The Enemy

COMPREHENSION CHECK

Q1       Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?

Answer Dr Sadao Hoki was an eminent Japanese surgeon and scientist. He had spent eight valuable years of his youth in America to learn all that could be learnt of surgery and medicine there. He was perfecting a discovery which would· render wounds entirely clean. Dr Sadao's house was built on rocks well above a narrow beach that was outlined with bent pines. It was on a spot of the Japanese coast.

Q2       Could Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?

 Answer Dr Sadao knew that they would be arrested if they sheltered a white man in their house. The wounded man was a prisoner of war who had escaped with a bullet on his back. Since Japan was at war with America, harbouring an enemy meant being a traitor to Japan. Dr Sadao could be arrested if anyone complained against him and accused him of harbouring an enemy.

Q3       Why did Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?

 Answer The wounded American was in a very bad state and needed to be washed before being operated on. Hana did not want Dr Sadao to clean the dirty and unconscious prisoner, and so asked their servant, Yumi, to do so. However, Yumi defied her master’s order and opted out of it. As a result, Hana had no other option but to wash him herself. Although this act was impulsive and dipped in a sense of superiority over her servant, Yumi, she did it with sincerity.

Q4       What did Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?

Or

How did Dr. Sadao and hana treat the injured man?

Answer Dr Sadao and Hana found an unconscious wounded war prisoner who posed a huge threat to their own safety. However, Dr Sadao decided to go with his gut feeling and operate on him. He saved his life even though it was for the time being. Though half heartedly, both took good care of the patient’s health and other needs. Hana even washed and fed him with her own hands. Although they knew that they would have to hand him over to the army sooner or later, they did their best to help the injured man.

 Q5 Was Dr Sadao arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?

 Answer Dr Sadao, on humanitarian grounds as well as professional grounds, tended a wounded war prisoner which was officially a serious crime. However, he did not get punished for this offence as it was never revealed to anyone, except his wife, loyal but timid servants, and a General who was too self-obsessed with his own treatment that he would never let the doctor leave him.

Q6       What did Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?

 Answer With the injured American's health gradually improving, Dr Sadao and Hana were in a fix as to what should be done with him. Their loyal servants had left them and keeping him in their house could pose a threat to their lives. As Hana’s impatience and distress grew, Dr Sadao revealed the matter to the General who decided to send assassins to kill the young American in his sleep. Keen on getting rid of the escaped war prisoner, Dr Sadao agreed. However, the matter could not be resolved because the assassins never came. Dr Sadao then planned another way to get rid of him which was overpowered with sympathy and a distant gratitude towards the people he had been linked to in America. He decided to save his patient one more time. He secretly sent him to an isolated island with food, bottled water, clothes, blanket and his own flashlight on a boat from where he boarded a Korean ship to freedom and safety.

Read with insight

Q1       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.

 Answer Dr. Sadao encounters the dilemma as a doctor whose ethical responsibility is to save a life. At the same time he faces responsibility as a loyal Japanese citizen to inform the police about the escaped prisoner of war and to hand him over to them.  He risks his life, fame and social status, takes the injured prisoner to his house and makes efforts to save him. But his other side that is, his sense of patriotism as well as nationalism also urges him to report the matter to the General. He takes the general in confidence and plans to get the prisoner killed  but later on again helps the soldier in escaping. Thus Dr. Sadao’s mental conflict is displayed.

Q2       Dr Sadao was compelled by 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?

Answer Dr Sadao and Hana knew that their decision to save the enemy soldier would be questioned by everyone. However, they firmly followed their sense of duty. For Dr Sadao this sense of duty came from the profession he was in; but for Hana, the duty was purely humanitarian. From bearing the unrest in her domestic staff to being forced to do all the chores of house-hold herself, she does all with grace and dignity. Hana’s loving, considerate and sympathetic nature shines out. She washed and fed the soldier although it was not her job. Her care helped recuperate the soldier fast. It is also apparent from the story that she respected her husband, and as a sense of duty towards him, did the needful. This explains why she, even after feeling sick, comes back to the room and readily does whatever is told by her husband during the operation.

Q3       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 ?

Answer When the American war prisoner came to consciousness and realized that he was saved by a Japanese family, he feared that he will be soon handed over to the army. However, as he noticed the amount of concern and care given to him by the family, he understood that he was in safe hands. He knew that although he was a threat to the doctor’s family, his own life might be saved there. Burdened with gratitude towards the family, he ultimately decides to comply with what the doctor planned for him - the escape.

Q4       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?

 Answer The General was totally governed by self absorption. He was a patient of Dr Sadao and did not trust anyone except him when it came to his health. He could not take the risk of living unprotected if the doctor was executed for treason. He had personal assassins whom he promised to use for killing the injured soldier. But ironically, he ‘forgot’ his promise to help the doctor. Human consideration was not on his mind at all.

Q5       While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during war time, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?

 Answer News of war is fast becoming a way of life. The moment one picks up a newspaper, one is bombarded with news of wars between different countries, directly or indirectly. It is obvious that the countries at war are enemies and hatred is a part of this enmity. However the success of humanity comes when we rise above this enmity and show our love towards the civilization as a whole. Dr Sadao did the same. He did whatever he could to save the life of a man whom he knew was a war prisoner. The instant he saw the injured man, he was filled with concern. Ignoring the fact that he was the enemy of his country and must have killed so many Japanese and may kill even more, if alive, he saved him.

Q6       Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?

 Answer The doctor tried his best to save the injured soldier as a part of his duty. But the ultimate question was what to do next. It cannot be said that he betrayed his country as he told the truth to the General. However when he noticed that the soldier was to be killed not for the benefit of the country but only to save the doctor’s life, he decided to help him flee. In such a situation, the doctor's final solution to the problem was the best possible one.

Q7       Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?

Answer The story definitely reminds one of “Birth’ by A. J. Cronin. There is a striking similarity between both the stories. Both revolve around doctors who try their level best to save the lives of nearly dead human beings. In the story ‘Birth’, Dr Andrew saves the life of an almost still born baby boy with lot of effort, while ‘The Enemy’ deals with the story of Dr Sadao who saves an American soldier from the enemy troops during the times of war. Both the stories deal with humanity, love, affection, selflessness and a strong sense of duty.

Q8. What message do you get from the story?

Answer The story ‘The Enemy’ is built on the pillars of selflessness, sense of duty, kindness and generosity. It inspires us to rise above the prejudices of nationality and be humans. 

The Enemy Chapter Wise Important Questions Class 12 English

Short Answer Type Questions o Marks, 30-40 words)

Question.1. Why did Dr Sadao treat the American soldier even though, it was an unpatriotic act
On his part? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. Dr Sadao treated the American prisoner of war because as a doctor, he was trained to save lives. He could not have let the injured soldier die even though he was his national enemy, as that would have been against his professional ethics.

Question.2. How did Hana help Dr Sadao? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. Hana was an impeccable wife and stood by her husband in all his. decisions. She helped Dr Sadao when he was operating upon the enemy and also nursed and washed the prisoner herself when the servants had flatly refused to do so.

Question.3. Why did the General not order immediate arrest of Dr Sadao who had sheltered a
Whiteman? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The General did not usually keep in good health and trusted no other surgeon but Dr Sadao in his time of need and could have needed his services anytime. This is why he did not order immediate arrest of the doctor for harbouring an enemy in his house.

Question.4. What forced Dr Sadao to be impatient and irritable with his patient? (All India 2013,2010)
Answer. The wounded white man urgently needed an operation as he was critically injured. Hana was with Sadao when, he started operating on the prisoner. Hana, who had never seen an operation in her life, vomited at the sight of blood. Sadao wanted to help her in her distress but he could not leave his patient. This made him impatient and irritable.

Question.5. What made a cool surgeon like Sadao speak sharply to his wife and what was her
reaction? (All India 2013)
Answer. Hana had never seen an operation before. When Sadao started operating, blood began to flow. Hana choked at this moment. Sadao sharply told her not to faint because if he had stopped, the wounded man would surely have died. Hana clasped her hands to her mouth and ran out. Sadao heard her vomit.

Question.6. Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself? (Delhi 2012)
or 
Why did Hana wash the wounded soldier herself? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. Hana had to wash the wounded man herself because her servants and even her maidservant flatly refused to wash an enemy American out of superstition and fear.

Question.7. How did Dr Sadao ensure that the American sailor left his house but he himself
remained safe and secure? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. The night the man escaped as per the plan, Dr Sadao slept well. One evening standing on the verandah, Dr Sadao looked towards the island. There was no signal of the flashlight. It meant that the man had gone, safe on a Korean fishing boat. In this way, he ensured the American’s departure and his own safety and security.

Question.8. How does the writer indicate that Dr Sadao’s father was a very traditional and
conventional man? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. Sadao’s education had been his father’s chief concern, who even sent him to America at the age of twenty-two to study surgery and medicine. Sadao’s father was a true patriot and took immense pride in Japanese culture and traditions. That is why Sadao married Hana only after confirming that she was a Japanese, as he did not want to upset his father. This suggests that Sadao’s father’was a very traditional and conventional man.

Question.9. Why did the messenger come to Dr Sadao? What did Hana think about it? (All India 2010)
Answer. The messenger had come to Dr Sadao’s house to inform him that the old General was in pain again and had to be attended to. When Hana first saw the uniformed messenger, she got frightened, for she thought that he had come to arrest her husband for harbouring an enemy in their hou$e.

Question.10. Why did the General spare the American soldier? (All India 2009)
Answer. The General spared the American soldier because he was a selfish man. He thought of nothing but his own life. He needed Sadao for his operation and he forgot about his promise in his pain.

Question.11.Why was Dr Sadao not sent to the battlefield? (All India 2009)
Answer. Dr Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops because the ailing General trusted no other surgeon but Dr Sadao and could have needed his expert services anytime.

Question.12.How did Dr Sadao get rid of the enemy soldier? (Foreign 2009)
Answer. Dr Sadao planned out everything beforehand. He put his boat on the shore with food and extra clothing. He asked the American prisoner of war to row to a little island near the coast and then wait for a Korean ship to pass. He also gave the American his flashlight complete with instructions on how to signal him in a time of distress.

Question.13.What secret plan did the General have about the American soldier staying under the
care of Sadao? (All India 2008)
Answer. The General planned to get the American soldier staying under the care of Dr Sadao assassinated by his private assassins. He assured the doctor about the removal of the dead body also.

Question.14.Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react? (Delhi 2008)
Answer. When Hana asked Yumi to wash the soldier, she bluntly refused to do so, saying that she had never washed a white man and she would not wash a dirty one. Yumi obstinately told Hana that she was a poor person and did not want to associate with the man.

Question.15.Why did the servants leave Dr Sadao’s house?
Answer. The servants left Dr Sadao’s house because they did not approve of the white man staying in the surgeon’s house. They thought that Sadao’s stay in America during his education had erased all his sentiments for his country. Also, they did not want to be in trouble with the authorities if Sadao was arrested as a traitor.

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 Words)

Question.16.What was the General’s plan to get rid of the American prisoner? Was it executed?
What traits of General’s character are highlighted in the lesson? (All India 2014)
Answer. Dr Sadao informed the General about the presence of the American prisoner at his house. The General decided that his private assassins would take care of him and even take his body away Sadao agreed to the General’s proposal. However, the General’s assassins did not arrive for the next three days. Consequently the General’s plan was not executed. Sadao spent three restless nights in waiting for the assassins; ultimately he helped the prisoner escape.
When Sadao informed the General about the escape of the prisoner, the General replied that he was sick and thus forgot about the whole affair. He further wanted that Sadao must not inform anybody about this.
This shows tharfhe General was highly selfish. He had regard only for his own safety and pride. Also, he did not send Sadao to the battlefield as he needed his services himself. He considered himself more important than the lives of thousands of soldiers.

Question.17.What conflicting ideas arise in Dr Sadao’s mind after he has brought the wounded
American soldier home? How is the conflict resolved? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. From the day Dr Sadao found the wounded soldier outside his house, he had been caught up in a web of conflicts and difficulties.
The first difficulty arose when Sadao decided to operate upon the soldier. He was caught between his duty as a doctor and loyalty towards his nation. Nonetheless, Sadao emerged a champion in this regard. As an ethical and sincere doctor, he saved the life of the soldier and as a responsible citizen, he also informed the General about the presence of the soldier. Next, when the General’s men did not arrive to kill the enemy, Sadao was again caught in a conflict as to how to*get rid of the white man. His innate virtues of compassion and benevolence forbade him from killing the man. Thus, he decided to let the prisoner escape by sending him off to an unguarded island.
This is how Dr Sadao successfully resolved the conflict.

Question.18.Do you think Dr Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the circumstances? Why/Why not? Explain with reference to the story, ‘The Enemy’.(Delhi 2013)
Answer. Dr Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the given circumstances. He has the instincts of a doctor. When Tom, the prisoner of war, was found wounded, the first thing he did was to save his life. As a doctor, he was duty bound to save lives.
Next, he completed the duty towards his nation by informing the General about the presence of the prisoner.
But finally, he helped the enemy escape. His compassionate heart rose above the narrow . confines of hatred and war. As a doctor, Sadao could not have left the wounded prisoner of war unattended and so he decided to operate upon him and save his life. However, at the same time, he discharged his duty towards his nation by informing the General about the enemy. And finally, the surgeon helped the enemy escape because his compassionate heart forbade him to kill the same person whom he had saved.

Question.19.What impression do you form about Dr Sadao as a man and as a surgeon on your reading the chapter The Enemy’? (All India2012)
Answer. After going through the chapter, ‘The Enemy’, we come to the conclusion that Dr Sadao was an excellent surgeon and a human being per excellence. He appeared to be a man full of; compassion and a surgeon in the truest sense of the word.
Although he had a bitter experience of Americans being prejudiced when he was a student in America, he did not let that bitterness overwhelm him and the doctor and fine human being in him prevailed.,He knew that, if being found that he had harboured an American POW in his own house, tie would be labelled a traitor.
His conscience did not permit to let a human being die before his eyes and he took the risk of being called a traitor. It was not that he was a traitor. He promptly informed the General about the whole incident. It showed that he was not a coward. He was ready to face the consequences.

Question.20.Why did Sadao help the American soldier to escape? How did he do it?
Answer. Sadao’s expertise in his profession and compassion as a human being were his most dominant personality traits. As a dutiful doctor, he could not have let the prisoner die of his injuries and so he saved his life. At the same time, he acted like a responsible citizen and informed the General of the presence of the enemy. However, when the General’s men did not come to kill the American Sadao decided to save his life.
Dr Sadao gave his boat to the young soldier, arranged food for him and provided him valuable information which helped him escape successfully. This is how Sadao helped the American soldier flee and thereby saved his life.

Question.21.Why did Sadao Hoki go to America? Narrate his experiences there. (All India 2012)
Answer. Sadao Hoki went to America to study surgery and medicine as it was the wish of his father. His experience of living in America was not very good but he was grateful to have some good professors who taught him so well. Also, he was grateful to the professor at whose home he had met Hana and immediately liked her. But he did not like the smell of their food, their small room and the wife of his professor, who was vbry talkative, although she tried hard to be kind.
Initially, he had faced great difficulty in finding a place to live in America because he was a Japanese. He perceived that Americans were full of prejudice and for him it was a bitter experience to live with them.

Question.22.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? (All India 2011)
Answer. As a doctor, it was Dr Sadao’s moral responsibility to save Tom, the American prisoner of war, but Hana was under no such compulsion. In spite of this, she abided by her husband’s  decisions because she was a dutiful wife who pledged to support her husband even through the most difficult times.
Secondly, Hana being a woman, was soft-hearted. She could not see a wounded person being left in the lurch. As a woman, she adorned the role of a life-giver and a preserver. She could not have been a destroyer. That is why she cleaned the prisoner when her maid was unwilling to do so. She also assisted her husband in the operation on the American, despite the fact that she could not stand the blood, and started vomiting when she saw it. She was thus a dutiful wife and life-giver.