The Enemy
By Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (1892 - 1973)
Summary
Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. He studied in America and returned with Hana, a Japanese girl whom he met there, and married
her in Japan and settled down comfortably. While most of the doctors were sent to serve the Japanese army in the World War II,
Sadao was allowed to stay home because he was wanted by the old General who was dying. But one night into his uneventful life
came an American Navy-man, shot, wounded and dying. Though unwilling to help his enemy, Sadao took the young soldier into his
house and provided him with medical aid. He was in danger from that moment. Soon his servants left him. Dr. Sadao saw that the
soldier was getting well and absolutely alright. Once his patient was no more in need of him, the doctor turned out to be his
assassin, conspiring to kill him in his sleep. He informed the General of the American and the General promised, he would send his
private men to kill the American. Sadao awaited the American’s death every morning but to his gloom the man was still alive,
healthier and posing danger to him. At this point Sadao becomes the real man in him, a true human being who realizes the
essential worth of human life and universal brotherhood. He thinks beyond countries and continents and races and wars. He finds
no reason to believe that the American is his enemy. Sadao rescues the American. Thus Sadao rises above narrow prejudices and
acts in a truly humanitarian way.
GIST OF THE LESSON:
Sadao, a Japanese surgeon finds a wounded American soldier on the beach near his house.
He is unable to throw him back though he was his enemy as he was a doctor and his first duty was 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 the servants desert the
house.
Hana assists Dr. Sadao in operating the soldier in spite of her physical discomfort and hesitation.
Though it was war time and all hands were needed at the front, the General did not send Sadao with the troops as he is an
expert surgeon and the General needed 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 soldiers life. After the soldier is out of danger Dr.
Sadao helps him to escape from his house to safety.
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
Tended: cared for, looked after
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
Distress: sadness
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.
Bluntly: in a straight – forward manner
Courteously: politely
Superstitious: irrational beliefs
Stubbornness: firm determination
Fierce: dangerous
Sustained: continued
Conviction: firm belief
impulsively: to do something suddenly without thinking
rugs: blanket blond: of light colour
Ebbing: decreasing gradually
Rose: stood up
Chilled: freeze due to cold weather
Sterilized: disinfected
Concise: short
Anesthetic: a substance that induces insensitivity to pain
Superficial: existing or occurring at or on the surface.
her face the colour of sulphur: sulphur is a yellow coloured element. The clause means that her face became pale – yellowish in
colour.
Leaped: jumped
Retching: vomiting
Ruthless: harsh, merciless
Moaned: made low, soft sounds due to pain
Paid no heed: did not pay attention to
Cable – thick rope
Slack – to reduce
Shed – removed
Panic – fear
Seized – gripped
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.
Scars: marks
Probed: searched
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.
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
Compelled: forced
Apologise: feel sorry
Summon: to gather
Gasped: to catch one’s breathe due to astonishment
Knelt: sat on her knees
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
Traitor: a person who betrays his country
Impulsive: sudden, thoughtless
Assuage: decrease, reduce
Kerchief: square piece of cloth
Dismayed: shocked
Mistress: a woman in a position of authority or control
Inclined: bent towards one side
Grieving: in a state of sadness
Briskly: quickly
Crimson: bright red colour
Unaccustomed labour: not used to perform hard work
Gasping: struggling to breathe, unable to speak
Southern sunshine: the door of the office which opened into the garden faced the South direction. This means that the sunshine
which entered the office was not direct and bright instead it was a shady sunshine.
Indispensable: necessary
ruthlessness: harshness
sentimentality: being emotional
execution: legal punishment
peculiar: strange
Overwhelmed: full of emotions
Cares of his life: problems and responsibilities that he faced during his life
South pacific: the part of the Pacific Ocean that lies in the southern hemisphere.
Assassins: professional killers
Timid: showing lack of courage or confidence
Absolute state: a state run by kings having total powers
Reason: an idea backed by common sense
Gaunt: gloomy, weak
Stubbly: unshaven, bearded
Blond: light – coloured, yellowish colour
Gripping: holding tightly
Rustling: the sound made by footsteps
Twig: branch of tree
Burden: here, it refers to a dead body.
Shaggy: hairy
Refrain: a sound that is repeated time and again
Boughs: branches of trees
Partitions: structures dividing a room into parts
Eaves: part of the roof that meets or overhangs the wall of a building
Springs:
Wail: cry loudly
Infected: affected
Crept: crawled
Gay: happy
Washed: bathed
there was a faint colour in his cheeks: his pale yellow coloured cheeks were turning pinkish in colour which indicated that he was
recovering.
Weary: tired
Strain: stress
Fortifying: putting security at a place
Submerged: here, sink into the sea
Fathom: a unit of measuring the depth of the sea.
Comprehending: understanding
Nodded: lower and raise one's head slightly and briefly, especially in greeting, assent, or understanding, or to give someone a
signal.
Pulse: heartbeat
Hesitated: paused in indecision before saying or doing something.
Gall bladder: the small sac-shaped organ beneath the liver, in which bile is stored after secretion by the liver and before release
into the intestine.
Sulphur: a chemical element used as a disinfectant
Cross: angry, disappointed
Chrysanthemum: a flower
Amazement: surprise
Patriotism: love for one’s country
Dereliction: failure to perform one’s duty
the General was in the palm of his hand: he had control of the general
consequence: result
zeal: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective
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
Repulsive: awful, terrible
Haggard: looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.
1. 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.
A. Dr. Sadao is trapped in a dilemma. On one hand, being a doctor having moral and ethical responsibility to save the wounded
soldier and on the other hand, being a patriot, to let the enemy die or hand him over to the army. He fulfils his ethical
responsibility, saves the man, risks his own life, his family, reputation and then later, as a patriot plans to get him killed with the
help of the army general. Later on again, he helps him escape which reflects his true personality.
2. 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?
A. Hana firmly follows her husband’s sense of duty although she knows that her husband’s decision is being questioned by
everyone. She is humanitarian and compassionate and goes beyond her duty to perform the tasks which she is not supposed to. It
is her care that helps the man recover quickly. She respects her husband and has a sense of duty towards him.
3. 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?
A. Sadao and Hana had treated the American man with a lot of kindness and warmth. The man had suffered severely at the hands
of the Japanese army as he had been made a prisoner of war. This warm attitude of Sadao and Hana gave him so much relief that
he did not want to leave their house. The man felt at home – safe and warm. So, even though they were at risk at the hands of the
army and the people of Japan, the man was reluctant to leave them.
4. 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?
A. All his life the general had performed his duties with utmost sincerity. He realized that killing innocent men had become a
burden on his soul. He understood Sadao’s mindset which indicated that he wanted to save a life irrespective of the fact that he
was from an enemy country. The general also considered him to be a human being and so, excused Sadao to save his life.
