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Q. Dr. Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What
made Hana, his wife, sympathise with him in the face of open defiance from the
domestic staff?
Ans. While on one hand, her husband was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help
the enemy soldier, on the other hand, Hana had to face open defiance from the
domestic staff. Amidst the chaos, Hana understood Dr. Sadao's dilemma is between
patriotism and his professional ethics. This made her sympathise with her husband,
Hana was a humane and kind person with a tender heart just like Dr. Sadao, She
loved and respected her husband and his decisions. She felt that it would be cruel to
leave the wounded American soldier to die. This is why she did not give in to the
servants’ defiance, She maintained her dignity and selfrespect in front of them.
Hana, was proud of her husband and had faith in his expertise, hence she supported
Dr. Sadao.
Q. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was
ithuman consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply
selfabsorption?
Ans, The attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier was strange and
unusual. He always portrayed himself as the most patriotic and dutiful General there
could ever be. However, when Dr. Sadao told him about treating the American soldier
the General did not get Dr. Sadao arrested for treason. He needed the highly skilled
surgeon for his own survival. This makes it evident that the General was a self
absorbed man, who was concerned only about himself. The fact that he offered to
get the American soldier killed by his private assassins, that too as secretly as
possible, shows the inhuman side of the General. Dr. Sadao waited for three
consecutive nights for the assassins to show up at his house and do their job, but
they did not come. Later, the General admitted to have forgotten all about the enemy
soldier and the assassins whom he was supposed to send to get rid of the
American, because be was distressed by his own pain. Once again, it proves the
self-absorbed nature of the General. It is also dereliction of duty to quite an extent
on the General's part because he put himself above his country's safety.Q. Do you think Dr. Sadac's final decision was the best possible one in the
circumstances? Why/ Why not? Explain with reference to the story, ‘The Enemy’.
Ans. In the given circumstances, Dr. Sadao's final decision to help the American
soldier escape was the best possible decision, because Dr. Sadao was a
humanitarian. When Dr. Sadao saw the American soldier washed ashore near his
house, badly wounded, the doctor could have refused to treat him and handed him
over to the authorities instantly. He did not do so because he was duty bound as a
doctor to save the American soldier first, even prior to his motherland. Once the
soldier recuperated, Dr. Sadao did what he thought was best for his country. He told
the General about the American soldier, after all, he had saved an enemy. Dr. Sadao
let the General decide the soldier's fate and agreed with his decision to get him
murdered by assassins. However, compassion is a natural instinct in humanitarians.
Therefore, after waiting anxiously for the General's private assassins for three
consecutive nights, Dr. Sadao helped the American soldier escape. To have him stay
any longer with them was becoming a matter of concern for Dr. Sadao. It could get
him imprisoned for treason and jeopardise his family. Besides, Dr. Sadao had already
risen above the narrow prejudices of race, hatred and war by saving the American
soldier's life. By letting him escape, the doctor could assuage his conscience; had
the General's plan of the American's assassination been carried out, it would have
bothered Dr. Sadao gravely.Q. ‘The Enemy’ portrays the victory of humanity in a moment of crisis. Illustrate this
fact through the actions taken by Dr. Sadao for the enemy soldier. OR Good human
values are far above any other value system. How did Dr. Sadao succeed as a doctor
as well as a patriot? OR Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated
surgeon. How could he honour both the values? OR Dr. Sadao faced a dilemma.
Should he use his surgical skills to save the life of a wounded person or hand an
escaped American PO.W. over to the Japanese police? How did he resolve this clash
of values?
Ans. Dr. Sadao Hoki was not only a trained surgeon but also a fervent patriot who
dedicated himself to the cause of serving his country in the wartime through
scientific research. However, the dilemma that Dr, Sadao faced on the arrival of the
wounded American soldier at his doorstep was a clash between his duties as a
doctor and that of a patriotic citizen. Since Dr. Sadao was under the Hippocratic
oath to serve the mankind as a whole and put his professional duties first, he
decided to save the enemy at any cost. For this he faced difficulties at his home
from his wife and servants. He even endangered his own life and that of his family.
However, he was able to show his patriotism by informing the General about the
wounded American soldier and how he saved him. He requested the General to do
whatever was necessary in the matter and even agreed to the arrangement of
getting the enemy soldier killed by professional assassins sent by the General. The
fact that he informed the General about the American's escape, even though it was
he who helped the soldier, is also a proof that Dr. Sadao was a dedicated surgeon as
well as a patriotic Japanese.Q. What was Sadaos father's dream for him? How did Sadao realise it?
Ans. Dr. Sadao’s father wanted him to go abroad for higher studies and become the
world's best surgeon. Dr. Sadao worked hard and became an eminent surgeon and
scientist. He was perfecting a discovery, which would render wounds entirely clean.
Q. Who did Dr. Sadao think the survivor from the sea was when he first saw him?
Ans. When the survivor from the sea first came into Dr. Sadao's view, the doctor
thought that he was a fisherman from nearby village who had been badly wounded.
Q. On the seventh day after the American soldier was found by Dr. Sadao two things
happened. Why did Hana feel scared of the second?
Ans. On the seventh day, after the American Soldier was found by Dr. Sadao, two
things happened. First, all the household servants quit their job and second,
General's messenger in official uniform came to meet Sadao. Hana felt scared of the
uniformed messenger because she thought he had come to arrest Dr. Sadao.
Q. What was the General's plan to get rid of the American prisoner? Was it
executed? What traits of the General's character are highlighted in the lesson ‘The
Enemy’?
‘Ans. The General planned to get rid of the American prisoner by sending his private
assassins to kill him and then remove his body from Sadao's house. The plan was
not executed since the General forgot his promise to send the assassins because of
his own pain. The old General seemed to be a cold, calculated ruthless man. He had
‘an unusual sense of humour and seemed to generate fear in others’ hearts quite
effortlessly. In his interaction with Dr. Sadao, he comes across as a man who puts
his self-interest above everything else. The only reason he did not get Dr. Sadao
arrested for treason was because he feared that no other surgeon would be as good
as Dr. Sadao if ever the General is fatally wounded again. To save Dr. Sadao from
his unusual predicament, the General suggested getting the American soldier killed
by his private assassins and getting rid of his body off at the same time. When he
admitted to have forgotten to send the assassins, the General asked Sadao not to
speak about this carelessness. Nevertheless, the General is not completely devoid of
human considerations. He understood that from a surgeor’s point of view, Dr. Sadao
did the right thing by saving the wounded soldier's life, later he even promises
reward to Dr. Sadao for proving his loyalty and patriotism.Q. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent abroad along with the troops?
‘Ans. Dr. Sadao was an eminent surgeon and a scientist. He was perfecting a
discovery, which would render wounds entirely clean. Moreover, the old General was
being treated medically for a condition for which he might need an operation. This is
why Dr. Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops,
Q. Where, when and how did Dr. Sadao meet Hana? OR Whatrole did the American
professor play in bringing Hana and Sadao together?
Ans. Dr. Sadao met Hana during his stay in America where he was studying
medicine. It was at Professor Harley's house that Dr. Sadao met Hana for the first
time. The professor and his wife organised a party for their foreign students. Dr.
Sadao was reluctant to go. Nevertheless he went there, literally by chance and he
met Hana, who was a new student.
Q. What conflict in his mind troubled Dr. Sadao when he came to know that the
wounded man was an American POW?
Ans, When Dr. Sadao came to know that the wounded man was an American P.0.W,,
he was troubled by the conflict between patriotism and professional ethics. Dr.
Sadao was caught in the dilemma of handing over the wounded soldier to the
Japanese authority who would surely end his life and his humanitarian instincts.
Q. How did the General plan to get rid of the American POW?
Ans. In order to get rid of the American P.0.W the General planned to send private
assassins to quietly kill the prisoner in his sleep and then dispose off his body
without trace.
Q. How did the servants react when they realised that Dr. Sadao was going to save
the life of an enemy?
Ans. When the servants realised that Dr. Sadao was going to save the life of an
enemy, the servants were not happy. In fact, they disapproved their master saving
the wounded American soldier's life. They refused to serve the patient and quit their
job. They were worried for their lives and their master’s and mistress’ too.