The Enemy (Pearl S. Buck)

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The central conflict is between professional duty and national loyalty. Dr Sadao Hoki must decide whether to save a wounded American prisoner or hand him over to the authorities as an enemy soldier. T…

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Dr Sadao Hoki is a Japanese surgeon and scientist trained in America. He is famous in Japan, married to Hana, and serves as the personal physician to the old General. His skill as a doctor becomes the…

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Hana is Sadao’s wife. She met him in America at Professor Harley’s house and later married him in the traditional Japanese way. In the story, she helps Sadao care for the wounded prisoner even though …

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Tom is the American prisoner of war, an escaped US Navy sailor who is washed ashore with a gunshot wound. Sadao operates on him and later helps him escape to a nearby unfortified island.

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Sadao is kept in Japan because he is perfecting a discovery that may make wounds entirely clean, and because the old General might need an operation. His medical value makes him too important to send …

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The title refers not only to the American prisoner but also to the larger idea of wartime hatred. The story gradually shows that an enemy soldier is still a human being who needs care and mercy.

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Sadao’s father is a serious man who values education above everything and arranges Sadao’s marriage to Hana in the old Japanese way. He also takes Sadao to the South Sea islands and speaks about them …

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He means that the islands represent Japan’s path to progress and expansion. The line reflects ambition, national pride, and a belief in Japan’s future strength.