4. The Enemy (Pearls S. Buck)

4. The Enemy

Introduction:

It was the World War time. Japan and America were at dagger's drawn. An American prisoner of war is shot in the back. He was washed away at the door of a Japanese doctor. He behaves him as a human being and operates upon him, takes out the bullet and gives him shelter in his house till his wound is healed.

Summary of the story

Sadao Hoki was the only son of his father. His father built his house on the Japanese coast. Sadao's education was his fathers chief concern. Sadao was sent to America to learn surgery and medicine. He return to Japan after 8 years as famous surgeon and scientist. Sadao's marriage was arranged with Hanna who was herself a doctor and studied in America by Sadao's father in the old Japanese way. They had two children. They loved each other in a great deal. Sadao's father expired. They lived in their house on the Japanese coast.One late evening Dr. Sadao and Hana were standing in their baranda. Suddenly they saw something black. He was a man. He was crowling on his hands and nees. He was washed away at the doctor's door.  they came down the steps. Dr. Sadao found that he was wounded. He was a prisoner of war. He was shot in the back. He was an American. He was an enemy. They dragged him to their door. The blood was flowing.  the doctor's packed the wound with the see moss. Sadao said to himself" The best thing that we could do would be put him back in the see". But they were not able to put him back into the sea. Dr. Sadao said if he were whole, he could be handed over to police. But he was wounded, he would die.
Dr. Sadao operated upon his back, took out the bullet and gave him shelter in his house till the wound was healed. The servant were against this action. They left the house in protest. But Hana served the wounded Whitman in spite of all oddness. The messenger came from the general. He asked Dr. Sadao that he was wanted by the general to the palace. The General was suffering from a long time. He needed Dr. Sadao  very often. Dr. Sadao disclosed that an American soldier in his house. The General said," It would be best if he could be quietly killed. Not by you, but by some one who does not know him". He promised to send  two private assassins who would kill him and remove the body. Dr. Sadao waited for three nights for the assassins. But nobody return up. During this period, the Whitman regained strength and came in moments. The couple was fed up of the soldier. They wanted to get rid of him.
Sadao gave him his boat, filled with food, water and two quilts. He asked the sailor to row it to the island beyond. He should catch a Korean fishing boat and escape. The soldier realised that the doctor was giving him second life. He escaped safe and secure. The servants returned to work and the household began to run smoothly. One day the doctor informed the General that the enemy soldier had escaped. Then the General said that he forgot his promise in his great suffering.

यह जो कहानी है वह पर्ल एस0 बक ने द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान की लिखी हुई है। जापान और अमेरिका दोनों कट्टर शत्रु है। ऐसी स्तिथि में अमेरिका का एक सैनिक जापान में एक डॉक्टर के घर के दरवाजे के नजदीक घायल अवस्था में बह कर आता है। अब जापानी डॉक्टर उसे जापानी आर्मी के हवाले करे या उसका इलाज कर उसे बचाये इसी पर आधारित कहानी है "द एनिमी"।
डॉ0 सदाओं अपने पिता जी की इकलौती औलाद है। उसके पिता जी उसकी पढाई के लये बहुत चिंतित रहते थे। इसी कारण से उन्होंने सदाओं को 22 वर्ष की उम्र में डॉक्टरी की पढाई के लिए अमेरिका भेज दिया था अब सदाओं 8 साल बाद पूरी पढाई करके जापान आ गया था।
डॉ0 सदाओं एक जापानी सर्जन और मेडिकल स्पेसिलिस्ट है। उनका घर जापानी बंदरगाह पर है। उनकी वाइफ का नाम हना है जो एक डॉक्टर है। डॉ सदाओं हना को अमेरिका में मिला था अपने प्रॉफेसर के घर जहाँ प्रोफ़ेसर ने अपने छात्रों को डिनर पर आमंत्रित किया था।
सदाओं के पापा ने दोनों की शादी जापानी परंपरा के अनुशार की। दोनों एक दूसरे को बहुत प्यार करते है और अब उनके दो बच्चे है। सदाओं के पापा अब इस दुनिया में नहीं है। सदाओं और हना उसी घर में अपने दो बच्चों और तीन नौकरो यूमी, गार्डनर और कुक के साथ रहते है।
एक शाम को सदाओं और हना अपने बरामदे में खड़े थे तभी उनको कुछ काला दिखता है और वह आदमी था जो समुद्र में बह कर उनकी घर की तरफ रेंगते हुए आ रहा था। दोनों दौड़ कर नीचे आते है और देखते है कि ये तो युद्ध से भागा हुआ अमेरिका  सैनिक है। पहले वे सोचते है कि इसको वापस समुद्र में ही फेंक देते है पर दोनों में से कोई भी उसे फेंकने के लिए आगे नहीं बढ़ा।



Q.1. Dr. Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff.
Ans.
Introduction: Dr. Sadao was a doctor. It was his duty to help the wounded soldier let him be his enemy.
Hana's sympathy: Drn Sadao said that if the man was operated upon, he should be saved. But he must be washed first. The domestic servant,Yumi, refused to wash the Whitman. In this case Hana had to wash him himself. It was a piteously thin face. Watching him, she wondered if the stories they heard something of the sufferings of prisoners were true.
She observed deep red scares on his neck, just under the ear. They ought to be the result of sufferings in the prison.
Being the wife of doctor, it was her duty to help him because the servant were avrse to do anything for the Whitman.
Conclusion: These things made Hana sympathetic to the whiteman in thee face of open defiance from the domestic staff.

Q.2.There are moment 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.
Dr. Sadao Holi's house was built on rocks on Japanese coast. His wife Hana was standing with him on verandah. Suddenly they saw something black black below their house. It was a man on his hands and nees crawling.
Sadao thought that he perhaps a fisherman who washed from his boat. When they came towards him,, They found he was a whiteman,a U.S. Navy's sailor. He was a prisoner of war. It was the time of world war. America was their enemy. The man has escaped and that is why he was shot in the back. It was had chance that the rock had struck the wound.
It was dark. The sun had set. The man bleeding. Sadao muttered what shall we do with man? He packed the wound with sea moss to stop bleeding. Sadao said that the best thing that we could do would be put him back in the sea. Hana said steadily," Yes, undoubtedly that would be best".
Sadao said that if we sheltered a whiteman in our house we should be arrested and if we turned him over as a prisoner, he would certainly die. Again Hana said that kindest thing that we could do would be put him back in the sea.
Once again Sadao said that if the man were whole i could turn him over to the police without difficulty. He is may enemy. All Americans are my enemy. But Since he is wounded,we must carry him into the house.
Thus the chose the role of private individuals and carried him into their house to cure him of his wound.