Introduction The story "the enemy" has everything in it that makes it an anti-war story but a t no stage in the story does the author spell out categorical condemnation of wa r. The deglorification of war The date glorification of war is hinted at through the near fatal plight of the American prisoner of war. His condition speaks for itself and sets the reader th inking about the illogicality of war. The story also deals with the conflict that the doctor and his wife are face to face with. When they try to reason out the action of helping the prisoner of war , they are reminded that his country is at war with theirs, but there is always a world beyond all reasons, the world of professional loyalty and the world of p iety. Characters:a) Dr Sadao's father a patriot. Looking at the islands on the South Seas, he would always tell his son that they were the stepping stones to the future of Japan. The father was a great supporter of those who worked for increasing the produce of the country in any form.The father used to make this comment on seeing men cl imbing on coconut trees for coconuts. He was a revered man and his son did everything his father is said. He was a serious and stern man and never joked or played with his only son. Howe ver, he took infinite pains regarding Sadao's education in the field of medicine , surgery and science and sent him to America for higher studies. He was a downright Japanese, steeped in and devoted to this culture and traditio n. Sadao knew fully well that this father would not allow his marriage to Hana till he is certain about the purity of her race. The father saw to it that the marri age was organised and arranged in the old Japanese style. His love of Japan and Japanese values becomes clear from the fact that he neithe r sat on a chair nor slept on a foreign bed all through his life. In short, he was nationalist, a patriot who was proud of the country and culture he belonged to. b) General Takima it wouldn't be wrong to say about the general that for him," Charity begins at h ome". Even though this serious Second World War was in progress in its full fury and a doctor of the calibre of Dr Sadao would have been a boon for the wounded soldiers on the front, he was kept back as the general needed his services Although, it was rumoured that he used to beat his wife, yet somewhere in the co rner of his heart there is tenderness and humaneness. In spite of the promise to the doctor to send his private assassins to wipe out the American prisoner, the General desists from doing so. Either he forgets it d ue to his preoccupation with his own health or overlooks it out of pity and huma n kindness. The general has a subtle sense of humour. He talks about the German ruthlessness and American sentimentality in a humorous way. His views about the doctors trai ned in Germany are entrusting. One can't help smiling when the general says that the German doctors would consider the operation successful, even if the patient died after the operation. In the author's own words he had an unusual sense of humour. His country is at war with America but he certainly has a soft corner for that country. He took his degree in Princeton and understands Americans and within hi s heart of hearts does not consider them bad. When all is said and done, it will be wrong to believe that he is anti national. He is certainly loyal to his coun try and would not like anyone to doubt his integrity and patriotism.
c) Dr. Sadao's servants Yumi, the governess, two servants in the kitchen and the old gardener are all si mple minded people. They are incapable of original thinking. Their minds digest the thoughts fed to them by the authorities and are patriots to a fault. When Hana requests Yumi to wash the wounded man, she answers bluntly that she ha s never washed a white man and would not wash so dirty a one now. There jingoistic attitude has an undercurrent of the fear of punishment at being a party to the entire incident. Self-preservation is a natural phenomena amongs t all living creatures and the servants are no exception. They do not want any h arm to themselves or to their families. On examining their mental make up one finds that all of them are confused lot an d their love and loyalty towards their country stands in sharp contrast against their love of Dr. Sadao's family. That is why in spite of the fact, that they a ll leave the doctor's house, none of them betrays the secret of the American. However, as soon as the American leaves the house, all of them return to their r outine. d) Tom , the American Prisoner of War Tom appears to be the darling of destiny's eyes that save him from all odds. The escaped American prisoner of war braves the bullet, furious waves and rocks an d is washed ashore, in front of the duty conscious and a downright professional surgeon. Thus, the inimical Japanese shore becomes his best friend. Torture, suffering and hunger have made him skeletal, but even in his unconsciou s state, he has a strong indomitable will. Dr Sadao's observation that the man has extraordinary vitality and that this man will live in spite of all are very meaningful. On gaining consciousness after a successful operation and a bit of recuperation, he is rightly fearful as he knows he is in enemy territory. Full of genuine ter ror, he asks the doctor what are they going to do to him. His remaining alive is nothing short of a miracle. The doctor acts as an angel f or him and saves his life a second time by making his escape possible. The course of his life, particularly in the doctor's house, compels the reader i s to believe in the adage, "where there is a will, there is a way". e) Dr Sadao Hoki He was a papa's boy and revered his father like a demigod. He remembered his fat her's observations about islands in the South Seas being stepping stones for Jap an. He always did everything his father said. His father wanted him to be a skil ful surgeon and a scientist and he came true to his father's expectations. All through Japan, Sadao was known as the renowned surgeon. He has a scholarly bent of mind and is an efficient scientist also. As a part-ti me hobby he was perfecting a discovery aimed at rendering wounds absolutely clea n. The general's unfailing faith in his skills speaks volumes for his effciency. He has great regards for the feelings and sentiments of his father. In spite of the fact that he liked Hana whom he had met in America, he did not forget that h is father would not accept her unless he was convinced that she was pure in her race. So he decides to wait for his father's approval. He is a very caring and loving husband and has regards for the views of his wife . On finding the prisoner of war on the shore he seeks complete approval of his wife before bringing the wounded man in. Again he accepts her suggestion that th e servants be told about the American. When the servants choose to leave their h ouse, he walks up to the kitchen to help his wife. In fact , in all the vital is sues concerning their lives, he consults his wife and values her suggestion. However, where his task of the professional surgeon is concerned, he is very met iculous and turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to everything else except his patie nts. He has a religious devotion towards his profession. The doctor is basically good at heart. Finally, his helping the prisoner of war, , asserts that the doctor has a heart of gold. The servants coming back after th
e departure of the American yet again proved that he is a kindhearted man and hi s juniors have great regard for him. In sum, he is a good, dutiful, loving, and a professionally sound man. f)Hana -through the portrayal of Hana, who maintains the balance of the qualities of he ad and heart, the author projects her own concept of an ideal woman. -She is a perfect homemaker who is capable of switching over to any domestic rol e with the ease. -When her servants decide to leave her she steps into their shoes and discharges the duties of the governess and the kitchen maid with efficiency. -Her qualities of head and heart make her take a balanced and humane view about the wounded American. She does not lose sight of the fact, that the wounded Amer ican is a human being first and an enemy afterwards. -Her active participation in all vital decisions that the couple takes, speaks volumes for her presence of mind, confidence and determination. -Be cooperative and understanding, eventually she joins hands with her husband a nd renders all possible help to him in making the operation a success. Though sh e had never done the job of a nurse earlier, she performs the duty with skill. -In spite of all the tension, she carries herself with dignity while dealing wit h her servants. She's not the woman to dither before her domestic helps, yet she is magnanimous enough to make on the spot payment of their wages. -In sum, she is an epitome of femininity. She plays the perfect wife, a capable and devoted mother and a skilled homemaker. Theme -'the enemy'is a story of conflict between man's inherent humaneness and the hat red and prejudice is created by pseudo-nationalism and war. It shows how war and narrow nationalism can stifle human feelings of love and compassion and turn f riends and fellow beings into enemies. -The story underscores the illogicality of war. -Another theme that runs parallel is that people of the world are inherently the same despite the superficial differences of skin colour, cultures and nationali ties et cetera and that we should consider people of other countries as our frie nds and not enemies. The best way to kill an enemy is to befriend him. Title -'the enemy'is an apt title for this story that has Second World War as the back ground. -Under the circumstances, an American prisoner of war, by no chance, could be tr eated as a friend by the Japanese. -The servants in Dr. Sadao's house vehemently protest against his presence and t reat him as their sworn enemy, so much so that they severe their long-standing r elationship with the Sadaos over this issue. They want the enemy to be immediate ly handed over to the police. -For the masses that constitute majority of the population all the world over, a ll individuals belonging to the country, their nation is at war with, are their enemies. -The Sadao couple too consider the American to be their enemy, but being educate d they have a broader and more generous view of life and in spite of reservation s, they take a humanistic view. -The doctor's professional ethics also urged him to treat the American as a pati ent. -Neither Dr Sadao nor Hana at any tage consider him to be their friend in spite of the fact that thy have spent a number of years in the US.
Message a) An anti-war story -the author aims at the glorification of war and warns the people of the world a gainst waging wars. b) Humaneness in war -at another level, the author wants to convey the message that if at all war bec omes inevitable, how should a helpless prisoner of war be treated. The soldier at the front, suffering the bullets should be treated as a human being first and an enemy afterwards. After all, it is not the fault of the particular warring i ndividual if he belongs to the enemy camp. -In her story, the author advocates the lesson of universal brotherhood. c) Foremost duty of the doctors is to save life. Questions/Answers a) Who was Dr.Sadao ? Where was his house situated? -He was a renowned Japanese surgeon trained in America and an equally noted scie ntist who was perfecting a discovery which would render wounds entirely clean. -His 'square stone house'was situated on rocks above the narrow beach that was o utlined with bent pines. b) give two reasons why Dr. Sadao was not sent abroad with the Japanese troops? -Firstly because the General was ailing and might need an operation anytime. -Secondly because Sadao was perfecting a discovery which was likely to "render w ounds entirely clean". c)Sadao had waited to fall in love with Hana, until he was sure that she was Jap anese. Why did he do so? OR Why did Sadao and Hana not marry heedlessly in Ameri ca? -Sadao's father was a downright Japanese traditionalist. -Sadao loved and respected his father and did not want to annoy him. So he waite d to make sure about Hana's identity and did not want to marry her in a hurry in America without getting his father's approval. d) Sometimes the little things in life become very vital. How do you justify it from the chance first meeting of Hana and Sadao? -Both met by chance in the American professor Harley's house from where, a littl e while ago, Sadao had wanted to run away as he was sick of the small size of th e rooms, the voluble lady of the house and the food that she served. But that wa s not to be. -This chance and casual meeting became vital and later culminated in the lifelon g union of Hana and Sadao as husband and wife. e) who was the misty figure that had been washed ashore? How did the doctor and his wife establish his identity? -He was an American prisoner of war who was fatally wounded. -Dr and his wife were able to establish his identity as an American sailor from the faint lettering on his battered cap that spelled 'U.S. Navy'. f) why did blood start flowing out of the wounded man as soon as the doctor touc hed the wound with his fingers? -Because it was a gunshot wound which had not been tended for quite some time an d had reopened as the rocks on the shore had torn it further apart. g) How and why did Dr. Sadao stop the bleeding of the injured man on the beach? What dilemma did he and his wife have to face soon after?
-He immediately packed the wound with the help of wild sea moss to stop the blee ding momentarily. -But soon he and his wife found themselves in a dilemma-should they save the mor tally wounded man or hand him over as a prisoner, for he belonged to an enemy co untry. h)What makes Hana comment,' we must think of the children and your position'? -Hana is a devoted housewife and fears that the presence of the American prisone r in their house could lead to their arrest as traitors and bring shame for the family. It could also adversely affect the childrens' future and the dcotor's ca reer. i) What makes Dr comment, this man must have an extraordinary vitality? -The American prisoner of war was bullet ridden and his survival under all adver se conditions was nothing short of a miracle. Any other man would have collapsed due to gaping wounds, excessive bleeding and excruciating pain. j) why do you think Hana believes that the man(American prisoner of war) is a me nace, living or dead? -If he dies Sadao will have failed as a doctor and if he survives, the doctor ca n be arrested on charges of harbouring an enemy. k) how did the old gardener react when sailor? -The old gardener was really upset and . -In anxiety he pulled the few hairs on -He was of the opinion that his master -He felt that it was destined that the then the rocks wounded him and if the ny, the gun and sea would avenge their
Sadao told him about the wounded American frightened and hearing about the American the upper lip. should not treat the white man. man should die because first he was shot, master went against the dictates of desti master's disobedience.
l) could it ever be well to help an enemy? What does the reading of the story te ll you? -viewed from humanitarian grounds, the decision to shelter the enemy, treat and nurse him was justified. m) How did Hana wash the wounded man? Why did she have to do it herself? -After laying the ounded man's breast bare by untying the knotted rugs,Hana soak ed the small clean 'towel' with hot water and washed the wounded man's face and body carefully. She kept on washing him until his upper body was quite clean. -Hana had to do all this herself because Yumi, the children's nurse had categori cally refuse to wash dirty white man. n) Hana had never ever seen an operation before? How did she feel when she saw h er husband probing the soldiers wound? -Hana feels nauseating and rushes out to vomit. o)"This man ....' there is no reason under heaven , why he should live". Why doe s Dr Sadao make this statement about the American? -The American prisoner of war, a badly wounded man is a source of much worry and vexation for the doctor. -Saving him is a challenge for his skills as a doctor, harbouring him in his hou se could lead to his arrest and his treatment was an ultimate test of his patien ce. -Thus, Dr. Sadao was going through so much mental conflict all because of the Am erican. -So when his wife Hana nauseates during the operation and he is unable to attend to her, he loses all control and makes the statement.
p) what reason would you ascribe to the General beating his wife? q) what did Hana think when she saw the scars on the American? Why? -When Hana noticed that there were deep red scars on the American's neck, she an xiously and very sincerely hoped that he had not been tortured -She thought so because she is a kindhearted lady and shuddered at the thought o f any physical violence. -She knew that it was a common practice to torture prisoners of war in a brutal manner. r)Do you agree with the observation of the American professor, "ignorance of the human body is the surgeon's cardinal sin"? -I do agree with this observation -a surgeon's main field of activity is the human body and if he does not have th orough knowledge, he has no right to operate on it and if he does so, he is comm itting a cardinal sin. It is nothing short of committing a virtual murder. s) why does the doctor mutter the words 'my friend' while treating the American? What is ironical about his words? -When one is deeply engrossed in one's work, one becomes oblivious of the surrou ndings and often mutters a few words aloud. -All doctors are trained to talk to their patients to elicit a response from the m and to comfort them. -Irony:-the patient is actually a sailor of an enemy country, a fact that Dr see ms to have overlooked or forgotten while muttering these words. t) how do the servants reacts to the decision of Sadaos to keep the American in their house? - They informed Hana that if the Sadaos insisted on keeping the American hidden in the house anymore, it wouldn't be possible for them to stay there. -The servants were of the view that since both of them had stayed in America the y had developed a liking for Americans. -The gardener said that the man should have been allowed to bleed to death. -While the Cook remarked that their master was so proud of his skill to save lif e that he would save any life without making a distinction between a friend and a foe. u) give details of the two things that happened on the seventh day after the wou nded American was brought into the house? -Firstly, all the servants gathered their belongings and departed in the morning without having discharged their duties. -Secondly, in the afternoon, Hana saw a uniformed messenger enter the house with the General's message. v) why did the messenger come to call the doctor? What did Hana think about the visit of the messenger? -To inform him that the old general was in pain again and needed his care. -Hana thought that the servants had betrayed them and the messenger had come the re to arrest them for sheltering an American. w) Why does the general not want to be treated by a doctor trained in Germany? -According to the general, the Germans are ruthless and don't care much about hu man life whereas the Americans are sentimental and value life. -So he does not want to be treated by the doctors trained in Germany and prefers Dr.Sadao because of his dexterity as a surgeon and his humaneness. x) How did the General offer to help Sdao get rid of the American? OR What secre t plan did the general have about the American soldier staying under the care of Sadao? -The general offered to send his own private assassins to the doctor's house to
help him get rid of the American. -He further informed the doctor that they were capable assassins, and without mu ch noise would kill the man by causing internal bleeding. -they would also dispose of the body,he assured Sadao. y) what is an absolute state? Why was it necessary for the rulers to keep assass ins? -An absolute state is an autocratic dictatorial state ruled by a despot where op position of any kind is not tolerated. -Japan, during the days of the Second World War was an absolute state and it was necessary for the rulers to keep assassins to silence any type of discontent or opposition against their dictates. z) after recovering when the American prisoner asks the doctor, what are you goi ng to do with me?, Do you think the doctor's answer was any consolation for him? -After recovery, the American was concerned about his fate, but the doctor's ans wer "i dont know" was no consolation for him and must have kept the young man on tenterhooks. A) Why do the domestic servants strongly react to the American's presence in the ir house? -The servants are simple folk who are very loyal to both their master and their country. -They know just one thing that Americans are their enemies and no Japanese shoul d help or harbour them. -They also fear that helping and harbouring the American could spell trouble for their master as well as them . B) after the Gen's assurance of getting the American prisoner slain, the doctor should have felt relieved, but he spends sleepless nights. How do you account fo r his behaviour? -It is because his conscience pricks him and his heart reproaches him for betray ing his guest and wishing for his death. -Subconsciously, he wishes that the white man survived and escaped to safety. C) Why was Sadao not able to talk to the general about the assassins for quite sometime ? -As the general had been operated upon and the doctor was not sure whether the p atient would survive or not as his gallbladder was much involved. -However, when the general recovered after a week, there was no need to talk abo ut them as the American prisoner had been made to escape by him. D) why did Sadao feel that the general was in the palm of his hands(under his co ntrol)? -Because Sadao was indispensable for the general's well-being and survival. -The general did not trust any other doctor. E)Gazing out to the sea from where the young man had come Sadao was reminded of some other white men he had known. Who were they and what did Sadao remember ab out them? -dull professor and his silly talkative wife where he had met Hana. -His anatomy professor who insisted on "mercy with the knife". -fat and slatternly landlady. F)If you were Dr. Sadao, what would you have done to the American sailor? -I would have also done all I could to save the sailor from the jaws of death. -Once he was fully recovered, i would have handed him over to the police to let the law decide his fate. -This way i would have been true to both my profession and my country.
