THE ENEMY

PEARL S BUCK

By SUDIPTA SINHA
 AUTHOR’S NOTE
 Pearl Sydenstricker Buck was an American writer
and novelist. As the daughter of missionaries, Buck
spent most of her life before 1934 in Zhenjiang,
China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-
selling fiction book in the United States in 1931 and
1932 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932.
  The story highlights how a Japanese doctor
saves the life of an American prisoner of
war and rises above narrow national
prejudices. He risks his honour, career,
position and life by sheltering a war
INTRODUCTION prisoner of the enemy camp and saving his
life. The author has beautifully portrayed
the conflict in the doctor’s mind as a private
individual and as a citizen with a sense of
national loyalty.
  The story takes place on a coastal town of
Japan. The story is written with the
backdrop of the Second World War. It
SETTING brings out the sad plight of a prisoner of
war from America who makes the reader
think of the brutality of war. The story also
deals with the conflict that a doctor couple
faces because of sheltering an enemy.
  An anti-war story but the author never
categorically condemns war
 Deglorification of war hinted through the
near fatal plight of an American POW
 War is illogical and insane

THEME  Also features the dilemma

Sadao & his wife
faced by Dr.

 In the war between the head and the heart, it

is the heart that wins
 In short, humanity emerges as the clear
winner.
  DR. SADAO HOKI: A Japanese doctor trained by
Americans.
 SADAO’S FATHER: much concerned about his
son’s education, a true patriot.
 HANA: Wife of Dr. Sadao, met in America,
became friends and got married in Japan.
 TOM: An American prisoner of war, a soldier of
U.S. Navy.

CHARACTERS
 THE OLD GENERAL: a sick Japanese army
General, needed an operation, trusted only Dr.
Sadao.
 AN OFFICER: A messenger of the General.
 GARDENER: an old gardener in the house of Dr.
Sadao.
 YUMI: Hana’s maid servant.
 THE COOK: an old cook in the house of Dr.
Sadao.
  Sadao, a Japanese surgeon finds a wounded American
soldier on the beach near his house.
 He is unable to throw him back though he is his enemy
as he is a doctor and his first duty is 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

GIST OF THE 
the servants desert the house.
Hana assists Dr. Sadao in operating the soldier in spite
of her physical discomfort and hesitation.

LESSON  Though it is war time and all hands are needed at the
front, the General does not send Sadao with the troops
as he is an expert Surgeon and the General needs 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 soldier’s life. After the
soldier is out of danger, Dr. Sadao helps him to escape
from his house to safety.
  “The Enemy” is an apt title for the story that has
Second World War as the background. Under these
circumstances an American P.O.W. sailor, by no
chance, could be treated as a friend by the Japanese.
The servants in Dr. Sadao’s house vehemently protest
against his presence and treat him as their sworn
enemy; so much so that they severe their longstanding
relationship with the Sadaos. The couple too consider
Tom to be their enemy; but being educated, they have a

TITLE
broader and more generous view of life, and in spite of
reservations, mental conflicts and various other odds
they are confronted with, they take a humanistic view.
The doctor’s professional ethics also urge him to treat
the American sailor as a patient. Neither Dr. Sadao nor
Hana at any stage consider him to be their friend in
spite of the fact that they have spent a number of years
in the States. Thus, the author compels us to
reconsider our stereo typed notions on ‘enemy’,
‘patriotism’ and the utility of war.
  humanism transcends all man made
prejudices and barriers
 a great lesson on peace, love, sympathy,
fellow feeling and humanism
 an anti-war story, deglorifies war &
MESSAGE awakens our feelings against the horrors of
war
 need of the hour—rise above nationality,
religion, caste or creed
 the best way to ‘kill’ an enemy is to
befriend him
 A noble soul with
Consulted his wife on
exceptional qualities of Revered his father
all crucial matters
head and heart

CHARACTER
An efficient surgeon ,
who extracted the bullet
from the POW’s body
A scientist , who
perfected a discovery
aimed at rendering
A man with a tender
heart, disturbed at the
thought of assassins
SKETCH
skillfully wounds absolutely clean killing Tom
(DR. SADAO
HOKI)
General as well as
Meticulously plans and
servants have immense
helps Tom escape
respect for him
 CHARACTER SKETCH (HANA)

An ideal woman : complete Actively participates in all

devotion and honest decision making—exhibits Assists husband in operating
commitment ---characteristic presence of mind, the POW
traits confidence & determination

A perfect wife, a capable &

Dignified in her dealings Magnanimous enough to pay
devoted companion and a
with her rebellious servants their wages instantly
skilled homemaker
A great patriot, steeped in Japanese culture and
tradition

A serious and stern man and ‘never joked or

played’ CHARACTER
SKETCH
Took infinite pains to impart proper education to
Sadao & sent him to America for higher studies (FATHER)
Dr. Sadao revered him and ‘did everything his
father said’