Summary
Living during wartime in Japan, Dr. Sadao Hoki and his wife, Hana, spot a dark shape in the surf that turns out to be a white man; a severely wounded soldier. At first, they agree to turn the man over to authorities as a prisoner of war. This makes perfect sense considering not just the ramifications of treating his wounds, but because the doctor and his wife are both virulent racist nationalists who consider the Japanese to be superior to the white race anywhere in the world. They had met in America before the war and only proposed because his father consented to his choice.
Changing their minds in the face of the massive trauma exhibited by the man, the two agree to take him back to their home and treat his injuries as an act of humanitarian compassion consistent with their belief in the superiority of the Japanese people. They must inform their servants of this decision, of course. The servants are every bit as racially prejudiced and biassed as their employers, but their edges have not been softened by the humanitarianism of medical service. The servants make no secret of their belief that the man should have been left to die and of their coldness towards the doctor and his wife.
After a week of treating the white man and helping him recover from his life-threatening injuries, the servants quit when their ultimatum, that the man be turned over to the authorities, is met by the doctor’s steadfast resolve. Mean the man an American named Tom—is well enough to thank the doctor for saving his life. The doctor warns him not to be premature with this assessment. When a messenger arrives for her husband, Hana is terrified that the servants have spilt beans and they are about to be punished.
Instead, the message directed Dr. Hoki to a patient consultation with General Takima, a wife-beating hero of the Battle of Manchuria. Takima is very ill and will likely die without the surgical skill of the doctor. Sadao chooses to confess to the General about the situation with the injured soldier. The General, in a remarkable display of self-interest over duty, agrees to keep the secret. After all, if he turns in the doctor, then Sadao will likely be executed, and he needs the doctor alive in order to prolong his own life. They reach an agreement in which the General will send assassins to kill Tom.
After a few days, the soldier not only has not been assassinated but has recovered much of his strength, which intensifies the doctor’s fear. Since it seems the General has changed the plans they agreed upon, Dr. Hoki takes it upon himself to arrange the man’s nighttime escape aboard a Korean fishing boat without informing his wife. The escape plan seems to be going off without a hitch.
Then, the doctor is called in for emergency surgery to save the General’s life and when the patient is strong enough to receive the news, he tells him that his prisoner somehow escapes in the night. The General confesses that he was worried about his own life to the degree that he had completely forgotten the assassination agreement. He then goes on very strongly that it was simply a case of carelessness and most certainly not a dereliction of duty or lack of patriotism. The two men strike a deal to keep it a secret, with the General promising Sadao that he will be rewarded.
Dr. Hoki looks out towards the horizon for the American’s signal that he was still safely in his hiding spot awaiting the arrival of the fishing boat. However, the sunsets without a signal, informing the doctor that the escape was successful. This, Dr. Hoki thinks, is his real reward. As he ponders his time in America, the true depth of his irrational prejudice against the white race is revealed through his thoughts. Such is the depth of his hatred of the “repulsive” whites of the world that he is actually glad the country is at war with them.
Biggest Takeaway from the Enemy
To summarise, we learn how love and compassion, rather than prejudices and biases against other individuals with whom we share nothing but the link of being humans, may help us become better human beings.
FAQs on The Enemy Summary: A Thought-Provoking Story by Pearl S. Buck
1. What is the story, “The Enemy” about?
Sadao, a Japanese physician, is the subject of the story. He goes to America to study and marries a Japanese woman. During that moment, World War II broke out. All the doctors were required to join the Japanese army. Sadao, on the other hand, stayed behind with an old general. Sadao was needed by the elderly general since he was sick. We do discover, though, how an American Navy guy ends up in Sadao's life. Sadao provides the soldier with medical assistance since he is ill. Sadao had no intention of assisting the enemy, but he does it in the story. He is also aware of the peril he has placed himself in by assisting the enemy. As a result, Sadao plots to assassinate the soldier as he sleeps. Sadao, on the other hand, chooses to save him out of humanity and brotherhood.
2. What evokes humanity inside Sadao?
Sadao begins to notice the delay while waiting for the assassins. However, humanity emerges in Sadao at this time. At the end of the day, he learns that he is a human. He now understands the importance of human life and worldwide brotherhood. As a result, his intellect is no longer confined to race, borders, and conflicts. Finally, he comes to the conclusion that just though an American soldier is from another nation, he is not his adversary. As a result, he overcomes his preconceptions and does the right thing by assisting the American soldier in escaping, saving his life.
3. Why did Sadao decide to kill the American soldier?
Despite his aversion to assisting the enemy, Sadao accepted the young soldier and gave him medical care. He kept him in his residence to keep him safe from any harm that may come his way. However, he was well aware that by assisting the adversary, he had opened the door to danger. His servants also decided to leave Sadao. As the days passed, the soldier began to regain his health. Sadao chose to assassinate the soldier in his sleep now that he is no longer his patient. He notified the General about the American, and the General responded in kind. They then decided to hire assassins to assassinate the American soldier.
4. Who wrote the tale The Enemy? Give a brief description.
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck wrote the tale The Enemy. Sadao, a Japanese physician, is the protagonist. He travelled to America to study and met a Japanese girl named Hana there. He marries her and returns to Japan to start a family. It was World War II at the time. As a result, all of the doctors were drafted to serve in the Japanese army. Sadao, on the other hand, was permitted to remain. It was because he was caring for an elderly General who was near death. An incident, however, transforms his life one night. He comes upon an American Navy guy who has been shot and is dying.
