Chapter the-enemy: The Enemy | Summary

The Enemy by Pearl S. Buck is a thought-provoking story set during the Second World War. It highlights the fierce conflict between a person’s national duty and their core human compassion. The story revolves around Dr. Sadao Hoki, a highly skilled and respected Japanese surgeon, and his wife, Hana. They live in a beautiful house on the Japanese coast. One evening, they see a badly wounded man washed ashore by the ocean waves. Upon closer inspection, they are shocked to discover that he is an American prisoner of war, an enemy soldier who has escaped and been shot.

At first, Dr. Sadao and Hana are deeply conflicted. As patriotic Japanese citizens, their immediate duty is to hand the enemy over to the army or throw him back into the sea. However, Dr. Sadao’s training and medical ethics make it impossible for him to let a wounded person die in front of him. Choosing humanity over blind patriotism, they bring the unconscious soldier, named Tom, into their home. Dr. Sadao successfully operates on him and extracts the bullet, while Hana helps wash and nurse the soldier despite her own fears and prejudices.

Their decision brings immense trouble. The domestic servants, including the loyal gardener and the children's caretaker Yumi, openly rebel. They refuse to serve an enemy and eventually leave the house, warning that sheltering a white man will bring disaster to the family. Despite the immense pressure and danger of being called traitors, Sadao and Hana continue to care for the young American until he regains his strength.