M.E.

S INDIAN SCHOOL
ABU HAMOUR BRANCH, DOHA – QATAR
NOTES [2023-2024]

Class & Div.: XII (All Divisions) Subject: English

Lesson/Topic: The Enemy Date: 31/08/2023
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Ref. No. ENG-N-18

GLOSSARY
Yonder: at some distance in the direction pointed at
haori: a loose outer garment worn over the kimono.
Kimono: a traditional Japanese garment.
Heedlessly: carelessly
Staggered: walk unsteadily as if about to fall
Leaned: bent forward
Spiked: covered with sharp points
a stain of red: blood stain
Solemn: serious and concerned
Beachcomber: a vagrant who makes a living by searching beaches for articles of value and
selling them
Stanch: stop or restrict (a flow of blood) from a wound.
Sea moss: a kind of seaweed
Strewed: to be scattered untidily over a place or area
Moaned: a low cry in pain
Stupor: a state of unconsciousness
Repulsion: a strong dislike
Inert: motionless
Battered: torn and worn out
Fowl: cock, hen
Pallor: an unhealthy pale appearance
Stoop: bend forward
Pulse: heartbeat
Vitality: energy, life
Menace: danger, threat
Nursery: a room in a house for the special use of young children.
impulsively: to do something suddenly without thinking
rugs: blanket blond: of light colour
Ebbing: decreasing gradually

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Anesthetic: a substance that induces insensitivity to pain
Superficial: existing or occurring at or on the surface.
Leaped: jumped
Retching: vomiting
Ruthless: harsh, merciless
Moaned: made low, soft sounds due to pain
Paid no heed: did not pay attention to
beginning to stir: gaining consciousness.
Saturate: wet
Crouched: sit in a squatting position
piteously: causing you to feel sad and sympathetic
by word of mouth: people tell it to each other rather than it being printed in written form.
Manchuria: Manchuria (Northeast China) is the homeland of the Manchu people. To the
Chinese, the region is simply known as the Northeast. Manchuria is made up of China’s three
north-eastern most provinces: Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.
Cardinal: basic, first
Precise: accurate
Incisions: surgical cuts
Quivered: shivered, trembled
Muttered: spoke
Guts: informal word for bravery and determination
Profound: very great or intense
Pulse: heartbeat
Feeble: weak
Vial: a small container, typically cylindrical and made of glass, used especially for holding
liquid medicines.
Hypodermic: needle, syringe, injection
Thrust: pushed
Fluttered: trembled
Porcelain: a white vitrified translucent ceramic also called china used for making utensils,
pottery, etc.
Moss: a very small soft green plant
Pine needles: very thin, sharp leaves that grow on pine trees
Marred: spoiled
Contemptuously: disrespectfully
Wistaria wine: a flowering plant used for decoration
Assuage: decrease, reduce
Kerchief: square piece of cloth
Dismayed: shocked
Mistress: a woman in a position of authority or control

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Inclined: bent towards one side
Grieving: in a state of sadness
Crimson: bright red colour
Indispensable: necessary
ruthlessness: harshness
sentimentality: being emotional
execution: legal punishment
peculiar: strange
Assassins: professional killers
Gaunt: gloomy, weak
Stubbly: unshaven, bearded
Blond: light – coloured, yellowish colour
Rustling: the sound made by footsteps
Shaggy: hairy
Eaves: part of the roof that meets or overhangs the wall of a building
Wail: cry loudly
Fortifying: putting security at a place
Submerged: here, sink into the sea
Fathom: a unit of measuring the depth of the sea.
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
Runs out: finishes
Sun drops: the Sun sets
Horizon: the line at which the earth’s surface and the sky appear to meet, skyline
Sulphur: a chemical element used as a disinfectant
Cross: angry, disappointed
Chrysanthemum: a flower
Twilighted: 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
Bitter: unpleasant
Despised: hated
Miserable: in poor condition
Grateful: thankful
Nursed him: taken care of him
Influenza: a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever

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Repulsive: awful, terrible
Haggard: looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.

INTRODUCTION
It is the time of World War. An American prisoner of war is washed ashore in a dying state
and is found at the doorstep of a Japanese doctor. Should he save him as a doctor or hand
him over to the Army as a patriot?

ABOUT THE 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.

MAIN CHARACTERS
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Tom: 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

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 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.
4. 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.

MAIN POINTS
1. Dream of Sadao’s Father
Sadao realized education is ‘stepping stone’ to the future of Japan. At 22 went to
America to study surgery and medicine. Returned at 30, as a famous surgeon and
scientist.
2. Meeting between Hana and Sadao
Sadao met Hana by chance at Professor Harley’s house in America. Married in the
traditional way after completion of their studies and his father’s approval. Happy
together.
3. The appearance of the American Soldier
A white man with the reopened gunshot wound, badly hurt. US Navy insignia on the
tattered uniform- realised he was a prisoner of war.
4. Dilemma of Sadao
As a doctor, he should attend to a dying man and stop the bleeding. As a patriotic
person, he should put him back in the sea or hand him over to the authorities.
5. Risks
Would be arrested for sheltering an enemy- a white man, would endanger the lives of
their children.
6. Reaction of Servants
Frightened. Felt they should not heal him — gardener felt he should die or he’d take
revenge. Cook felt pride in his skill made him save the American soldier. Felt their
years in America had made Sadao forget to think of their country first. Left on the
seventh day.
7. Hana’s Role
Washed him. Helped Sadao operate. Gave anaesthesia. Felt nauseated but continued.
8. General Takima-Cruel Man

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 Known to beat his wife mercilessly. Hana feared how he would deal with an enemy.
Retained Sadao in Japan as he could need an operation.
9. General’s Reaction to Information about the Fugitive
Felt reassured Sadao had the capability to save. Wanted to save doctor as he would
need his services. Suggested he would send two private assassins at night who would
take the soldier’s body away too. Sadao waited three nights, realized General had
forgotten.
10. General party to guilt
Sadao gets to hold on him. Convinces Sadao - not lack of patriotism or dereliction of
duty - was self-absorbed as he was suffering. Promised to reward Sadao.
11. Sadao helps American Escape
Put his boat on the shore at night, with food, bottled water, extra quilts and extra
clothing. Told him to row to an island near the coast. Instructed him to stay there till a
Korean fishing boat was seen passing by. Gave him a flashlight- Instructed him to
signal with two flashes before sunset, if he ran out of food. Warned him to eat fish
raw, as cooking over the fire would be noticed. Wrapped a black cloth about his blond
head and dressed him in Japanese clothes.
12. Sadao’s Recollection of Americans
Recalled other white faces: a. professor at whose house he met Hana. b. his teacher of
anatomy. C. his fat landlady.
13. The difference in the reaction of Sadao, Hana and the Servants
Servants - simple, superstitious, patriotic-consider harbouring an enemy to be a crime.
Fear for lives, insular. Do not understand the higher level of reasoning, humanitarian
considerations.
Sadao and Hana - Had been exposed to other nationalities, more tolerant. Feel it is
unethical for a doctor to let a person die if he can be saved. Even an enemy is a human
being first.

THEME – HUMANE VS NATIONALISM

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.

THEME – STATE VS CONSCIENCE

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.

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 MESSAGE
The theme of racism is reflected in the story in several ways. When Sadao recalls and
remembers that he didn’t become serious with Hana until he was sure that she “had been
pure in her race”. Yumi refused to touch the American before the operation, and when he
left she “cleaned the guest room thoroughly…to get the white man’s smell out of it.” Sadao
thinks that white people 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. He 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 and make all possible efforts to save human life.

CENTRAL IDEA
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.

JUSTIFICATION OF THE TITLE

‘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. 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. 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.

READING WITH INSIGHT

Q1.There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as
private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty? Discuss with reference
to the story you have just read.
Ans. Dr Sadao Hoki finds the body of an unconscious wounded white man who had a gun-
wound on the right side of his lower back. The man was a prisoner of war. He had escaped
and that was why he was wounded in the back. If they sheltered a white man in their house
they would be arrested and if they turned him over as a prisoner, he would certainly die. But
since he was wounded, Hana understood his dilemma and realized that in the conflict
between his sense of national loyalty and his duty as a doctor, it was the latter which proved

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dominant. Since Sadao too could not throw him back to the sea, the only course left for them
was to carry him to their house.
Q2. 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?
Ans. Dr Sadao and Hana, carried the wounded man to a bedroom in their house. The man
was very dirty. He needed to be washed. The servants did not approve of their master’s
decision. Yumi refused to have anything to do with him. Hana asked Yumi gently to return to
her work. The open defiance from the domestic staff hurt Hana’s feelings. She had told the
servants to do what their master commanded them. She was convinced of her own
superiority. She now became sympathetic to her husband and helped him in his efforts to
heal the wounded man. Though the sight of the white man was repulsive to her, she washed
his face and his upper body. She prepared herself to give him the anaesthetic. Thus she co-
operated with her husband.
Q3. How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor’s
home even when he knew he couldn’t stay there without risk to the doctor and himself?
Ans. The young man saw that Dr Sadao and Hana were different from other Japanese. They
spoke English well, looked after him and served him food. Dr Sadao had confided in the
General and waited for three nights. Then he made a plan to let the prisoner escape. He told
Tom about it. He was reluctant to leave. Dr Sadao told him that it was not hidden that he was
there and this situation was full of risk for himself as well as for the doctor and his family.
Thus it is quite clear that the reluctance of the soldier was caused by the single motive of self-
preservation. He knew from the treatment he had received from the couple that they would
save him.
Q4. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it
human consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply self-absorption?
Ans. Dr Sadao told the General about the man he had operated. The General appreciated his
skill and efficiency and promised that he would not be arrested. The General thought that the
man could be quietly killed. He promised to send his private assassins. The General had no
human consideration in this matter. It was neither lack of national loyalty nor dereliction of
duty that guided and inspired his decision. It was simply his sense of self-absorption. He
“wanted to keep Dr Sadao safe only for his own operation. Dr Sadao told that he had done
nothing. The General admitted that he had forgotten his promise but added that it was not
lack of patriotism or dereliction of duty on his part.
Q5. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during
wartime, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?
Ans. It is the consciousness of the demands of one’s calling that makes a sensitive soul
respond to the call of his duty as a professional doctor to attend to the wounded human
being. Dr Sadao finds a prisoner of war washed ashore to his doorstep. As a patriot, it is his
duty to hand him over to the police. However, the surgeon in him instinctively inspires him to
operate upon the dying man and save him from the jaws of death. He knows fully well the
risk of sheltering a white man—a prisoner of war—in his house. But his sentimentality for the

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suffering and wounded person help him rise above narrow national prejudices and extend his
help and services even to an enemy.
Q6. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the
circumstances?
Ans. Yes, I think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the
circumstances. Initially, they thought that the best thing would be to put him back into the
sea. Sadao explained that if the man was whole he could turn him over to the police without
difficulty, but since he was wounded, the doctor could not throw him back to the sea. He
could not kill the man. Meanwhile the fear of Hana, that he would be arrested on the charge
of harboring an enemy kept on mounting. He, therefore, quietly devised the plan of letting
the prisoner escape by using his own boat and Japanese clothes. As soon as the enemy left,
the servants returned and life became normal once again. Dr Sadao informed the General
that “the man” had escaped.
Q7. Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in ‘Snapshots’ last
year? What are the similarities?
Ans. Yes, the story ‘The Enemy’ by Pearl S. Buck certainly reminds us of the story ‘Birth’ by A.
J. Cronin. Both the stories have certain similarities. Both the stories revolve around a doctor.
Both of them focus on the doctor’s devotion and dedication to his duty and his concern for
the well-being of his patient. The doctor sacrifices his own rest and comfort while attending
to the patient. If the doctor brings a ‘still-born’ baby back to life in the story ‘Birth’, Dr Sadao
Hoki performs no less a miracle. He saves an almost dying man from the jaws of death. Dr
Sadao runs a greater risk than Dr Andrew Mason. While the former could be arrested on the
charge of harboring an enemy, the latter (Dr Andrew) was staking his reputation as a medical
practitioner.
Q8. Is there any film you have seen or novel you have read with a similar theme?
Ans. I remember an old Hindi film ‘Dr Kotnis ki Amar Kahani’ that deals with a similar theme.
The eminent doctor gives up his practice and goes to the war front to look after the wounded
and ailing soldiers and render them medical help. He spares no pain in performing his duties.
He ignores the demands of his own body that is sleep, rest and comfort. Service to suffering
humanity is his sole motivation and in his zeal, the doctor suffers from physical and mental
exhaustion and ultimately dies. The film based on the life of Florence Nightingale, the lady
with the lamp, also glorifies the spirit of service and sacrifice of a member of the medical
profession. It is through her sheer hard work and dedication to duty that Florence
Nightingale raises the job of a nurse to a high pedestal.
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