The Enemy
1. Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?
Ans. Dr
Sadao was a Japanese surgeon and scientist and his house was on the Japanese
coast.
2. Why had Sadao gone to America?
Ans. Sadao
was his father’s only son. So his father had great plan for him. He was thus sent to America to study medicine
and surgery.
3. What was the condition of the American
soldier when Dr Sadao found him?
Ans. He was
in wet garments. Blood flowed from the wound on the right side of his lower
back. The flesh around the wound was blackened with powder and he was bleeding.
4. What was the dilemma that Sadao and Hana
faced?
Ans. They
did not know what to do. They thought of putting him back into the sea because
he was an American prisoner of war who had escaped, but they could not bring
themselves to do it. If they had taken him home, they have got into trouble.
5. How did servants react?
Ans. They
were unhappy and feared for their safety. Yumi refused to follow Hana’s
instruction to wash the prisoner. The servants went about their jobs with a
silence of disapproval and finally one day all of them packed their belongings
and left.
6. Why didn’t Sadao inform the police about the
prisoner?
Ans. Sadao
did try to write a letter to the chief of police but did not complete it and kept
it away. He was a kind doctor and
probably did not want his patient to suffer as a prisoner once again.
7. What happened on the seventh day?
Ans. In the
morning of the
seventh day all
the servants of the
house left as a protest against the presence of the prisoner. Later during the
day, a messenger arrived from the general directing Sadao to reach his place
immediately.
8. What did the general suggest Sadao?
Ans. After
listening to Sadao, the general suggested that the best thing to do was to kill
the prisoner quietly. He also offered to send his assassins who would kill the
prisoner and dispose off his body. Sadao was asked to leave the partition of
the American’s room open.
9. What was Sadao’s reaction to the suggestion?
Ans. Sadao
readily agreed to the suggestion of the general. He thought that by doing so
the whole issue would taken out of his hands and Hana would also be relieved of
the stress and terror that she faced every day.
10. Why did Sadao decide to send the prisoner
away?
Ans. Sadao
had wasted three nights waiting for the general’s killers to come and do their
work but they did not appear and it had filled Sadao with a lot of anxiety. He
could also see that his wife was facing a major problem running the household.
The only way out for a normal life was to send the prisoner away.
11. Why did the soldier appear reluctant to leave
the house of his enemy?
Ans. The
soldier knew that he was safe in the house of his enemy, who had struggled to
give him a new life. He was the prisoner of
the war and
feared that if
he was captured,
he may be tortured and made to suffer.
12. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to
the prisoner was the best one possible in the circumstances?
Ans. Sadao
was very humane and his kindness towards the prisoner had saved a prisoner’s
life. The general’s killers had not come and Sadao was not sure that they would
come. His family was disturbed and the household was suffering. So sending the
American away safely was the best decision.
13. What had been Sadao’s experience when he went
to study in America?
Ans. Sadao
had great difficulty finding a place to live in America because he was Japanese
and Americans were prejudice against his race. Most of the times he hated
Americans, he came in contact with and these included his landlady and his professor’s
wife. The only American he remembered fondly was his teacher of anatomy who
made him a surgeon.
14. Character sketch of Sadao.
Ans. Sadao
was a good, dedicated, skilled surgeon. That’s why general did not send him
with the trope. He was true to his profession and so he even treated his enemy
Tom with great ease and expertise. He was a courageous man who even treated his
enemy and had faith in his conviction and instincts that is why he harboured
the prisoner of the war knowing the possible consequences of his action. He was
kind and compassionate and could bring himself to learn the prisoner to the
authorities.
Sadao was a
caring husband and father. He could not see his wife so distress and constantly
worried for the welfare of his family. He was an intelligent diplomat because
he understood the delicate situation he was in when he spoke to general,
choosing his words carefully as he understood that diplomacy alone could save
him.
He was an obedient
son and tried to fulfil all wishes of his father. Sadao was also proud
Japanese. He was loyal to his country and took pride in his nationality and
heritage. He hated all those who made him feel inferior in America.
15. What
did he recall about his experiences in the United States?
Ans. Professor
and his wife, house where he had met Hana. He also recalls with respect, his
teacher of anatomy who had taught him to be merciful with the life. He remarked
with disguise and dislike, his landlady who had given him a place to live and
preserve him when he was sick.
16. While hatred against a member of an enemy
race is justifiable, especially during war times. What makes a human being rise above narrow
prejudices?
Ans. Social, political and economic factors are the
main grounds on which people with vested interests unite and create tension
among countries. As a result, any common man would think of worst for the
enemy. But when he meet a person of enemy race and interact with him, we look
at him as human being first and not as an animal. The humanity in us often
forces us to help the person in need even if he is of enemy race. Any common
man may overcome such narrow prejudices unless one has a personal enmity
against that person. People of India and Pakistan for instance may dislike each
other as a country men but when communication takes place political
discriminations decreases.
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