Who was Dr. Sadao? Where was his house?
Dr. Sadao was a Japanese doctor trained by Americans, he became famous not only as a surgeon but as a scientist too. Unlike other doctors, Sadao was kept in Japan for treating old General.
His house was built on a spot of the Japanese coast with well-settled rocks above a narrow beach with bent pines.
Will Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?
Yes, Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana would be arrested for sheltering the wounded white man, a prisoner with a bullet on his back. As this was the time of war between the Japan and America and sheltering an American sailor from U.S. NAVY at that time would be a big crime against his country.
Will Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?
Hana asks Yumi to fetch the hot water for cleaning up the white man but seeing the fierce look of resistance on Yumi’s face, she decides to wash the white man by herself and she also feels pitty for him and then cleans his wounds carefully. As the old gardener, Yumi and the other servants were frightened that this white man will take revenge from them, therefore, they refused to do the job.
What will Dr. Sadao and his wife do with the man?
Dr. Sadao and his wife decide to hand over that man to police but after seeing the deep wounds and bleeds Dr. Sadao being a doctor decides to operate the man and is ready to help the man but inside he feels that he is betraying the country for helping the enemy. At the first place he feels relieved after seeing the white man’s recovery and on the second place, he feels sad for sheltering the enemy in the house and losing the loyalty towards the country.
Will Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?
When Doctor reaches to general he discusses the whole scenario with him and tells him about the treatment he gave to the man.
As General was ill and Dr. Sadao was the only surgeon he trusts on.He shall do every means to save him. He also plans to send two of his private assassins to kill the white man so that doctor can be saved from the arrest.
What will Dr. Sadao do to get rid of the man?
Dr. Sadao works very hard for the fast recovery of the man so that one day he can ask the white man to leave. When he arrives at the palace he somehow tells the matter to the general and they come to the conclusion of killing the man by sending two of the assassins of the general.
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.
The story here depicts about the man who is bound by the national loyalty keeping humanity on a stake. The story is about the doctor who is encountered by severely injured enemy solider, but he gets afraid of helping him as the man was from the enemy country that being doctor as a private individual he just sees the man in bad condition who badly needs the help of the doctor. If he helps the white man it makes him feel disloyalty towards country but when he decides to handover the white man to cops he feels he is not able to keep up his profession.
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?
Hana, Dr. Sadao's wife felt sympathetic to him because she actually understood what Sadao was feeling at that time, as she knew Sadao for a very long time she must have understood Sadao’s feeling. She was aware that Dr. Sadao is compelled by his duty as a doctor and simultaneously he feels lack of patriotism. As he was hiding the enemy in his house and also their domestic staff has left the jobs which made the situation even worse. The helpless situation of her husband made her feel pity for him.
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?
As the story says that the white man named Tom was very young nearly seventeen years of age and he was admitted into the army at this young age when he steps inside the doctor’s house and the treatment which he gets from them makes him feel affectionated towards them. The things like caring attitude which was lacking in his life were being fulfilled by the Sadao’s family reluctated 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.
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?
The attitude of general in the matter was more of self-absorption as he was worried of Dr. Sadao not because he was thoughtful of him but he was aware of his health and Dr. Sadao was the only person he can trust on. He lacks humanity because he never gives worth to human lives other than himself. Lack of nationality can also be considered as he was aware that Dr. Sadao was hiding the enemy and instead of taking the actions he planned for the quiet killing of the white man.
While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during wartime, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?
It is very easy to hate your enemy but even more difficult to accept and love the enemy. When the humanity and human consideration comes on a stake. It becomes necessary to break the chains and stand aside from the crowd. In this story when the doctor sees the wounded enemy he becomes unable to resist himself to help the man which is the best example to explain the situation that makes a human being rise above the narrow prejudices.
Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?
The final solution he made was favorable to both the doctor’s family and the white man as he treated the Tom (white man) very nicely and provided him with clothing and extra food and asks him to leave for his home place by doing this he saved himself too as he won’t be considered traitor for sheltering and nurturing the enemy in this way he played both the role, being a good doctor and a true patriot.
Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?
Yes, it reminds me “BIRTH” by A.J. Cronin. There are many obvious similarities between the “BIRTH” and “THE ENEMY”. Both stories show humble nature of the doctor towards his patient irrespective of other factors. ”BIRTH” shows the very helpful nature of doctor when Morgan calls him for his baby. In ”THE ENEMY” doctor helps the white man because of his wound in spite of the fact that he is his enemy. ”BIRTH” shows the patience nature of doctor when baby after born is lifeless then also doctor has a hope of saving him/her. And in “THE ENEMY” doctor has taken care of white sailor for many days till white man safely gone through the boat. In both, the stories doctor was concerned for his patients, dedicated towards his work whatever will be the problems. For DR. Sadao risk was to give a stay to the American and for that, they would get arrested and for DR. Andrew risk was to give a new life to ‘stillborn’ baby. Hence both the stories revolve around the hard work, determination, and use of their skills as a doctor.
Is there any film you have seen or novel you have read with a similar theme?
I remember a 2014 American movie “WALKING WITH ENEMY” which is based on World War II and inspired from a true story. This story follows the heroic lives of world leader and young man through the horrors of World War II. Both men belong from different places one from Hungary and one from Germany but soon trust of both of them on each other lost as the story continues The Regent takes his country from terror of Nazi Germany and communist Russia and during that period he lost many citizens from that one child named as Elek Cohen determined to find his family and save them and in this race he embarks the journey filled with suspense and danger.