Discover ‘The Enemy Notes, Class XII,’ a comprehensive guide featuring all textual and essential additional questions, crafted in clear and simple language to aid students’ understanding and preparation.
The Enemy Question Solutions
Table of Contents
The Enemy Notes
(HS 2nd Yr English)
-Pearl S. Buck
The Enemy Question Solutions
The Enemy Notes
(Selected Question Solutions)
Short Answer Type Question ( Each bearing 2 Marks)
Q.1. Who was Mr. Sadao? Where was his house?
Ans: Mr. Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. He studied medicine in America.
His house was on a spot of the Japanese coast. It was a low square stone house that was set upon rocks.
Q.2. What kind of relationship did Dr. Sadao share with his father?
Ans: Sadao shared a very serious relationship with his father. His father was very enthusiastic about Sadao’s education. He never played nor joked with his son. He sent Sadao to America at the age of twenty-two to study surgery and medicine. Sadao came back to Japan at thirty after the completion of his study.
Q.3. What was the attitude of Sadao and his wife towards the wounded man? What did they decide to do with the man?
or
What was the initial reaction of Dr. Sadao and Hana on seeing the wounded soldier?
Ans: First, when Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana saw the wounded soldier laying on the seashore they thought of putting the man back into the sea. But their conscience forbade them to do so.
Finally, they decided to carry the wounded soldier to their home, in spite of the fact that he was an American, their enemy. They lifted him together and carried him to their house and Sadao and Hana decided to treat the man and saved that moribund soldier.
Q.4. Who was Hana? Where did Dr. Sadao meet her? H. S. ’19
Ans: Hana was the wife of Dr. Sadao, a reputed Japanese surgeon. She was a very caring, loving and sympathetic woman.
Dr. Sadao met her at a party held for foreign students at an American professor’s house.
Q.5. How did Dr. Sadao and Hana come to know that the man was an American, a prisoner of war and an enemy?
Ans: When Dr. Sadao and Hana reached the man, he was lying unconscious on the seashore. He was deeply wounded. An old cap stuck to his head which had the name ‘U. S. Navy’ written on it. After close inspection, they found out that the man was a white one.
Thus they come to know that the white man was an American, a prisoner of war and an enemy to their land.
Q.6. When and where did Sadao marry Hana? How was their married life?
Ans: Dr. Sadao met Hana at a party held for foreign students at an American professor’s house and fell in love with her. But he had to wait to decide on marrying Hana until he was sure that she was Japanese. It was because his father would not have accepted her as his daughter-in-law unless she had been pure in her race. Thus after coming back to Japan, and when his family became sure that she was of purely Japanese origin, then Sadao married her with the traditional Japanese custom.
Their married life was a happy one and they loved each one deeply. Sadao had two children by her.
7. Who was Hana? What did she notice coming out of the mist?
Ans: Hana was the wife of Dr. Sadao, a reputed Japanese surgeon. She was a very caring, loving and sympathetic woman.
Hana noticed something black coming out of the mist. It was flung up out of the sea. After a moment, Hana along with her husband saw that it was a badly wounded American prisoner of war.
8. Why did the messenger come to Dr. Sadao?
Ans: The messenger came to Dr. Sadao to take him to the palace as the old General was in pain.
The Enemy Notes
Long Answer Type Questions. (Each bearing 7 Marks)
Q. 1.Give a character sketch of Dr. Sadao.
or
Write a character sketch of Dr. Sadao Hoki as depicted in “The Enemy”.
Ans: Dr. Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. He studied medicine in America. He was a very kind and sympathetic man, a reputed surgeon and a true humanitarian.
Sadao shared a very serious relationship with his father. His father was very enthusiastic about Sadao’s education. He sent Sadao to America at the age of twenty-two to study surgery and medicine. Sadao came back to Japan at thirty after the completion of his studies.
He married Hana and lived a very happy married life. They loved each other deeply.
Dr. Sadao was a fine doctor and kind-hearted humanitarian. It is known from the fact that one day he and his wife Hana saw a wounded soldier lying unconscious on the seashore. First, they thought of putting the man back into the sea. But their conscience forbade them to do so.
In spite of the fact that the wounded soldier was an American, they lifted him and carried him to their house. There, Sadao gave good treatment to the moribund soldier and saved his life, in spite of the menace he faced from his native men. At last, he set him free and told the general that the prisoner had escaped and he was ready to meet the consequence for what he did.
Thus we see that Dr. Sadao was a fine doctor and a kind-hearted humanitarian to the truest sense.
Q.2. Why and how did Dr. Sadao help the prisoner of war to escape? Do you find him guilty of harbouring an enemy?
Ans: Dr. Sadao was a fine doctor and kind-hearted humanitarian. One night, he and his wife Hana saw a wounded soldier (prisoner of war) lying unconscious on the seashore. First, they thought of putting the man back into the sea. But their conscience forbade them to do so. In spite of the fact that the wounded soldier was an American, they lifted him and carried him to their home. There, Sadao gave good treatment to the moribund soldier and saved his life, in spite of the menace he faced from his native men.
When the wounded American soldier was healed, Dr. Sadao arranged a boat for him and asked him to reach a nearby island from where he could seek the help of a Korean boat to escape. He provided him with some food, some bottles of water and two quilts in the boat. He gave him a flashlight and asked him to give a signal with it in case he ran out of food. He was also dressed in a Japanese outfit and his blonde head was covered with a black cloth. Thus, Dr. Sadao helped the prisoners of war to escape.
Dr. Sadao is not guilty of harbouring an enemy. It is a general truth that the countries at war are considered to be enemies of each other. Dr. Sadao was in confusion about making his choice between his role as an individual and as a Japanese. But it was his humanitarian feeling to save the life of an American prisoner of war. In doing so, he overpowered his narrow sense of nationality and proved himself as a true human.
Q.3. Dr. Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to save a dying enemy. What made Hana sympathise with the American sailor in spite of open defiance from the servants? How do you justify the behaviour of the old General? Was it human consideration or lack of national loyalty or dereliction of duty?
Ans: Hana was a kind-hearted woman. She loved her husband dearly and she was committed to supporting her husband. She displayed her strength of character standing by her husband to save the life of the moribund American prisoner of war. In doing so, she faced open defiance from the servants. But she did not care about the defiance and played her role as a human.
The behaviour of the old General invoked criticism. He was a Japanese General. While he heard about the prisoner of war, he called for Dr. Sadao and said to him that as a Japanese Dr Sadao had done the wrong in harbouring an enemy but as a doctor he has done his role. But to scot-free of this accusation, the General promised him to send some of his private assassins to his home to kill the enemy. But he did keep his promise. As a Japanese General, his duty was to arrest the war prisoner at once. But he did not do that. So we can accuse him of dereliction of duty. 0 0 0.
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The Enemy Notes
The Enemy by Pearl S. Buck: Detailed Summary
“The Enemy” by Pearl S. Buck is a compelling short story set in Japan during World War II. The narrative focuses on Dr. Sadao Hoki, a skilled Japanese surgeon, and the complex moral and ethical challenges he faces when he encounters an injured American prisoner of war.
Dr. Sadao Hoki lives with his wife, Hana, in a house on the Japanese coast. One evening, they discover an unconscious, badly wounded American soldier named Tom washed ashore near their home. The couple is immediately torn between their patriotic duty and their humanitarian instincts. Although Sadao harbors a deep-seated hatred for Americans, who are the enemies of Japan during the war, his professional oath as a doctor compels him to save lives regardless of nationality.
Despite the intense fear of being labeled as traitors, Sadao and Hana decide to bring the American into their home. They realize the grave danger of harboring an enemy soldier, but their compassion and sense of duty as medical professionals drive them to act. Hana is initially reluctant but supports her husband’s decision, showing the complexity of their emotional and ethical struggle.
As Dr. Sadao begins treating Tom’s wounds, the couple faces escalating tension and suspicion. Their servants, loyal to Japan, express their disapproval and eventually leave the household in protest. This isolation heightens the stakes for Sadao and Hana, who must now handle the situation entirely on their own.
Throughout the story, Sadao’s internal conflict is palpable. He is torn between his allegiance to his country and his ethical responsibilities as a doctor. Pearl S. Buck delves into the nuances of his character, illustrating his struggle to reconcile these conflicting duties. Sadao’s professional integrity and sense of humanity compel him to save the soldier, even though doing so puts his own life and the lives of his family at risk.
Hana’s role in the narrative is equally significant. She endures the stress and fear associated with hiding and nursing an enemy soldier, demonstrating her own bravery and moral fortitude. Together, Sadao and Hana navigate their anxieties and the looming threat of discovery, all while providing the necessary medical care to save Tom’s life.
As Tom’s condition improves, the couple must decide on the next course of action. Sadao realizes that keeping Tom hidden indefinitely is not sustainable and poses a continuous danger to his family. In a final act of compassion and courage, he devises a plan to help Tom escape. Sadao provides Tom with supplies and instructions, ensuring he has a chance to survive and reach safety without further endangering anyone.
“The Enemy” ultimately explores profound themes of duty, morality, and the shared humanity that transcends national and cultural boundaries. Pearl S. Buck emphasizes the internal conflict between professional ethics and patriotic loyalty, showing how acts of kindness and bravery can prevail even in times of war. Through the characters of Sadao and Hana, Buck illustrates the power of empathy and the universal struggle to do what is right, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. 0 0 0
The Enemy Notes
About the Author: Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck, born Pearl Sydenstricker on June 26, 1892, in Hillsboro, West Virginia, was a renowned American writer and novelist. The daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Buck spent much of her early life in China, where she developed a deep appreciation for Chinese culture and language. This unique upbringing profoundly influenced her literary work.
Buck attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Virginia, graduating in 1914. She returned to China, where she married John Lossing Buck, an agricultural economist. The couple lived in various parts of China, providing Pearl with rich material for her writing.
In 1931, Buck published her most famous novel, ‘The Good Earth’, which vividly depicts rural Chinese life. The book was a critical and commercial success, earning her the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1932. ‘The Good Earth’ is often credited with helping to increase American interest and understanding of Chinese culture.
Buck’s prolific writing career included over 70 books, spanning novels, biographies, children’s books, and translations. Her work often focused on themes of cross-cultural understanding, human rights, and social justice. In 1938, she became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognized for her rich and epic portrayals of Chinese peasant life and for her biographical masterpieces.
Beyond her literary achievements, Buck was an active humanitarian. She advocated for civil rights, women’s rights, and the rights of minority groups. In 1949, she founded the East and West Association to promote cultural exchange and understanding. She also established the Pearl S. Buck Foundation (now Pearl S. Buck International) to support the adoption and welfare of mixed-race children.
Pearl S. Buck passed away on March 6, 1973, in Danby, Vermont, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a writer and humanitarian whose work bridged cultures and championed the cause of the underprivileged. 0 0 0.
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