Summary, Short and Long Questions & Answers - The Enemy

THE ENEMY BY PEARL S BUCK

GIST OF THE LESSON:

Dr. Sadao, a Japanese surgeon, finds a wounded American soldier on the beach near his house.

He is unable to throw him back even though the man is his enemy, because as a doctor his first duty is to save a life.

 Hana, his wife, though initially reluctant because it is dangerous for the whole family to shelter an enemy, joins her husband in operating on and nursing the American soldier back to health after the servants desert the house.

Hana assists Dr. Sadao in the operation despite her physical discomfort and hesitation.

Though it is wartime and many hands are needed at the front, the general does not send Sadao with the troops because he is an expert surgeon whom the general needs for himself.

Sadao tells the general about the enemy soldier, but the general, being self-absorbed, promises to send assassins and later forgets to do so.

Taking advantage of the general's forgetfulness and his own responsibility as a physician, Sadao decides to save the soldier's life and later helps him escape from the house to safety.

Solved Short Answer Questions:

1 Why did the General overlook the matter of the enemy soldier?

Ans: The general feared another attack on his life and believed that Dr. Sadao was essential to his survival. Since only Sadao could be trusted to treat him successfully, the general postponed decisive action against the prisoner and promised to have him killed quietly. However, being self-absorbed and occupied with his own welfare, the general later forgot to carry out that promise.

2. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent with the troops?

Ans: Dr. Sadao was regarded as indispensable by the general because of his exceptional skill as a surgeon. The general depended on him to treat his own wounds and so kept Sadao at home rather than sending him to serve with the troops.

3. How was the plan of the prisoner's escape executed?

Ans: Dr. Sadao made careful arrangements to ensure the soldier could leave without being recognised. He supplied the man with clean Japanese clothes and food, provided a small boat, and gave precise instructions about when and how to make the crossing at dusk. These preparations helped the soldier to row away unseen and reach safety on a nearby island.

4. Why did the servants leave Dr. Sadao's house?

Ans: The servants left because they were frightened of the consequences of harbouring an enemy. They feared being discovered by the authorities, losing their safety or reputation, and suffering punishment, so they abandoned the house rather than stay and risk involvement.

5. Who was the white man whom Dr. Sadao and Hana found?

Ans: The white man was an American soldier. His clothing and a cap bearing words associated with the navy made his identity as a member of the American forces clear.

6. ''But Sadao searching the spot of black in the twilight sea that night, had his reward''. What was the reward?

Ans: Sadao's reward was the certainty that the soldier had escaped safely. When he searched the dark sea he found only the empty stretch of water and no sign of the man or the boat; that emptiness meant the soldier had rowed away and reached safety, and this knowledge was Sadao's reward.

7 What message does "The Enemy" give?

Ans: The story emphasises humanism and professional ethics. Dr. Sadao places his duty as a physician and his compassion for a wounded human being above narrow national prejudice. The narrative shows that moral responsibility and kindness can transcend nationality when a life is at stake.

Long Answer Questions:

1. How did Dr. Sadao rise above narrow prejudices of race & country to human being in need?

Value Points

Ans: Dr. Sadao was a renowned Japanese surgeon whose professional loyalty and compassion guided his actions. On finding an American soldier wounded on the beach, he and his wife Hana brought the man into their home, removed the bullet through surgery and nursed him back to health. Although Sadao reported the prisoner to the general because of his duty as a citizen, his training and moral sense as a physician made him save the life before any political consideration. By putting the wounded man's life above racial prejudice and national hostility, Sadao rose above narrow attitudes and acted as a humanitarian.

2. Do you think the doctor's final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?

Ans: Yes. Given the circumstances, Dr. Sadao's plan to help the soldier escape was the most practical and humane option available. The general had promised to arrange the man's death but failed to do so; the servants had fled and the household risked exposure. Faced with the danger of discovery and the inability to rely on the general's promise, Sadao provided the soldier with food, Japanese clothes, a small boat and clear instructions to make a discreet crossing at dusk. This course balanced the doctor's professional duty to preserve life with the realities of wartime danger and resulted in the soldier's safe departure.

3. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choice between our role as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the Enemy.

Value Points

Ans: Dr. Sadao faces a conflict between his role as a private individual and his responsibilities as a citizen. As a doctor and husband, his immediate moral duty is to save a suffering human being, so he treats and cares for the wounded American despite personal risk. As a citizen and patriot he also feels obliged to inform the authorities and to consider national loyalty. He reports the matter to the general, who intends to have the soldier killed, yet Sadao's professional ethics and compassion finally lead him to protect the man and arrange his escape. The episode shows how personal morality and public duty can clash, and it illustrates the courage required to follow humanitarian principles even when they conflict with national expectations.