. Dr. Sadao’s basic human values give him the ability to
rise above petty prejudices.
MESSAGE:-
Compassion for humanity and his sincerity towards duty
transcend all other narrow considerations.
To summarize, we learn how love and compassion, rather
than prejudices and biases against other individuals with
whom we share nothing but the link of being humans, can
help us become better human beings.
THE END
GROUP MEMBERS
-MEGHANA
-ZOHAIR
-SHIRLEY
-ANUVABH
-NANDANA
-TEJ