Humanity is the greatest religion .
(मानवता सबसे बड़ा धर्म है।)
Summary of the Lesson:-(The Enemy)
The Enemy' is a beautiful story of a Japanese doctor named Sadao. As a boy he was brought up very tenderly by his father who wanted him to become a doctor. So he was sent to America for study of medicine and surgery. There he met a girl named Hana at an American professor's house. He was attracted towards the girl at first sight but he hesitated to propose her until he was sure that she was a Japanese because his father would not let him marry a girl of different clan. When it was sure that she was a Japanese, he married her in a traditional way. After completing his education , he returned to his country and joined military as a surgeon and scientist. The world war was going on but he did not go with the troops, rather he stayed back for two reasons ; firstly, he was doing a research on treatment of wounds and secondly, the old general was serious and might need an operation at any time.
One day he was standing on the steps of his house with his wife Hana. He saw the image of a man near his door steps in the sea. He proceeded to see who he was. He came to know that he was an American soldier who was badly wounded and needed an urgent treatment. As a doctor , it was his moral duty to save the life of a patient irrespective of his caste, creed, colour or clan; and as a patriot and nationalist, it was his duty to hand over the enemy's soldier to police. So he was in a conflict of his duty as a doctor to save the life of a patient , and as a patriot to hand over the enemy's soldier to police.
The story vividly explains the conflict going on in his mind. His servants deny to wash the soldier. Even his wife cooperates with him unwillingly. But his inner voice guides him to perform his duty as a doctor. So he decides to tend the wounded soldier. He operates upon him. Though he is in a great danger. He might be charged of treason for harbouring an enemy's soldier. Despite all risks, he heals the soldier. At last ,he helps the soldier run away in a boat. Though he helps the enemy's soldier, yet we cannot call him unpatriotic. He performs his duty as a doctor very sincerely. He acts in a human way. We cannot help praising him.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who was Dr. Sadao? Where was his house?
Ans. Dr. Sadao was a famous Japanese surgeon and scientist. His house was situated above a narrow beach on a Japanese coast. It was outlined with bent pines.
Q2. Will Dr.Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an Enemy?
Ans. Dr. Sadao had harboured an enemy's soldier. He could be charged of treason for this act . He could be arrested for such a grave crime. But he performed his duty as a doctor in a nice manner. We cannot call him unpatriotic . He merely performed his duty as a doctor .
Q3. What was the chief concern (चिन्ता) of Sadao 's father and what did he do for it?
Ans. His chief concern was his education only. So he never joked or played with him. He wanted him to become a doctor. So he sent Sadao to American for the study of medicine and surgery.
Q4. Why was Sadao not sent abroad with the troops( सेना की टुकड़ी)?
Ans. Sadao was not sent with troops for two reasons. Firstly, he was perfecting a discovery that could make wounds entirely clean. Secondly, he was treating the old General who might need operation at any time.
Q5. Who was Hana? Where had Sadao met her?
Hana was Sadao 's wife. He had met her at the house of an American professor. He was attracted towards her. But did not fall in love with her until he was sure that she was a Japanese .
Q6. How did the foreign students feel at Professor Harley's house?
Ans. Professor Harley and his wife were kind people. They were ready to help their foreign students . But the students felt boredom. The rooms were small and food was also not good. Moreover, his wife was very talkative.
Q7. How did Sadao's Marriage with Hana take place?
Ans Sadao's Marriage with Hana took place in old Japanese traditional way.
Q8. What did Sadao and Hana see when they were standing at their door one misty(धुंध भरी) night?
Ans. They saw a man who was flung (फेंका गया) out of the ocean. He seemed wounded (घायल) . He was crawling(रेंग रहा था) on his hands and knees.
Q9. In what condition did Sadao and Hana find the wounded man on the beach?
Ans. The man was in a bad condition. His face was smeared with sand. His cap was battered. There was a bullet wound in his back and blood had coagulated (जम गया था) there. He was almost unconscious (बेहोश).
Q10 How did Yumi, the maid-servant , behave when Dr. Sadao asked her to wash the White man ?
Ans Yumi was Sadao's maid-servant . She looked after his children. She was very nice to the children. She refused to wash the White man.
Q11. What did Sadao notice about the White man's wound? How did he stop its bleeding?
Ans. Sadao noticed that it was a bullet wound that had reopened . It was bleeding now. To stop bleeding, he took some moss lying on the beach and put it into the wound.
Q12. "The kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea." Who says this and why?
Ans. Sadao's wife Hana says these words. She felt pity for the White man. They can not give him shelter in their house because they can be arrested for it. If they hand him over to police as a prisoner, he is sure to be killed. So the kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea .
Q13. How did the old general offer to help Sadao in getting rid of the white man?
Ans The General had his private assassins. He told Sadao that they were expert in eliminating anybody without leaving any trace. He offered them for Sadao.
Q14. Why did servants leave Sadao's house?
Ans:- Sadao had harboured an American soldier in his house. Moreover, he asked the servants to wash the wounded soldier . The servants thought that it was an act of treason ( देशद्रोह) to help an American at such a moment when war was going on between America and Japan. So they left Sadao's house.
Essay Type of Questions.
Q1. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national vitality. Discuss with reference to the story, 'The Enemy'.
Ans. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. This statement aptly befits to the story 'The Enemy'. In this story Dr. Sadao, a Japanese surgeon, has to face the dilemma when he finds a wounded American soldier on his door steps. As a doctor, he was obliged to save his life but as a nationalist and a patriot , he was bound to hand over the soldier to Japanese police. But his conscience does not allow him to let the soldier fall in the hands of police and he helps the soldier in healing his wound. He operates upon the soldier and finally decides to make his safe escape in a boat. He might be charged of treason for helping an enemy but he takes that risk also for the sake of humanity. In spite of his act, we can not blame him of treason because he constantly talks of his duty as a patriot. In brief, we can say that Dr.Sadao choses what a doctor should chose in such circumstances.