Class 12 English Vistas The Enemy

Class 12 English Vistas The Enemy

About the Author (लेखक के बारे में)

• Pearl S. Buck (पर्ल एस. बक): She was an American writer and novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works often bridge Eastern and Western cultures. (वह एक अमेरिकी लेखिका और उपन्यासकार थीं। उन्होंने पुलित्जर पुरस्कार और साहित्य में नोबेल पुरस्कार जीता था। उनकी रचनाएं अक्सर पूर्वी और पश्चिमी संस्कृतियों को जोड़ती हैं।)
• Genre (शैली): Historical Fiction / Drama (ऐतिहासिक कथा / नाटक)।
• Setting (पृष्ठभूमि): A coastal town in Japan during World War II. (द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान जापान का एक तटीय शहर।)

Main Characters (मुख्य पात्र)

• Dr. Sadao Hoki (डॉ. सदाओ होकी): A highly skilled Japanese surgeon and scientist who studied in America. He is torn between his duty as a doctor to save a life and his duty as a Japanese patriot. (एक अत्यधिक कुशल जापानी सर्जन और वैज्ञानिक जिसने अमेरिका में पढ़ाई की थी। वह एक डॉक्टर के रूप में जीवन बचाने के अपने कर्तव्य और एक जापानी देशभक्त के रूप में अपने कर्तव्य के बीच फंसा हुआ है।)
• Hana (हाना): Dr. Sadao’s loving and devoted wife. She is compassionate and supports her husband in saving the enemy soldier despite her own fears and prejudices. (डॉ. सदाओ की प्यारी और समर्पित पत्नी। वह करुणामयी है और अपने डर और पूर्वाग्रहों के बावजूद दुश्मन सैनिक को बचाने में अपने पति का समर्थन करती है।)
• Tom (टॉम – The Enemy): A young American Prisoner of War (POW) belonging to the U.S. Navy. He is washed ashore severely wounded. (अमेरिकी नौसेना का एक युवा युद्ध बंदी (POW)। वह गंभीर रूप से घायल होकर बहकर तट पर आ जाता है।)
• The General (जनरल): A selfish and cruel Japanese military general who relies entirely on Dr. Sadao for his medical treatment. (एक स्वार्थी और क्रूर जापानी सैन्य जनरल जो अपने चिकित्सा उपचार के लिए पूरी तरह से डॉ. सदाओ पर निर्भर है।)
• The Servants (नौकर): Include Yumi (the nanny), the old gardener, and the cook. They are highly patriotic and superstitious, and they leave the house in protest against sheltering the enemy. (इनमें युमी, बूढ़ा माली और रसोइया शामिल हैं। वे अत्यधिक देशभक्त और अंधविश्वासी हैं, और दुश्मन को पनाह देने के विरोध में घर छोड़ देते हैं।)

Themes (मुख्य विषय)

• Humanity vs. Patriotism (मानवता बनाम देशभक्ति): The moral dilemma of choosing between universal human values (saving a dying man) and national loyalty (handing over an enemy). (सार्वभौमिक मानवीय मूल्यों (मरते हुए आदमी को बचाना) और राष्ट्रीय निष्ठा (दुश्मन को सौंपना) के बीच चयन करने की नैतिक दुविधा।)
• Medical Ethics (चिकित्सा नैतिकता): A doctor’s primary duty is to save a life, regardless of the patient’s nationality, race, or status as an enemy. (एक डॉक्टर का प्राथमिक कर्तव्य जीवन बचाना है, चाहे मरीज की राष्ट्रीयता, जाति या दुश्मन के रूप में स्थिति कुछ भी हो।)
• Overcoming Prejudice (पूर्वाग्रहों पर काबू पाना): Rising above narrow national prejudices to recognize shared humanity. (साझा मानवता को पहचानने के लिए संकीर्ण राष्ट्रीय पूर्वाग्रहों से ऊपर उठना।)

Summary (सारांश)

English Summary:

During World War II, Dr. Sadao Hoki, a renowned Japanese surgeon, and his wife Hana find a severely wounded American prisoner of war (POW) named Tom washed ashore near their coastal house. Being a patriot, Sadao knows he should hand the enemy over to the police, but his medical ethics compel him to save the dying man. Despite the risk of being arrested as traitors, they bring the American into their house.

The domestic servants, finding this unacceptable and unpatriotic, rebel and leave the house. Hana is forced to wash the soldier and assist Sadao during the surgery. Sadao successfully operates and removes the bullet. Later, Sadao informs the old General about the prisoner. The General, who needs Sadao for his own possible surgery, promises to send his private assassins to quietly kill the American. However, the self-absorbed General forgets his promise. After waiting for three terrifying nights, Sadao takes matters into his own hands. He provides the young American with a boat, food, clothing, and a flashlight, helping him escape to a nearby island where he can board a Korean fishing boat. The soldier escapes safely, and the servants return. Sadao is left wondering why he couldn’t kill his enemy despite his prejudices.

Hindi Summary (हिंदी सारांश):

द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान, एक प्रसिद्ध जापानी सर्जन डॉ. सदाओ होकी और उनकी पत्नी हाना को अपने तटीय घर के पास टॉम नाम का एक गंभीर रूप से घायल अमेरिकी युद्ध बंदी (POW) बहकर आया हुआ मिलता है। एक देशभक्त होने के नाते, सदाओ जानता है कि उसे दुश्मन को पुलिस को सौंप देना चाहिए, लेकिन उसकी चिकित्सा नैतिकता उसे उस मरते हुए आदमी को बचाने के लिए मजबूर करती है। देशद्रोही के रूप में गिरफ्तार होने के जोखिम के बावजूद, वे अमेरिकी को अपने घर ले आते हैं।

घरेलू नौकर इसे अस्वीकार्य और देशद्रोही मानकर विद्रोह कर देते हैं और घर छोड़ देते हैं। हाना को सैनिक को नहलाना पड़ता है और सर्जरी के दौरान सदाओ की मदद करनी पड़ती है। सदाओ सफलतापूर्वक ऑपरेशन करता है और गोली निकाल देता है। बाद में, सदाओ पुराने जनरल को कैदी के बारे में सूचित करता है। जनरल, जिसे अपनी सर्जरी के लिए सदाओ की आवश्यकता है, अमेरिकी को चुपचाप मारने के लिए अपने निजी हत्यारों को भेजने का वादा करता है। हालाँकि, स्वार्थी जनरल अपना वादा भूल जाता है। तीन भयानक रातों तक प्रतीक्षा करने के बाद, सदाओ मामले को अपने हाथ में लेता है। वह युवा अमेरिकी को एक नाव, भोजन, कपड़े और एक टॉर्च प्रदान करता है, जिससे उसे पास के एक द्वीप पर भागने में मदद मिलती है जहाँ से वह कोरियाई मछली पकड़ने वाली नाव पर चढ़ सकता है। सैनिक सुरक्षित भाग जाता है, और नौकर वापस आ जाते हैं। सदाओ यह सोचता रह जाता है कि वह अपने पूर्वाग्रहों के बावजूद अपने दुश्मन को क्यों नहीं मार सका।

Difficult Word Meanings (कठिन शब्दों के अर्थ)

English Word	Hindi Meaning
Prisoner of war (POW)	युद्ध बंदी
Stanch	खून बहने से रोकना
Repulsion	घृणा / विकर्षण
Anesthetic	बेहोशी की दवा
Ruthless	क्रूर / निर्दयी
Menace	खतरा
Assassins	हत्यारे
Dereliction	कर्तव्य में लापरवाही
Impulsively	बिना सोचे-समझे / आवेग में
Slatternly	फूहड़ / मैली-कुचैली (महिला)

Very Short Answer Type Questions (VSA – 1 Mark)

(Minimum 10 Questions)

Q1. Who is the author of the story “The Enemy”?

Ans: Pearl S. Buck.

Q2. Where was Dr. Sadao’s house situated?

Ans: It was built on rocks well above a narrow beach on the Japanese coast.

Q3. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent abroad with the troops?

Ans: Because he was perfecting a discovery to render wounds clean, and the old General might need an operation.

Q4. Where did Dr. Sadao first meet his wife, Hana?

Ans: He met her in America at an American professor’s house.

Q5. What did the battered cap of the wounded man say?

Ans: It had faint lettering that said “U.S. Navy”.

Q6. What was the name of the American prisoner of war?

Ans: His name was Tom.

Q7. What did Dr. Sadao use to pack the American’s wound on the beach?

Ans: He packed the wound with sea moss that strewed the beach.

Q8. Who refused to wash the dirty American soldier?

Ans: Yumi, the nanny/servant, refused to wash him.

Q9. Who washed the American soldier when the servant refused?

Ans: Hana, Dr. Sadao’s wife, washed the soldier.

Q10. What did the old General promise to do about the American prisoner?

Ans: He promised to send his private assassins to quietly kill the prisoner and remove the body.

Q11. What did Dr. Sadao give to the American to signal him from the island?

Ans: He gave him a small flashlight.

Short Answer Type Questions (SA – 2/3 Marks)

(Minimum 10 Questions)

Q1. Why did Dr. Sadao’s father send him to America?

Ans: Dr. Sadao’s father valued education highly. He sent Sadao to America at the age of twenty-two to learn all that could be learned of surgery and medicine.

Q2. What dilemma did Dr. Sadao and Hana face when they saw the wounded American?

Ans: They faced a severe moral dilemma. As Japanese patriots during wartime, they were supposed to hand the enemy over to the police, which would mean certain death for him. But as a doctor and human beings, they felt compelled to save the dying, helpless man.

Q3. Why did the servants leave Dr. Sadao’s house?

Ans: The servants were highly patriotic and superstitious. They believed that by sheltering and treating a white American enemy, Sadao was committing an act of treason. Out of fear and protest, they packed their belongings and left the house.

Q4. How did Hana help Dr. Sadao during the operation?

Ans: Despite being terrified and nauseated by the sight of blood, Hana helped her husband by bringing towels and administering the anesthetic (ether) to the patient whenever he breathed badly during the surgery.

Q5. What was the General’s plan to get rid of the American prisoner?

Ans: The General planned to send two of his highly capable private assassins to Dr. Sadao’s house at night. They were supposed to quietly kill the American using the trick of inward bleeding and remove his body, keeping Sadao completely out of trouble.

Q6. Why did the General’s plan to assassinate the prisoner fail?

Ans: The plan failed because the General, who was very ill and self-absorbed, simply forgot his promise to send the assassins due to his own suffering and the stress of his medical condition.

Q7. What instructions did Dr. Sadao give the American for his escape?

Ans: Sadao told Tom to row a boat to a nearby deserted island and wait for a Korean fishing boat. He instructed him to eat raw fish, not to light a fire, and to signal with two flashlight flashes at sunset if his food ran out, or one flash if he was safe.

Q8. Why did Dr. Sadao go to the General’s palace in the middle of the story?

Ans: Sadao was called to the palace because the old General was in pain again and suffered a severe medical attack that required emergency attention.

Q9. What did Dr. Sadao and his wife do with the man immediately after finding him on the beach?

Ans: Initially, they considered throwing him back into the sea to avoid trouble. However, their humanity prevailed. They lifted his light, starved body and carried him into an empty bedroom in their house to treat his wounds.

Q10. What message did Dr. Sadao’s American professor of anatomy give his students?

Ans: The professor taught that “Ignorance of the human body is the surgeon’s cardinal sin.” He emphasized that operating without complete knowledge of the body is equivalent to murder, instilling a deep sense of medical ethics in Sadao.

Long Answer Type Questions (LA – 4/5 Marks)

(Minimum 10 Questions)

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 “The Enemy”.

Ans: “The Enemy” perfectly illustrates this profound dilemma. Dr. Sadao Hoki is a patriotic Japanese citizen during WWII, a time of intense national hatred toward Americans. When an American POW washes ashore, Sadao’s role as a citizen demands he hand the enemy over to the police, which means certain death. However, as a private individual and a trained doctor, he has taken an oath to save lives. He realizes that the man is dying and helpless. Ultimately, humanism and medical ethics triumph over narrow nationalism. Sadao chooses to operate on the soldier, risk his own life, and later helps him escape. The story highlights that universal brotherhood and the sanctity of human life are superior to man-made political boundaries and wartime enmity.

Q2. Give a character sketch of Dr. Sadao highlighting his dilemma and final decision.

Ans: Dr. Sadao Hoki is an exceptional Japanese surgeon, an obedient son, a loving husband, and a man of deep conscience. Trained in America, he is highly dedicated to his profession. His character is defined by a deep moral conflict. When he finds the wounded American, he is torn between patriotism and his Hippocratic oath. Although his rational mind and national loyalty tell him to let the man die or surrender him, his medical training and innate humanity force his hands to stop the bleeding. He bravely faces the rebellion of his servants and the risk of being branded a traitor. His final decision to help the prisoner escape shows that he values human life above the toxic prejudices of war. He emerges as a true hero of humanity.

Q3. How did Hana prove to be an ideal wife and a compassionate human being in the story?

Ans: Hana emerges as a strong, compassionate, and fiercely loyal partner. Even though she shares the same national prejudices and fears as any Japanese citizen, she stands firmly by Sadao’s side. When the servants refuse to wash the dirty American, Hana steps up, setting aside her aristocratic pride and repulsion, and washes him herself. During the surgery, despite being nauseated and having never seen an operation, she administers the anesthetic to save the enemy’s life. She manages the household alone when the servants leave, bearing the stress with dignity. Her actions show that her love for her husband and her inherent human compassion are stronger than her fear of the authorities or societal norms.

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?

Ans: The General’s attitude was driven entirely by self-absorption and selfishness. He was not motivated by human consideration for the American, nor was it a conscious lack of national loyalty. The General was a cruel man, known to beat his wife, and possessed no mercy. His only concern was his failing health. He knew that Dr. Sadao was the only surgeon skilled enough to save his life. Therefore, he did not want Sadao arrested for treason. He offered to send assassins merely to solve Sadao’s problem so the doctor could focus on him. When he forgot to send the assassins, it was a clear dereliction of duty caused by his absolute self-absorption with his own pain and survival.

Q5. Describe the reaction of the servants when they came to know about the American prisoner. Why did they react that way?

Ans: The servants reacted with intense hostility, fear, and rebellion. Yumi, the nanny, bluntly refused to wash the white man. The old gardener felt that the man was meant to die by the gun and the sea, and saving him would bring nature’s revenge upon them. The cook viewed Sadao’s act as an arrogant display of his medical skills. Ultimately, they all packed their bags and left the house. They reacted this way because they were deeply entrenched in wartime propaganda, patriotism, and superstition. They lacked the broader worldly exposure and medical ethics that Sadao and Hana had, making them view the situation purely through the lens of national enmity and self-preservation.

Q6. How did Dr. Sadao help the American soldier escape? Detail the preparations he made.

Ans: After waiting for three nerve-wracking nights for the General’s assassins who never arrived, Dr. Sadao decided to save the prisoner himself. He arranged a stout boat and dragged it down to the shore in the dark. He stocked it with food, bottled water, and two quilts bought from a pawnshop. He gave the American his own flashlight and instructed him to row to a nearby deserted island. Sadao told him to wait there for a Korean fishing boat and survive by eating raw fish. He also established a signal system: two flashes at sunset if food ran out, and one flash if he was safe. Finally, he gave him Japanese clothes and wrapped a black cloth around his blond head to hide his identity in the dark.

Q7. “Ignorance of the human body is the surgeon’s cardinal sin.” How did Dr. Sadao’s American professor influence his approach to surgery?

Ans: Dr. Sadao was deeply influenced by his old American professor of anatomy. The professor used to thunder at his students that operating on a body without complete knowledge of it was equivalent to murder. This teaching instilled a profound sense of responsibility, precision, and medical ethics in Sadao. During the operation on the American POW, when Sadao felt his instrument near the kidney, all his prejudices vanished. He forgot that the man on the table was his enemy. He addressed him as “My friend” and focused purely on saving the life with the cleanest and most precise incisions. The professor’s words ensured that Sadao acted as a healer first and a citizen second.

Q8. Why did Dr. Sadao find it difficult to kill the American prisoner despite harboring racial prejudice against Americans?

Ans: Dr. Sadao had faced racial prejudice himself while studying in America and harbored a sense of superiority and dislike towards Americans. However, he found it impossible to kill the prisoner because he was fundamentally a creator and preserver of life, not a destroyer. His rigorous medical training had conditioned his hands and mind to heal unconditionally. When he saw the wounded, helpless boy, his professional ethics overpowered his political identity. Furthermore, witnessing the boy’s vulnerability, gratitude, and will to survive evoked a sense of shared humanity in Sadao, making it morally impossible for him to murder the man or let him die.

Q9. Discuss the theme of humanism vs. patriotism in the story “The Enemy”.

Ans: “The Enemy” is a profound study of the clash between humanism and patriotism. Patriotism in wartime demands unconditional loyalty to one’s country, which includes hating and destroying the enemy. Sadao and Hana, being Japanese, recognize this duty and fear being labeled traitors. However, humanism dictates that human life is sacred and every suffering individual deserves compassion, regardless of their nationality. The story highlights that while patriotism is a man-made construct rooted in borders, humanism is a universal, natural instinct. Dr. Sadao’s decision to save, treat, and ultimately free the American POW signifies the triumph of humanism. Pearl S. Buck beautifully conveys that empathy and professional ethics can and should transcend the narrow boundaries of war and nationalistic hatred.

Q10. Justify the title of the story “The Enemy”.

Ans: The title “The Enemy” is highly apt and ironic. In the context of World War II, the American POW, Tom, is the literal “enemy” of the Japanese characters, including Dr. Sadao. Legally and politically, Sadao is supposed to hate him and hand him over to be killed. However, the story explores who the real enemy is. Is the helpless, wounded boy the enemy, or are the real enemies the prejudices, hatred, and ruthless wartime propaganda that blind humanity? Throughout the story, the “enemy” is nurtured, operated upon, and saved by the very people supposed to destroy him. By the end, Sadao realizes he cannot hate the man, proving that the concept of an “enemy” is artificial, and human compassion is the ultimate truth.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1. What is the moral of the story ‘The Enemy’?

Ans: The moral of the story is that humanity and compassion should transcend national prejudices and wartime hatred. Saving a human life is the highest moral duty, standing above man-made boundaries and enmities.

Q2. Why did the servants leave Dr. Sadao’s house?

Ans: The servants left because they were patriotic and superstitious. They believed that sheltering an American enemy was an act of treason that would bring bad luck and the wrath of the authorities upon the household.

Q3. Did the General keep his promise to send assassins? Why?

Ans: No, the General did not keep his promise. He was severely ill and deeply self-absorbed in his own suffering. Due to his pain and fear for his own life, he simply forgot about the American prisoner.

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