THE ENEMY – Pearl S.

Buck

Prepared by: Malvika Mathur

Backdrop
U.S.A. – JAPAN WAR
 THEME
There comes a time in a man’s
life when it is required for him
to lift from petty considerations
of race, nationality and act in
human consideration.
 PLOT OF THE STORY

BEGINNING
Sudden appearance of Tom- US Prisoner of War

MIDDLE
octor’s tussle with self and others in treating Tom

END
Escape of the Prisoner of War
 CHARACTERS
• Dr. Sadao Hoki
• Hana
• Dr. Sadao Hoki’s father
• Tom, Prisoner of War
• General Takima
• Sadao’s servants
 Dr. Sadao Hoki
•Scientist & famous surgeon
•A kind – hearted man; a patriot
•working on discovery that would leave wounds
clean
•A caring and devoted family man
•A dedicated surgeon
•Committed to his professional duty
Dr. Sadao’s father
• A patriot by heart
• Stern in his beliefs and
loves traditional Japanese
values
• Futuristic – looks beyond
• A very quiet and serious
man (never cracked jokes
or played with his son)
• did not allow any foreign
articles home; traditional
Japanese setting
 Hana Hoki

• Dr. Sadao’s wife

• responsible
• dignified and graceful
• supportive
• balanced woman  
• intelligent
• Met Sadao in the US    
• homemaker                    
        
Tom (U.S. Prisoner of War)

• wounded soldier
• Brave enough to
survive the wounds by
rocks and the furious
waves as well
• Has a rough yellow
beard & long yellow
hair
 General Takima –
the Japanese Army Chief

• Ruthless -beats his

wife
• Self-centered
• Selfish
• Unfaithful
towards his nation
Dr. Sadao’s servants
• YUMI – maid; attached to the
babies
• GARDENER & THE COOK – in
service since Sadao’s father’s
times; loyal
• Consider the POW as enemy
• Protest against his presence in the
house
• Patriotic and nationalistic
• Disapprove of their master’s
kindness towards him
• Return to their services or duty
after the prisoner leaves the
house.
• Man washed on shore by
waves
• Sadao & Hana notice that
he is an American POW
• In dilemma whether to
treat him or hand him over
to the police; as sheltering
or treating him would land
them in trouble
Sadao brings him inside, lays him down on floor; informs the
servants & decides to operate upon the injured POW - Tom. The
servants didn’t approve of it and remained skeptical of their
masters’ intention.
Sadao removed the bullet. Under Hana’s care and expert
medical administration of Dr. Sadao, the young American
recuperated but remained tensed about his future.
The servants pressurized the Hoki family to hand over the
POW to the police. Their displeasure at their master’s
decision made them leave his household.
Sadao decides to write a letter to the Army General about
Tom; but leaves unfinished.
• A messenger come to the
door in official uniform.
Hana terrified; servants
must have told already.

• The old General was in

pain; a sigh of relief for
the Sadao family.
General Takima, being selfish ,
praised Dr. Sadao as being
skilled and indispensable to
him. The General refused to
get Dr. Sadao arrested as he
feared for his life. If case of
any emergency, he wanted
only Dr. Sadao to operate
upon him.
The General informed the
doctor that he had his own
private assassins, who make
no noise & knew the trick of
inward bleeding. He would
send two of them to the
doctor’s house that night.
He suggested the doctor to
leave the outer partition of
the white man’s room open
to the garden.
That night, Sadao couldn’t sleep. Time and time again he
woke, thinking he heard the rustling of footsteps, the
sound of a twig broken or a stone displaced in the garden
— anoise such as men might make who carried a burden.
Sadao offered Tom his boat, along with extra food
and clothing.
Asked him to row to he nearest uninhabited island,
from where he can take a Korean boat.
Also gave him his flashlight, which he could use in
case of emergency. But he shouldn’t use it after
dark. No flashlight means he has safely left.
SADAO REFLECTS
• recalls his time spent in America
• the people he met, the teacher
who taught him
• Miss Harley who hated him yet
was kind to him
• the Americans with all their
prejudices
• wondered why he could not kill
Tom, the American prisoner of
war