THE ENEMY

YEH PADHO AUR PURA CHAPTER ON TIPS:

Important Notes
• Dr. Sadao, a Japanese surgeon finds a wounded American soldier on the beach near his
house
• He is unable to throw him back into sea though he was his enemy. Being a doctor, his first
duty was to save a life.
• Hana, his wife though initially reluctant joins her husband in operating and nursing the
enemy soldier back to health.
• It is dangerous to keep the enemy in the house so all the servants left. Hana does the
housework alone
• The General did not send Sadao with the troops as he is an expert surgeon and the
General might need him any time for an emergency operation.
• Even General comes to know that Sadao is harbouring his enemy, he does not take any
action and suggest that he would send his private assassins to kill the enemy and remove
his body.
• Dr. Sadao performs an emergency operation and succeeds
Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract.
A Q.1) Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract:
The man moaned with pain in his stupor but he did not awaken.
“The best thing that we could do would be to put him back in the sea,” Sadao said, answering
himself. Now that the bleeding was stopped for the moment he stood up and dusted the sand
from his hands.
“Yes, undoubtedly that would be best,” Hana said steadily. But she continued to stare down at the
motionless man.
“If we sheltered a white man in our house we should be arrested and if we turned him over as a
prisoner, he would certainly die,” Sadao said.
“The kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea,” Hana said. But neither of them moved.
They were staring with curious repulsion upon the inert figure.
i. In which of the following options can the underlined words NOT be replaced with ‘stupor’
a. She hung up the phone feeling as though she had woken up from a slumber.
b. The manager complained about the employee’s sluggishness.
c. He seemed to be in a trance when the doctor called upon him last week.
d. Seeing him in a daze, the lawyer decided not to place him in the witness box.
Ans. (b)

APNI KAKSHA 1
ii. Pick the option that best describes Sadao and Hana in the passage.
a. Sadao: scrupulous, Hana: wary
b. Sadao: daring, Hana: prudent
c. Sadao: prudent, Hana: suspicious
d. Sadao: wary, Hana: daring
Ans. (d)

iii. Pick the idiom that best describes the situation in which Sadao and Hana were
in.breakage of an iceberg from a glacier
a. to be like a fish out of water
b. like water off a duck’s back
c. to be dead in the water
d. to be in hot water
Ans. (d)
iv. Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.
• Statement 1: Sadao and Hana cared about the soldier but were worried about the
consequences of being considerate.
• Statement 2: Sadao and Hana wanted to shirk their responsibilities of looking after
an injured soldier, who could be an American.
a. torture perpetrated on prisoners of war.
b. superiority of Japan over America.
c. the quest for supremacy in war.
d. the rumors of torture are often heard.
Ans. (b)

Q.2 “Those scars,” she murmured, lifting her eyes to Sadao. The ‘scars’ DO NOT indicate
Ans. This makes it an important reference point for understanding the effects of human
activities on the environment and the potential impacts of climate change.[The absence of
a human population in Antarctica means that the region is relatively pristine and has not
been subject to the same levels of human impact as other areas of the world.]
a. Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
b. Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
c. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.
d. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are false.
Q. 3 ‘She did not wish to be left alone with the white man.’ Why did Hana feel so, despite
having studied in America?
This was so because
a. being Japanese, it wasn’t appropriate to stay on with a stranger.
b. America and Japan were not allies in the ongoing World War.
c. He was someone she’d recognized from her past in America.
d. her husband had cautioned her against the American
Ans. (c)

Q. 4 Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
She had the bottle and some cotton in her hand.
"But how shall I do it?" she asked.
"Simply saturate the cotton and hold it near his nostrils," Sadao replied without
delaying for one moment the intricate detail of his work. "When he breathes badly
move it away a little." She crouched close to the sleeping face of the young
American. It was a piteously thin face, she thought, and the lips were twisted. The
man was suffering whether he knew it or not. Watching him, she wondered if the
stories they heard sometimes of the sufferings of prisoners were true. They came

APNI KAKSHA 2
 like flickers of rumor, told by word of mouth and always contradicted. In the
newspapers, the reports were always that wherever the Japanese armies went the
people received them gladly, with cries of joy at their liberation
i. In the given extract, Hana experiences a bit of __________ for the young American.
a. compassion
b. contempt
c. hope
d. rage
Ans. (a)

ii. Which of these questions does Hana start reflecting on in the extract?
a. Why did men like the young American choose to fight?
b. What should she and her husband do about the enemy?
c. Is the Japanese army actually emerging victorious or is it all fake news?
d. How different was the reality of prisoners from what she was led to believe?
Ans. (d)

iii. What changes Hana's perception of the young American?

a. reading stories about the 'enemy' as a prisoner of war
b. seeing the 'enemy' as an actual person in front of her
c. wondering if she herself is more American than Japanese
d. realizing that the war against America is not an honorable one
Ans. (b)

iv. How do Hana and Sadao react to the situation of the wounded man?
a. Hana is confused about it but Sadao is confident about it.
b. Hana is suspicious about it but Sadao is accepting of it.
c. Hana is disturbed by it and Sadao is disappointed by it.
d. Hana is disgusted by it and Sadao is conflicted about it.
Ans. (a)
v. Select the sentence that has the same literary device as the underlined phrase in
the line below
They came like flickers of rumor, told by word of mouth and always contradicted.
a. The trees danced to the rhythm of the stormy winds.
b. Her smile was as bright as the sun when he returned home.
c. We need to cut corners if we want to finish the work on time.
d. I am so hungry right now that I could eat a thousand burgers.
Ans. (a)

Q.5 Pick the option that best describes the word ‘dereliction’ as used in the passage.
1. evasion
2. deterioration
3. negligance
4. Careless
5. Dilapidation
6. Management
a. 2, 3 and 6
b. 1, 4 and 5
c. 2, 4 and 6
d. 1, 3 and 4
ii. At the end of the conversation with the General, Sadao felt
a. rejuvenated and guilt-free.

APNI KAKSHA 3
 b. conceited and egotistic.
c. refreshed and self-conscious.
d. relieved and guilt-free..
Ans. (d)

iii. Read the analysis of the General based on the given extract. Choose the option that
fills in the given blanks most appropriately:
The General (i) _____________ power but is (ii) ___________ of the obligations of his job. He
is so (iii) _____________ with his health that he forgets to send the assassins to kill the
prisoner. Due to his (iv) ____________ interests, he doesn’t want to expose Sadao and
agrees to keep the prisoner’s escape a secret.
a. (i) fantasizes; (ii) lonely; (iii) consumed; (iv) vested
b. (i) relishes; (ii) weary; (iii) self-absorbed; (iv) selfish
c. (i) fancies; (ii) apathetic; (iii) negligent; (iv) worthless
d. (i) desires; (ii) concerned; (iii) indisposed; (iv) narrow
Ans. (a)

iv. Pick the option that best matches the idioms with ‘hand’ with their meanings
a. 1-A; 2-D; 3-C; 4-B
b. 1-B; 2-C; 3-D; 4-A
c. 1-D; 2-A; 3-B; 4-C
d. 1-C; 2-A; 3-D; 4-B.
Idioms Meanings

1. hand in glove A) in the care of somebody good and knowledgeable

2. in good hands B) to reveal a secret about one’s plans

3. tip one’s hand C) do harm to someone who has been kind to you

4. bite the hand that feeds you D) two or more people who are in collusion

Stand Alone MCQs

1. What were the dominant traits of Dr.’s personality?
(a) expertise in his profession and compassion as a human
(b) obstinate
(c) doesn’t like to obey anyone
(d) rude
Ans (a) expertise in his profession and compassion as a human

2. What kind of person Dr Sadao was?

(a) an excellent doctor
(b) a compassionate human being
(c) Sincere and responsible citizen
(d) All these
Ans (d) All these

3. What conflicting ideas disturb Dr.’s mind after he brought American soldier?
(a) duty of a doctor and loyalty towards nation
(b) his wife’s health and general’s health

APNI KAKSHA 4
 (c) patient’s health and servants
(d) servants’ behavior
Ans: (a) duty of a doctor and loyalty towards nation

4. Where did Dr find American soldier?

(a) in the park
(b) Cordilleran folds
(c) outside his house
(d) none
Ans: (c) outside his house

5. What was General’s plan for American soldier?

(a) he wanted him to reach safely
(b) will inform his country
(c) will get him assassinated by some private assassins
(d) none
Ans: (c) will get him assassinated by some private assassins

6. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent to the battlefield?

(a) because he had no interest
(b) he didn’t love his country
(c) he was supposed to offer his services to the General who was in pain
(d) All these
Ans: (c) he was supposed to offer his services to the General who was in pain

7. Why did General spare the White American soldier?

(a) to spare his own life
(b) he himself was in pain
(c) needed Dr Sadao’s help
(d) All these
Ans: (d) All these

8. Seeing the messenger, what was Hana’s reaction?

(a) She got frightened
(b) She thought he has come to arrest her husband
(c) General’s man
(d) All these
Ans: (d) All these

9. What kind of person was Sadao’s father ?

(a) a serious
(b) a jolly good man
(c) very strict
(d) A true patriot and traditional person
Ans: (d) A true patriot and traditional person

10. How did Dr. ensure that the American Soldier had left safely?
(a) by escorting him
(b) by seeing no signal of flashlight
(c) by giving him a call
(d) none
Ans: (b) by seeing no signal of flashlight

APNI KAKSHA 5
11. Why did Hana wash the wounded man herself?
(a) Because of her servants
(b) because her servants ran away
(c) because her servants refused to help an American enemy soldier
(d) none
Ans: (c) because her servants refused to help an American enemy soldier

12. Why did the surgeon speak sharply to his wife?

(a) to get things he needed
(b) to get her help
(c) to stop any disturbance that could lead to harm the wounded man.
(d) None
Ans: (c) to stop any disturbance that could lead to harm the wounded man.

13. Why did Dr become irritatable and impatient with his patients?
(a) because of his inability to leave the white man to help his distressed wife
(b) because of many patients
(c) because of General’s pressure
(d) All these
Ans: (a) because of his inability to leave the white man to help his distressed wife

14. How did Hana help Dr. Sadao?

(a) By assisting him
(b) by giving him money
(c) by giving him tools
(d) by working as a nurse
(d) All
Ans: (d) by working as a nurse

Read And Find Out

1. Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?
Ans: Dr. Sadao was a famous and successful surgeon in Japan. He also took care of the military.
His house was situated on the spot of the Japanese coast. The square stone house was
built upon the rocks, well above a narrow beach that was outlined with bent pines.

2. Will Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harboring an enemy?

Ans: Dr Sadao kept a white man in his house and took care of him, on professional grounds.
Due to the war between America and Japan, it was a serious crime, but he did not get
arrested on the charge of harboring an enemy, since no one knew about it, except for his
wife, his servants, and a general.
3. Will Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?
Ans: Hana did not want to clean the wounded man so she asked her servant, Yumi, to do so,
but she disagreed. Since the man required to be washed before being operated, Hana
helped the wounded man and washed him herself.
4. What will Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?
Ans: Dr Sadao and Hana took good care of the English man. They kept him hidden and treated
him until he was able to go back or was in a position where he could be handed over to
the police. They knew that they would have to hand him back to the police.
5. Will Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harboring an enemy?
Ans: Dr Sadao kept a white man in his house and took care of him, on professional grounds.
Due to the war between America and Japan, it was a serious crime, but he did not get
arrested on the charge of harboring an enemy, since no one knew about it, except for his
wife, his servants, and a general.
APNI KAKSHA 6
6. What will Dr. Sadao do to get rid of the man?
Ans: Dr Sadao did not want to hand over the enemy to the police, since he was his patient and
he needed to recover from his injuries. The man was good in behavior and posed no
threat to Dr Sado and his wife, which made Dr. Sadao and Hana decide that it was better
to help him escape. So, Dr Sadao arranged a Korean boar for him, provided him with some
food, and clothing, and escaped him to freedom.

Reading with Insight

1. 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.
A. Yes, it is true that 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.
In this case, Dr. Sadao was in a dilemma of whether he should take care of the severely
wounded man, whom he and his wife had found along the seashore. The man also
happens to be English, an enemy. Moreover, the wounded man was from the English
army, people who were fighting against the Japanese soldiers. So, he chose to fulfill the
oath he had taken as a doctor, to treat people and save their lives.

2. 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?
A. Hana was a good lady who loved her husband dearly. He helped the enemy soldier to
perform his duties as a human and to assist her husband in a tougher situation.

3. 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?
A. The enemy soldier found comfort and peace at Dr. Sadao’s house. He realized that his
life was out of danger since both of them took extremely good care of him, saved his life,
and provided him with everything he needed. Since the war was still going on and he did
not wish to put his life further at risk, he was reluctant to leave the doctor’s shelter.

Short Answer questions

Q.1 Who was Dr. Sadao Hoki and where did he live?
Ans: Dr. Sadao was a famous Japanese surgeon. He went to America to study surgery and
medicine. By the time his father died, he had established himself as a surgeon and
scientist. Dr. Sadao Hoki's house was built on the Japanese coast. It was a low, square
stone house above a narrow beach.

Q.2 What was the chief concern of Sadao's father?

Ans: The influence of his father was quite strong on Sadao. His father never joked or played
with him. Sadao's education was his father's chief concern. For this reason, at 22, he was
sent to America to study surgery and medicine. By the time his father died, Sadao had
established himself as a famous surgeon and scientist.

Q.3 Why was Dr. Sadao kept in Japan and not sent abroad with the troops?
Ans: Dr. Sadao was a famous surgeon and a scientist. He was perfecting a major discovery. It
would render wounds entirely clean. There was another reason of keeping Sadao in
Japan. The old general might need an operation. Dr. Sadao's services were needed at any
time. Hence, he was not sent abroad with troops.

Q.4 Who was Hana and where did Sadao meet her? How were they married?

APNI KAKSHA 7
Ans: Hana was a beautiful Japanese lady. She met Dr. Sadao in America at a professor's house.
But he had waited to fall in love with her until he was sure she was Japanese. She was
pure in her race. Otherwise, his father would not have accepted her in the family.

Q.5 What did Hana and Sadao see coming out of the mist?
Ans: Hana and Sadao were standing outside their house. Both of them saw something black
coming out of the mist. It was a man. He seemed to be flung up out of the ocean. He
staggered a few steps. He was crawling. Then he fell on his face and lay there. Sadao
thought him to be some fisherman who had been washed ashore.

Q.6 How did Sadao and Hana come to know that the man was an American, a prisoner
of war and an enemy? (Imp.)
Ans: Sadao and Hana came closer to the man. They found some stains of blood on the sand.
The man was wounded. He turned the man's head and they saw his face. He was a white
man. They read the faint writing on the cap: "U.S. Navy". The man was a prisoner of war.
He was an enemy soldier. At that time, Japan was at war with America.

Q.7 What was the initial reaction of Dr Sadao and Hana on seeing the wounded man?
(Imp.)
Ans: Sadao saw a gun wound reopened on the right side of his back. "Oh, how he is bleeding!"
cried Hana. Then they thought what they should do with that white man. Had he not been
wounded; they could have put him back in the sea. But now there was only one thing to
be done. They must carry him into the house

Q.8 "The kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea". Who says it and why?
Ans: Dr. Sadao and his wife were in a fix. Dr. Sadao couldn't handover even a dying enemy to
the police as he was a doctor. Giving him shelter could lead to their arrest. Hana thought
that the kindest thing would be to throw the man back into the sea. It was the easiest
solution. However, they couldn't even do that.

Q.9 How did the gardener react when Dr. Sadao told him about the wounded American
soldier?
Ans: All the servants, including the gardener didn't like Sadao's efforts to save an American.
America was at war with Japan. Tom was their enemy.
Q.10 What was the reaction of the two servants and Yumi when they were told about the
wounded American? (Imp.)
Ans: The two servants were frightened at what their master had told them They thought that
their master should not heal the wound of a white man. The white man must die. If their
master healed what the gun and the sea did, they would take revenge on them. Yumi
refused to wash a white man.
Q.11 Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react? (CBSE 2008)
Ans: Hana realised that at first the soldier must be washed. She told Yumi to fetch hot water
for washing. When she saw the white man, she shook with anger. She told Hana that she
had never washed a white man. She would not wash such a dirty man. Hana cried and
commanded her to do as asked. Yumi gave a fierce look of resistance and left the room.
Q.12 Why did the servants leave Dr. Sadao's house? (CBSE 2008)
Ans: Japan was at war with America. Dr Sadao was nursing a wounded American a prisoner of
war. The servants didn't like Dr Sadao's generosity. He was trying to save a white
American. He was giving a new lease of life. They considered Dr Sadao's work an act of
treachery. Hence, their patriotic feelings made them leave Dr Sadao's house.
Q.13 Why did Hana say: "Why are we different from other Japanese"? Were they really
different?

APNI KAKSHA 8
Ans: Hana thought that they were different from other Japanese. They were confused. Even
their servants saw more clearly than what they did. No doubt both considered Americans
as their enemies. But they were trained in a different way. Being a doctor, Sadao couldn't
desert even a dying enemy.
Q.14 How did the General react when Sadao informed him about the prisoner of war?
(Imp.)
Ans: The behaviour of the General was quite surprising. He didn't order the immediate arrest
of the enemy. Nor did he take any action against Dr Sadao who had given shelter to an
American soldier. He only offered to send two private assassins to get him killed secretly.
But he never sent those men.
Q.15 Did the old General lack national loyalty? Was it a case of dereliction of duty?
(Imp.)
Ans: The old General didn't take the issue of the prisoner of war very seriously. Being an
experienced general, he should have acted promptly in this matter. The American soldier
should have been arrested at once. America was at war with Japan. Certainly, it was also a
case of dereliction of duty on the General's part.
Q.16 How did Hana behave on seeing the messenger in official uniform? Why did he
come for?
Ans: In the afternoon Hana saw a messenger come to the door in official uniform. Her hands
went weak and she could not draw her breath. She ran to Sadao gasping unable to utter a
word. She thought that the man had come to arrest them. She was relieved to know that
he was sent by the General. He was in pain and had sent for Sadao.
Q.17 "If all the Japs were like you there wouldn't have been a war said Tom. Justify his
statement. (Imp)
Ans: The wounded American soldier was an enemy. In spite of all this Dr Sadao gave him
shelter in his house. He didn't hand him over to the police. He operated on him. Dr Sadao
risked his own life but saved an enemy from dying. Tom was right. If all the Japanese
were like him, there would not have been a war between America and Japan.
Q.18 What did Dr Sadao do to help Tom to escape to freedom?
Ans: Dr Sadao knew that the wounded American sailor could be arrested at any time. So he
decided to help him in escaping. He decided to give his private boat with food and clothes
in it. He could row it to a little island not far from the coast. Nobody lived there. In this
way, he could escape to freedom.
Q.19 Why did Dr Sadao help in the escape of the American soldier? Was it an act of
treachery? Can you justify his action? (Imp.)
Ans: Dr Sadao didn't like white people. But still he gave shelter to a wounded enemy. He
arranged for his escape. Had the young American been healthy, Sadao would have handed
him over to the police. But here was a bleeding and dying man. He was a doctor and was
trained to save even a dying enemy. Therefore, he helped him in his escape. Human
considerations outweighed all other petty things.

Important Long Answers

1. Write a character-sketch of Dr. Sadao as depicted in your lesson, 'The Enemy'. (A.I.
CBSE 2008)
Ans:- Dr Sadao Hoki was the only son of his father. He was highly influenced by his father. His
education was his father's only concern. For this reason, he had been sent to America at
the age of twenty-two to study surgery and medicine. He married Hana in America when
he became sure she was Japanese. This shows Sadao's love for Japan. Dr Sadao was first a
doctor and then anything else. He and Hana found a prisoner of war wounded and
bleeding. He at once packed the wound with sea moss. Sadao was in a dilemma. The
wounded man was an American. Japan was at war with America. If he sheltered a white
man he could be arrested. If he handed him over the police, he would certainly die. All
Americans were their enemies. Still, he brought the man home, washed his wounds. He

APNI KAKSHA 9
 knew that the man would die if he was not operated on. Dr Sadao and his obedient wife
faced the ire and displeasure of their servants. Yumi didn't want to wash a white man.
The old gardener thought that his master must let the white man die. Dr Sadao ignored all
these warnings. He heard the call of his profession and operated on the prisoner of war.
Dr Sadao's heart overflowed with human kindness. Lest Tom be arrested, he made
elaborate arrangements for his escape. He put his boat on the shore with food and extra
clothing. He did all these sacrifices putting himself and his wife at maximum risk. He
could even lose his life for sheltering an enemy and arranging for his escape. He rose to
the occasion and did what only a devoted doctor could have done in the circumstances.

2. How did Sadao and Hana see the man crawling on his hands and knees? Why did
they bring him inside the house? (Imp.)
Ans:- Sadao and Hana were standing outside their house. Soon they saw something black
coming out of the mists. It was a man flung out of the ocean. The man was on his knees
crawling. Then he lay down there. They thought him to be a fisherman. Perhaps he had
been washed away from his boat. He was a white man. Upon his young and tortured face
was a rough yellow beard. The faint letters on his cap revealed that he was a sailor of the
"U.S. Navy". In short, he was a soldier of a hostile nation. Japan was at war with America
and so he was their enemy. Dr Sadao and Hana were in a fix. If they sheltered a white man
in their house, they could be arrested. If they handed him over to the police, he would
certainly die. "The kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea". If the man were
healthy, he could hand him over to the police without any difficulty. But he was a doctor
and he was trained to save the life of even a dying enemy. So, he decided to carry him into
the house and save him from dying.

3. What conflict did Dr Sadao and his wife Hana face before the doctor operated on
the wounded American soldier? (Imp.)
Ans:- Dr Sadao and his wife Hana remained in a state of conflict for quite a long time. They
couldn't throw a wounded man again into the sea. If they gave shelter to him in their
house, they could be arrested. Handing him over to the police, would have meant
throwing him into the jaws of death. They were in a state of intense conflict. Ultimately,
the duty of a doctor overpowered all other petty considerations. The servants revolted at
the idea of serving a white man. Hana herself washed the wound. Dr Sadao had decided to
operate on Tom. Hana obeyed her husband without a word. Hana was to give the
anaesthetic if the patient needed it. The doctor made a clean and precise incision. The
bullet was out. At last, Dr Sadao declared: "This man will live in spite of all". So, Dr Sadao
saved a dying man. Love for humanity and the ethics of a doctor won over petty racial
considerations..

4. Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to save a dying enemy. What made
Hana to sympathize with the American sailor despite 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:- Dr Sadao and Hana both loved their country. They didn't have any liking for the white
people. He considered that Americans suffered from racial prejudice. Both were happy
that Japan was fighting against the white people. But Dr Sadao had been trained as a
doctor even to save a dying enemy. Handing him over to the police would have meant
throwing him into the jaws of death. Hence, he put aside all other considerations and
respected the ethics of his profession. Hana was a woman with a tender heart. She
couldn't bear the sight of a wounded and bleeding soldier. Hence, she herself helped
Sadao to carry the wounded man into the house. No doubt, the behaviour of the old
General defies logic. Certainly, he lacks national loyalty. He can also be accused of

APNI KAKSHA 10
 dereliction of duty. Being a General, it was his duty to get the prisoner of war arrested at
once

5. Why and how did Dr Sadao help the prisoner of war to escape? Do you find him
guilty of harbouring an enemy? (Imp.)
Ans:- . Dr Sadao had given a new lease of life to the American prisoner of war. He didn't want
to throw him into the jaws of death again. He asked the young soldier to take his private
boat at night. He should row in the cover of darkness to a little deserted island nearby.
The young American could live there until he saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. Food,
bottled water and two quilts were put inside the boat. If the food ran out, he could signal
two flashes. He was not to signal in darkness because he could be seen. The young
American came down into the darkness of the garden and escaped. The prisoner had
gone quite safe. No, Dr Sadao can't be found guilty of harbouring an enemy. No doubt, the
nationals of countries at war are considered as enemies. But we shouldn't forget that
Sadao was a doctor. And for a doctor saving a dying man is the foremost priority. It
doesn't matter if the dying man is an enemy.

Previous Year Questions

Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:
1. Why did the General spare the American soldier? (All India 2009)
Ans: The General had his own selfish interest in sparing the American soldier. He knew Dr.
Sadao was indispensable to him and did not want him to be arrested. He did not trust
other surgeons. In his capacity as a General he should have had the American soldier
arrested but he refrained from it in his personal self-interest.

2. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent to the battlefield? (All India 2009)
Ans: Dr. Sadao was a skilled and reputed surgeon who was in the process of perfecting an
invention of rendering wounds totally clean. Moreover, he was treating the old General
who could need an operation. So he was not sent to the battlefield as his valuable services
could be needed at any time in his hometown.

3. Why did the messenger come to Dr. Sadao? What did Hana think about it? (All India
2010)
Ans: The uniformed messenger comes to Dr. Sadao to inform him that the old General was in
pain again. Hana felt relieved to hear that the messenger had come only to inform Dr.
Sadao about the General’s ill-health. She had earlier feared that the servants had
informed the police who had sent the man in the uniform to their house.

4. What forced Dr. Sadao to be impatient and irritated with his patient? (All India
2010)
Ans: His patient was badly wounded and this was a cause of worry, concern and vexation for
Dr. Sadao. Saving him was a challenge for his skills as a doctor and harbouring him in his
house could lead to Dr. Sadao’s arrest and his treatment was the ultimate test of the
doctor’s patience.
5. In what context does Hana remember General Takima? What does she infer? (All
India 2010)
Ans: Hana remembers General Takima who at home used to beat his wife cruelly though no
one now mentioned it ever since he had fought a victorious battle in Manchuria. She
inferred that if a man like him could be so cruel to a woman in his power, he would be
extremely cruel to the wounded American soldier environmental changes as it has a very
simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it
will have disastrous consequences elsewhere.

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6. How did Hana help Dr. Sadao while he operated upon the enemy soldier? (Comptt.
Delhi 2010)
Ans: First Hana washes the wounded man’s face and body with warm water till it was quite
clean. She then assists Dr. Sadao during the operation even though she has never even
witnessed an operation before. She brings in the towels and though she is not
comfortable at the sight of the bleeding wound she gives anaesthesia to the patient.

7. What was the old gardener’s reaction when Dr. Sadao gave shelter to the enemy
soldier? (Comptt. All India 2010)
Ans: Like all the servants the gardener did not like Sadao’s efforts to save a wounded
American soldier. He felt it was unpatriotic to give shelter to a prisoner of war. He felt if
his master healed what first the gun and then the sea did, they would be avenged

8. How did Dr. Sadao ensure that the American sailor left his house but he himself
remained safe and secure? (Delhi 2011)
Ans: Dr. Sadao offered his personal boat with food and extra clothing to the American soldier
when he left his house. He then advised the soldier to go to a nearby island where no one
lived and escape from there by boarding a Korean fishing boat. Dr. Sadao then informed
the General that the soldier had escaped.

9. Why did Hana wash the wounded soldier herself? (Delhi 2011)
Ans: Hana had to wash the wounded soldier herself because Yumi, the maid, refused to wash a
‘dirty white man’. Moreover Hana felt necessary to help her husband. Her qualities of
head and heart enable her to take a balanced view about the wounded soldier, even
though he was an American.

10. How does the writer indicate that Dr. Sadao’s father was a very traditional and
conventional man? (Delhi 2011)
Ans: Though Dr. Sadao and Hana had fallen in love in America, he got married to her only after
his father approved of her. His father always wanted Sadao to get married to a girl who
was pure in her race. Dr. Sadao’s marriage to Hana was arranged by his father in the old
Japanese way indicating that he was a traditional and conventional man.

11. How did Dr. Sadao plan the American prisoner’s escape? (Comptt. Delhi 2011))
Ans: Dr. Sadao made elaborate arrangements for the prisoner’s safe escape. The prisoner was
made to row to a nearby island where no one lived. All the necessary things were given to
him. He was told to signal two flashes if he ran out of food. When Dr. Sadao received no
signal, he was convinced the prisoner had escaped safely.

12. Did Hana think the Japanese tortured their prisoners of war? Why? (Delhi 2012)
Ans: When Hana noticed the deep red scars on the American soldier’s neck, she worriedly
hoped that he had not been tortured by the Japanese. She knew it was a common practice
for the Japanese to torture their prisoners of war in the most brutal manner.

13. Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself? (Delhi 2012)
Ans: Hana had to wash the wounded soldier herself because Yumi, the maid, refused to wash a
‘dirty white man’. Moreover Hana felt necessary to help her husband. Her qualities of
head and heart enable her to take a balanced view about the wounded soldier, even
though he was an American.

14. What help did Dr. Sadao seek from Hana while operating on the wounded white
man? (Delhi 2012)

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Ans: Dr. Sadao sought Hana’s help while operating on the wounded white man. She assisted
Dr. Sadao during the operation even though she had never even witnessed an operation
before. She brought in the towels and though she was not comfortable at the sight of the
bleeding wound she gave anaesthesia to the patient.

15. Who sent a messenger to Dr. Sadao? What for? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Ans: The old General sent a messenger to Dr. Sadao to inform him the General was in pain
again and needed Dr. Sadao’s immediate attention. The General preferred to be treated by
Dr. Sadao who had the reputation of being thoroughly professional in his job.

16. What forced Dr. Sadao to be impatient and irritable with his patient? (All India
2013)
Ans: Hana had never seen an operation and the sight of Dr. Sadao operating on the soldier
made her sick and she rushed out to the garden to retch. Dr. Sadao knew how distressed
Hana was and his inability to go to her made him impatient and irritable with his patient
because of whom he could not be with his wife.
17. In what context does Hana remember the cruel nature of General Takima? (All
India 2013)
Ans: Hana remembers General Takima who at home used to beat his wife cruelly though no
one now mentioned it ever since he had fought a victorious battle in Manchuria. She
inferred that if a man like him could be so cruel to a woman in his power, he would be
extremely cruel to the wounded American soldier.
18. What made a cool surgeon like Sadao speak sharply to his wife and what was her
reaction? (All India 2013)
Ans: While Sadao was operating on the American soldier, Hana, his wife choked on seeing so
much blood. Dr. Sadao looked up and saw her sulphur coloured face. At that moment he
retorted sharply to his wife telling her not to faint. Hana clapped her hands to her mouth
and ran out of the garden to retch.
19. How nearly had Dr. Sadao missed marrying Hana? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Ans: Dr. Sadao had met Hana literally by chance at an American professor’s house. He actually
did not want to go there as the rooms of the house were small, the food was bad and the
professor’s wife was rather voluble. But nevertheless he had gone and there he had found
Hana.
20. In what condition was the American sailor when Dr. Sadao found him?(Comptt. All
India 2013)
Ans: When Dr. Sadao found the American sailor the latter was badly wounded and
unconscious. Blood was flowing freshly when Dr. Sadao touched his wound. On the right
side of the sailor’s lower back Dr. Sadao saw that the gun wound had reopened and the
flesh was blackened with powder.
21. 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)
Ans: Dr. Sadao rose above narrow prejudices of race and country and not only saved the young
American soldier from dying, but also helped him to escape. Basic human goodness
overpowered Dr. Sadao and the final decision that he took was indeed the best possible
one in the circumstances. He could not hand over a dying man, even if he was an enemy,
to the police. The ethics of his profession had taught him to save a dying man. His
essential love for humanity and his sincerity towards his duty as a doctor transcend all
other narrow considerations. As a doctor, it was his duty to save a dying man and so he
put aside all other options and respected the ideals and principles of his profession.

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