"The Enemy" is the fourth chapter of the Vistas textbook for Class 12 English. Written by Pearl S. Buck, the Nobel Prize-winning American author, the story is set in Japan during the Second World War and explores a profound moral conflict: the choice between patriotic duty and human compassion. The protagonist, Dr. Sadao Hoki, is a Japanese surgeon who has studied in America and lives with his wife Hana on the coast of Japan. One night, they discover a wounded American prisoner-of-war washed up on the shore near their home.
The story poses a powerful ethical dilemma. As a Japanese citizen, Sadao's duty is to hand the enemy soldier over to the authorities. But as a doctor and a human being, his duty is to save life. Sadao and Hana secretly shelter the young American, operate on him, and nurse him back to health, all the while knowing the immense risk this poses to their family and their standing in the community.
The story is a masterful exploration of the conflict between nationality and humanity, between the demands of war and the call of conscience. It shows how, in the face of a fellow human being in need, the boundaries of "enemy" and "friend" dissolve. The story ends with Sadao arranging for the American's escape, and with the quiet, unspoken understanding between husband and wife. It is a deeply human story about the power of compassion to transcend the divisions created by war.
Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was an American novelist and short-story writer who spent much of her early life in China, where her parents were missionaries. She is best known for her novel "The Good Earth" (1931), for which she won the Pulitzer Prize, and she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938. Her writing is known for its deep humanism, its vivid portrayal of Asian life, and its engagement with themes of cultural conflict, identity, and compassion. "The Enemy" reflects her characteristic concern with universal human values and the moral complexities of a world divided by war and nationalism.
The story opens with Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon, and his wife Hana sitting in their house on a terrace overlooking the sea. Sadao is a respected doctor who studied in America, and his home is a place of modern comfort. Their peace is shattered when, at night, they see a man washed up on the shore below their garden. Against their better judgment, they go down to investigate and find a young American sailor, wounded and unconscious.
Sadao's instinct as a doctor takes over. He realises the man has a bullet wound in his back and is near death. Hana, terrified and torn, urges caution: the man is an enemy, and helping him could endanger their family. But Sadao cannot leave a dying man. He and Hana bring the American into the house, and Sadao performs a difficult operation to remove the bullet, with Hana assisting.
The couple face enormous strain. They must keep the American's presence secret from the servants, who are shocked and horrified at the idea of sheltering an enemy. The servants, particularly Yumi the maid and the old gardener, refuse to help and eventually threaten to report the matter. Hana and Sadao, isolated and anxious, nurse the young man, who slowly recovers. He tells them his name is Tom, and he is grateful for their kindness.
As the American recovers, the tension in the household grows. Sadao, a loyal subject, struggles with his conscience. He knows that as a citizen he should report the enemy, but as a doctor he cannot betray the life he has saved. Eventually, after the servants leave and the situation becomes untenable, Sadao makes a decision: he helps the American escape to freedom, guiding him to a small boat that will carry him to safety. The story ends with Sadao's quiet return to his wife, and his ironic, understated answer to the officials who come to ask about the escaped prisoner — he calmly tells them the man must have escaped to safety. The story concludes with the deep bond between Sadao and Hana, their shared act of humanity, and the unspoken understanding of what they have done.
A skilled Japanese surgeon, educated in America, who lives a comfortable life on the coast of Japan. He is torn between his patriotic duty and his humanitarian instinct. His decision to save and then free the American soldier shows that compassion can override the divisions of war. He represents the triumph of professional ethics and human decency over nationalism.
Sadao's wife, a gentle but anxious woman who is initially terrified of sheltering an enemy. Though she resists at first, she supports her husband in the operation and the nursing, and shares the moral burden. She represents the cost of compassion — the fear, risk, and sacrifice it demands.
A young American sailor who washes up wounded on the Japanese shore. He is the "enemy" of the title, yet in the story he is simply a helpless, grateful human being. His character challenges the reader to question who the real "enemy" is.
Yumi, the maid, and the gardener, who refuse to help care for the American and who threaten to report Sadao. They represent the community's patriotic pressure and the social consequences of Sadao's compassionate act.
Sadao's patron, who trusts Sadao as his personal surgeon. He offers an ambiguous protection — he neither reports Sadao nor protects the American — symbolising the precarious position of those who act against the tide of war.
The central theme of the story is the conflict between patriotism and humanity. Sadao is torn between his duty to his country and his duty as a doctor and human being. A related theme is the meaning of "enemy": the story challenges the reader to see that a wounded soldier, whatever his nationality, is first a fellow human being.
The story also explores the theme of professional ethics and the sanctity of life: Sadao's training as a doctor compels him to save life, regardless of the patient's identity. Another theme is the cost of compassion: Hana and Sadao pay a heavy price in fear, isolation, and risk for their act of kindness. The theme of war's dehumanising effect runs through the story, as patriotism and fear push people like the servants to treat a dying man as an object. Finally, the story is a celebration of shared humanity and quiet courage — the quiet understanding between Sadao and Hana that allows them to do the right thing.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Author | Pearl S. Buck (Nobel Prize 1938) |
| Setting | Japan, during the Second World War |
| Protagonist | Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon |
| The "enemy" | A wounded American prisoner-of-war named Tom |
| Sadao's act | Operates on and shelters the enemy soldier |
| Resolution | Sadao helps the American escape |
| Element | Significance |
|---|---|
| The title "The Enemy" | Questions who the real enemy is |
| The sea | Boundary between nations and fate's messenger |
| Sadao's medical ethics | The sanctity of life above nationality |
| The servants | The community's patriotic pressure |
| The old General | The precarious protection of those in power |
"The Enemy" is a powerful and moving story about the triumph of human compassion over the divisions of war. Pearl S. Buck places Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon, in an agonising position: to obey his duty as a citizen and hand a wounded American prisoner to the authorities, or to obey his duty as a doctor and human being and save a life. Through Sadao's decision to shelter, treat, and finally free the young American, the story shows that the bonds of humanity are deeper than the boundaries of nationality.
The story's ironic title forces the reader to ask a profound question: who is the real enemy? Not the wounded boy who washes up on the shore, but the war that dehumanises people, the prejudice that turns neighbours into enemies, and the fear that drives communities apart. Sadao and Hana's quiet, courageous act reminds us that in the darkest times of conflict, it is our shared humanity — not our flags or uniforms — that defines us. The story is a timeless testament to the power of conscience and compassion.