Character Sketch: The Enemy | English Class 12 PDF Download

• Patriotic – Yumi is deeply loyal to her country and openly prejudiced against Tom, the American prisoner of war.
• Caretaker – She is dedicated to caring for Sadao and Hana’s children, often seen tending to them more than Hana herself.
• Stubborn – Yumi is strong-willed, refusing to wash Tom and eventually leaving the household in protest of Sadao and Hana’s actions.
• Emotionally Attached – She is emotionally attached to the children, caring for them as if they are her own, making her departure tear-soaked and difficult.
• Simple-Minded – Yumi is portrayed as simple-minded, resistant to change, and holding onto her prejudices.
• Loyal Servant – Despite her departure, she returns to her duties once the American leaves, indicating her loyalty to the family.
• Distrustful – Yumi insists on burning sulfur in the guest room to remove the “white man’s smell,” showing her distrust and aversion to the enemy.

Yumi is the caretaker of Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s children, a role she takes very seriously, often tending to them more than Hana herself. She is a patriotic woman who, like the gardener, holds strong prejudices against Tom, the American prisoner of war. Yumi is openly critical of Sadao and Hana for saving a white man, reflecting her loyalty to Japan and her distrust of the enemy. Her strong-willed nature becomes evident when she stubbornly refuses to wash Tom and eventually decides to leave the household in protest, along with the other servants.

Despite her departure, Yumi’s emotional attachment to the children is clear. She cares for them as if they are her own, making her decision to leave difficult and tear-soaked. Her departure comes as an emotional blow, highlighting her deep bond with the children and her distress over the potential consequences of Sadao's actions. However, once the prisoner of war is gone, Yumi returns to her duties, indicating her loyalty to the family. Her simple-mindedness and stubbornness are further shown when she insists on burning sulfur in the guest room to get the “white man’s smell” out, underscoring her distrust and aversion to the enemy. Yumi’s character is a complex blend of loyalty, prejudice, and emotional attachment, reflecting the broader societal tensions and personal dilemmas faced during wartime.

• Strict and Uncompromising – General Takima is depicted as a strict and unwavering leader, deeply committed to his duty and loyalty to Japan.
• Loyal – He is fiercely loyal to his country and its emperor, often taking harsh measures to ensure his subordinates follow orders.
• Traditionalist – General Takima believes in the honor and glory of the Japanese military, embodying traditionalist values.
• Suspicious – He is deeply suspicious of Americans, viewing them as a threat to Japan’s sovereignty.
• Intimidating – He is a formidable and intimidating figure, willing to do whatever it takes to defend his country.
• Vulnerable – Despite his stern exterior, he shows vulnerability, particularly when confronted with the moral dilemma of the enemy soldier.
• Dependent – General Takima is dependent on Dr. Sadao for his medical treatment, which influences his decisions and actions.

General Takima, a high-ranking military officer in Japan during World War II, is a strict and uncompromising leader known for his unwavering loyalty to his country and its emperor. As the head of the army, he is respected and feared by those under his command, embodying the traditionalist values of honor and glory associated with the Japanese military. General Takima's deep suspicion of Americans makes him view them as a significant threat to Japan’s sovereignty, leading him to oppose Dr. Sadao’s decision to help an American prisoner of war.

Despite his stern and formidable exterior, General Takima reveals a certain vulnerability, especially when confronted with the humanity of the enemy soldier and the moral dilemmas it presents. He is deeply committed to his duty, willing to take harsh measures to ensure that his subordinates follow orders. However, his dependence on Dr. Sadao for treatment of a serious illness influences his decisions, leading him to promise sending assassins to deal with the prisoner but ultimately forgetting due to his illness.

When Dr. Sadao confesses that the prisoner has escaped, General Takima agrees to keep the secret, understanding that exposing Sadao would result in the loss of the only physician he trusts to keep him alive. General Takima's character represents the strict and traditionalist values of the Japanese military during the war, highlighting the conflict between duty to country and personal morality. His interactions with Dr. Sadao emphasize the complex nature of loyalty, duty, and the humanizing effect of moral dilemmas during wartime.

Character Sketch of the Gardener

• Loyal – The gardener is fiercely loyal to Sadao’s father, even referring to Sadao as “my old master’s son.”
• Skilled – He is especially skilled with flowers and moss, having created one of the finest moss gardens in Japan for Sadao’s father.
• Traditionalist – The gardener clings to traditions, superstitions, and mindsets of the past, aligning himself with the old ways of Japanese society.
• Racist – He believes in racial purity and Japanese superiority, resenting Sadao for saving Tom, the American prisoner of war.
• Superstitious – He holds superstitious beliefs, thinking that saving Tom from the sea will lead to the sea taking revenge on Sadao and his family.
• Resentful – The gardener resents Sadao for his actions, eventually leaving the household in protest.
• Devoted – Despite his departure, the gardener returns to the household once Tom is gone, showing his deep devotion to the memory of Sadao’s father.

The elderly gardener is a long-serving servant in Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s household, known for his fierce loyalty to Sadao’s father, who has passed away. He is especially skilled with flowers and moss, having created one of the finest moss gardens in Japan for Sadao’s father. This deep connection to his old master shapes his outlook and actions, referring to Sadao as “my old master’s son” and demonstrating a lopsided loyalty to Sadao’s father over Sadao himself.

As a traditionalist, the gardener clings to the customs, superstitions, and mindsets of the past. He aligns himself with Sadao’s father’s belief in racial purity and Japanese superiority, resenting Sadao for saving Tom, the American prisoner of war. His racism is coupled with superstitious beliefs, as he fears that saving Tom from the sea will lead to the sea taking revenge on Sadao and his family.

Despite his resentment and eventual decision to leave the household in protest, the gardener's deep-seated devotion to the memory of Sadao’s father brings him back once Tom is gone. This return highlights his ingrained connection to the household and his inability to fully detach from the legacy of his old master. The elderly gardener’s character reflects the persistence of traditional beliefs and the challenges of adapting to changing values and circumstances.

Character Sketch of the Cook

• Loyal – The cook is more loyal to Sadao’s father than to Sadao, despite his father being deceased.
• Critical – She is critical of Sadao, believing him to be arrogant and indiscriminate in using his medical skills to save any life.
• Traditionalist – The cook adheres to traditional Japanese practices, such as killing a live fowl for dinner and saving its blood for the gardener to use as fertilizer.
• Resentful – She condemns Sadao and Hana’s decision to save Tom, the American prisoner of war.
• Tearful and Emotional – The cook’s emotions run high, leading her to tearfully quit the household in protest of saving Tom.
• Deeply Rooted – Despite leaving, she swiftly returns to the household once Tom is gone, indicating her deep connection to the household and its traditions.

The cook in Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s household is a long-serving servant whose loyalty lies firmly with Sadao’s deceased father. She has been part of the household since Sadao was a boy and remains critical of her “young master.” She believes Sadao to be arrogant and undiscerning in his use of medical skills, saving any life with pride, a trait she disapproves of.

As a traditionalist, the cook embodies the old Japanese way of doing things. She kills live fowl for dinner and meticulously saves the blood for the gardener to use as fertilizer, reflecting her adherence to traditional practices. This loyalty to tradition and the old ways links her closely with the gardener, both of whom share unflinching loyalty to Sadao’s father and disdain for Sadao’s actions.

The cook condemns Sadao and Hana’s decision to save Tom, the American prisoner of war, and tearfully quits the household alongside Yumi and the gardener. However, their swift return once Tom is gone suggests that the cook, like the other servants, is deeply rooted in the household and its legacy. Her character highlights the tension between traditional values and the evolving ethical dilemmas faced by Sadao and Hana, emphasizing the complexities of loyalty, duty, and change within the household.

Character Sketch of Dr. Sadao Hoki’s Father 

• Harsh and Domineering – Dr. Sadao Hoki’s father was strict and never engaged in playful activities with his son, focusing instead on discipline and excellence.
• Ambitious – He pushed Sadao towards the best education possible, even sending him to a university in America to ensure his son’s success.
• Nationalist – A staunch Japanese nationalist, he firmly believed in racial purity and traditional Japanese values.
• Traditionalist – He adhered to the “old Japanese way” of doing things, ensuring his home and family upheld traditional customs.
• Influential – His presence lingers in the household through the loyal servants who worked for him and the traditional values he instilled in Sadao.
• Loyalty-Inspiring – The cook and the gardener remain more loyal to him than to Sadao, reflecting his strong influence and the deep roots he established within the household.

Dr. Sadao Hoki’s father, although deceased from the outset of the story, casts a long shadow over the household and influences the actions and beliefs of those within it. Harsh and domineering, he never joked or played with Sadao, focusing instead on instilling discipline and pushing his son towards academic excellence. His ambition for Sadao led him to send his son to America for the best possible education, demonstrating his commitment to his son’s success despite his nationalistic views.

A staunch Japanese nationalist, Sadao’s father believed firmly in racial purity, insisting that Sadao could only marry Hana if she was purely Japanese. His adherence to traditional Japanese values is evident in how he arranged Sadao and Hana’s marriage and ensured his home was outfitted exclusively with Japanese-made furniture and goods. This traditionalism extended to every aspect of his life, from his personal beliefs to his household management.

The cook and the gardener, who worked for Sadao’s father when Sadao was just a boy, remain more loyal to the “old master” than to Sadao. Their loyalty to Sadao’s father and fear of being seen as traitors by the authorities lead them to quit the household in protest of Sadao saving Tom, the American prisoner of war. However, their eventual return once Tom is gone highlights the deep roots they have in the household and their enduring devotion to Sadao’s father’s memory. Dr. Sadao Hoki’s father represents the enduring influence of traditional values and the complexities of loyalty within the family, emphasizing the tension between old and new ways of thinking.

Character Sketch of Sadao’s Anatomy Professor 

• Knowledgeable – He had an in-depth understanding of the human body and emphasized its importance.
• Strict – He insisted students master every detail of anatomy, equating lack of knowledge to "murder" in surgery.
• Influential – His teachings greatly influenced Sadao’s success as a surgeon.
• Compassionate – He believed in “mercy with the knife,” highlighting compassion in surgery.
• Respected – Sadao genuinely respected him for his profound impact on his education and career.
• Challenging Prejudices – He challenged Sadao’s prejudices, though did not completely overturn them.

Sadao’s anatomy professor in America was a strict and knowledgeable teacher who emphasized the importance of mastering every detail of the human body, considering lack of such knowledge in surgery as "murder." His rigorous teaching significantly influenced Sadao’s success as a surgeon. The professor believed in “mercy with the knife,” instilling a sense of compassion in his students. Sadao respected him deeply, acknowledging his crucial role in his professional development. However, despite this respect, Sadao ultimately lumps his professor with other "white and repulsive" faces, indicating that while the professor challenged Sadao’s prejudices, he did not completely overturn them.

Character Sketch of The American Landlady  

• Open-Minded – She was the only one who welcomed Sadao into her home despite his Japanese ethnicity.
• Kindly – She nursed Sadao back to health when he fell sick with the flu.
• Generous – Despite her initial hesitation, she provided Sadao with housing when no one else would.
• Ignorant – Sadao describes her as "ignorant and dirty," reflecting his disdain.

When Dr. Sadao Hoki moved to the United States for college, he struggled to find housing due to his Japanese ethnicity. Only one landlady, described as "fat and slatternly," welcomed him into her home. Despite her open-mindedness and generosity, Sadao despised her for being "ignorant and dirty." Her initial hesitation to accept Sadao as a tenant hints at some level of racism, but she ultimately housed him when no one else would. She even nursed him back to health when he fell sick with the flu, demonstrating her kindness. However, Sadao found it difficult to feel grateful for her kindness, as he still viewed her with disdain. This experience underscores Sadao's deep-rooted prejudices and his struggle with the racism he faced, meeting it with his own sense of superiority and prejudice.