The Enemy
By Pearl S.
Buck
Analysis:
· The story ‘The Enemy’ written by Pearl S. Buck, an American writer and humanitarian. It is an account of the life and
experience of a doctor, Sadao Hoki with an American soldier in the backdrop of World
War II.
· The
story is about a Japanese doctor who happens to find an American prisoner of
war, washed ashore in a dying state and found at his doorstep. He struggles with his dilemma whether he should save him as a doctor or
hand him over to the police as a patriot.
· The
story is set during the Second World War during which an American POW gets shot
at his back by the Japanese Police when he was trying to escape.
· The
story highlights mental condition and dilemma of a doctor and his viewpoint
about his responsibility as a doctor and duty as a Japanese. It discloses the ironical truth that no soldier wants war still he suffers the most.
· The story forces us to understand that a doctor suffers hugely in his life. His servants deserting him and wife and children facing the trauma leading to a life of danger, grief, anxiety and helplessness.
· The most beautiful part of the chapter is the end of the story when a doctor takes his profession as his religion. The character of Dr. Sadao is highlighted as a true and passionate doctor who saves the prisoner as he can't kill anyone even if the person is his enemy.
· The
chapter successfully gives a beautiful message of love, dutifulness,
righteousness and humanity stressing upon the fact that duty is of prime
importance and a doctor’s first duty is to save life and he can’t take anyone’s
life even if he is an enemy.
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Summary:
‘The Enemy’ is a story set in Japan during the second
world war. In this story, an injured American prisoner of war is washed ashore in
a dying state and is found at the doorstep of a Japanese surgeon, Dr. Sadao
Hoki. Although he has lived in America and follows a modern profession, Dr
Sadao’s family lives a traditional Japanese life. He shared a beautiful
relation with his father and he did everything his father said. His education
was a chief concern to his father who sent him to America at the age of twenty-two to
learn surgery and medicine. He had met his wife, Hana in America at his
professor’s house and fell in love with her only after confirming that she was
Japanese. But, he waited to get his father’s approval and the marriage got
arranged in Japanese style. Later, he had two children.
Dr Sadao was in a dilemma to find an American prisoner
of war at his doorstep. First, he thought to leave the American man to die, to
throw him back into the sea, to hand him over to the Police or to save his
life. Both Sadao and his wife weren’t happy and ready to leave the man to die.
Though reluctantly they both took him home as Sadao had decided to save his
life. Sadao and Hana lifted the injured man into the house.
He was very light with the weight like a hen that has not been fed for a long
time. He was taken to the room that belonged to his father and everything in the room was Japanese as Sadao’s father
disliked foreign things.
Hana suggested Yumi’s name to wash the man and went to
call her while Sadao thought to call the other servants. He checked his heart beat,
it was very faint. Sadao commented that if the man was not operated upon, he
would die but after that also he would die at the hands of the Japanese army. The
man was very young, around twenty five years of age and at that age thus, had a
lot of energy and strength. He meant to say someone else would have died. Hana
turned to the children’s room and called out to Yumi. The two servants in the kitchen were scared after
hearing their master’s words regarding the injured man. They felt that the master ought not
to heal the wound of the white man who was thrown out by the sea and injured by the rocks. Yumi took hot water into the room and saw the man. She declined
firmly to wash an American man and left the room angrily. Hana dipped the small
clean towel into the steaming hot water and washed his face carefully. He must
be fair when he had been a child.
Then, Sadao entered carrying his surgeon’s emergency kit and wearing his surgeon’s coat. He was prepared to operate upon the injured man. He opened a sterilized towel on the floor of the tokonoma alcove, placed his surgical instruments on it and asked Hana to fetch towels. She brought towels as well as some rough mats from the backyard to protect the fine mats from blood stains but it was useless as the blood had already ruined the mats. Sadao was engrossed in work and was not bothered who the injured man was. Sadao told Hana that she would have to give anesthesia to the man. He was working to remove the bullet which was quite deep. Hana put her hands on mouth, ran out and vomitted in the garden but he continued with his work. Dr. Sadao started operating upon him though he wasn’t sure why he was doing it. The man started moaning so he asked and guided Hana how to give anesthesia during which she looked closely at the painful face of the prisoner. She recalled the men like General Takima, who at home would beat his wife cruelly, he could also be cruel to the prisoners like the man.
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Sadao, being a good surgeon, knew human anatomy very
well. Then, with the cleanest and most precise of incisions, he took the bullet
out and injected the medicine into his left arm though he hates the
thought of keeping him alive. Being a doctor he had to do it. The
man woke and got frightened to see Hana who herself served him, as the servants had declined to enter the room. The man told her his name ‘Tom’. Third day, Sadao
entered the room and the man was sitting with great difficulty. He asked him if
he was going to hand him over the police. Sadao answered that he ought to give him
to the police. Meanwhile, the servants didn’t like to see an American being
treated in the house and felt that their masters are behaving like Americans.
They discussed the possible reasons for Sadao to save an American though they
were unhappy. Hana is also worried about her children’s fate if their father is
condemned as a traitor.
Sadao, every day examined the wound. The last stitches
had been pulled out, and the young man would be perfectly well in few days.
Sadao went back to his office and carefully typed a letter to the Chief of
police reporting the whole matter. After seven days the
servants decided to leave the house. When Hana got up in the morning no work
was done, she understood it, paid them off. They cried, but she did not. Yumi was
sad for children. Hana made breakfast and Sadao looked after the children. Then,
he asked Tom to get up on his feet and get back his strength as quickly as
possible.
In the afternoon, a messenger came to the door in
official uniform to call Sadao to the palace as the old General is in pain
again. The General understand why Sadao saved the prisoner and tells him that
he cannot be arrested as after that who will do his operation and he doesn’t
trust anyone else. They both discussed why they can’t combine the German ruthlessness
with the American sentimentality. The general considered it unfortunate that
this man washed up at his doorstep. He suggested to send his own private
assassins to his house and asked him keep the room’s door open to make the
killing more natural. Sadao agreed. Reaching home, he saw Tom going to the
garden. He thanked doctor to treat him else he wouldn’t be alive telling that if
all the Japanese were like him, there wouldn’t have been a war. Sadao
slept badly that night. The next morning he went in his room and saw him sleeping
peacefully. Tom was getting better and healthy and every night Sadao thought it
to be Tom’s last night. After three nights he told Tom to take his boat on the
shore with food and clothes rowing it to the little deserted island not far
from the coast and live there until he sees a Korean fishing boat pass by. Tom
agreed. In the evening Sadao had dragged the stout boat down to the shore putting
food, bottled water and two quilts and tied it to a post. He checked carefully
the American’s temperature, his wound, heart and pulse. He realises that doctor
is saving his life again. Giving him flashlight doctor asked Tom to signal with
two flashes at the sun set. Tom wore Japanese clothes with his head covered
with black cloth. All the servants came back but the gardener was unhappy to
see chrysanthemums in his garden.
When he was called for an emergency operation, after a
week he told the General that the prisoner escaped. The
general apologised for forgetting to send assasins due to bad health but asked him
not to consider this escape as lack of patriotism or dereliction of duty. General
promised that he will be rewarded for his loyalty. Sadao was satisfied to
receive his award thinking that his prisoner was gone and safe as he couldn’t
see any flashlight from the island.
Sadao recalled all the Americans he had met in his life
and considered them full of prejudice, and it had been bitter to live in America
because he was Japanese. He also thought of the American prisoner and wondered why he
could not kill his enemy.
Theme
The story emphasises the subject of prejudice and its
damaging impact on interpersonal relationships. The plot centres on the
connection between a Japanese doctor and an American soldier, who are originally
strangers, during the second world war.
Despite their difference in nationality, the Japanese has to remain loyal to
his profession and thus, saves the life of the injured enemy. The narrative shows us how the Japanese doctor, Sadao
balances these two duties and emphasises on the importance of humanity over
everything else.
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