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The Enemy
Would YOU risk your reputation, your safety, and your family’s well-being to help a wounded enemy? It is wartime and a doctor needs to make a life or death decision.
In “The Enemy,” a story set in Japan during World War II, an American-trained Japanese surgeon pulls a wounded American sailor, presumably an escaped POW, from the surf behind his home. At first he and his wife cannot decide what they should do with him. They are unable to put the man back into the sea although they realize he is an enemy and that for fear of the authorities they should do just that.
Against the advice of his wife, and at great risk to his honor, career, position and life, Dr. Hoki hides the wounded American, operates on him, and saves his life. The surgery is successful, and the couple settle into a period of hope and fear as they await the patient’s recovery. As the days and nights pass, Dr. Hoki finds his traditional attitude transformed by the encounter with the American.
In “The Enemy,” a story set in Japan during World War II, an American-trained Japanese surgeon pulls a wounded American sailor, presumably an escaped POW, from the surf behind his home. At first he and his wife cannot decide what they should do with him. They are unable to put the man back into the sea although they realize he is an enemy and that for fear of the authorities they should do just that.
Against the advice of his wife, and at great risk to his honor, career, position and life, Dr. Hoki hides the wounded American, operates on him, and saves his life. The surgery is successful, and the couple settle into a period of hope and fear as they await the patient’s recovery. As the days and nights pass, Dr. Hoki finds his traditional attitude transformed by the encounter with the American.
64 pages, Library Binding
First published April 1, 1986
About the author
Pearl S. Buck
829 books3,263 followersPearl Comfort Sydenstricker Buck was an American writer and novelist. She is best known for The Good Earth, the best-selling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and which won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, Buck became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China" and for her "masterpieces", two memoir-biographies of her missionary parents.
Buck was born in West Virginia, but in October 1892, her parents took their 4-month-old baby to China. As the daughter of missionaries and later as a missionary herself, Buck spent most of her life before 1934 in Zhenjiang, with her parents, and in Nanjing, with her first husband. She and her parents spent their summers in a villa in Kuling, Mount Lu, Jiujiang, and it was during this annual pilgrimage that the young girl decided to become a writer. She graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia, then returned to China. From 1914 to 1932, after marrying John Lossing Buck she served as a Presbyterian missionary, but she came to doubt the need for foreign missions. Her views became controversial during the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy, leading to her resignation. After returning to the United States in 1935, she married the publisher Richard J. Walsh and continued writing prolifically. She became an activist and prominent advocate of the rights of women and racial equality, and wrote widely on Chinese and Asian cultures, becoming particularly well known for her efforts on behalf of Asian and mixed-race adoption.
Buck was born in West Virginia, but in October 1892, her parents took their 4-month-old baby to China. As the daughter of missionaries and later as a missionary herself, Buck spent most of her life before 1934 in Zhenjiang, with her parents, and in Nanjing, with her first husband. She and her parents spent their summers in a villa in Kuling, Mount Lu, Jiujiang, and it was during this annual pilgrimage that the young girl decided to become a writer. She graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia, then returned to China. From 1914 to 1932, after marrying John Lossing Buck she served as a Presbyterian missionary, but she came to doubt the need for foreign missions. Her views became controversial during the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy, leading to her resignation. After returning to the United States in 1935, she married the publisher Richard J. Walsh and continued writing prolifically. She became an activist and prominent advocate of the rights of women and racial equality, and wrote widely on Chinese and Asian cultures, becoming particularly well known for her efforts on behalf of Asian and mixed-race adoption.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 20, 2016
"Borders are scratched
Across the hearts of men
By strangers with a calm ,
Judicial pen,
And when the border bleed
we watch with dread
The lines of ink across the
Map turned red"
This is a retro classic guys, worth reading. Portraits a man in a state of paradox to decide what should he has to select either patriotism or humanity - its a matter of priorities but if you were in his shoes what would you chose?? Give me a quick answer!! has a satire about how powers in hand of self centred people : how do they use it or rather how they misuse it, a dutiful Japanese wife , a little bit of supernatural medicine and finally the thing that i loved the most about the story that humanity is above all , must read.
- ^_^
Across the hearts of men
By strangers with a calm ,
Judicial pen,
And when the border bleed
we watch with dread
The lines of ink across the
Map turned red"
This is a retro classic guys, worth reading. Portraits a man in a state of paradox to decide what should he has to select either patriotism or humanity - its a matter of priorities but if you were in his shoes what would you chose?? Give me a quick answer!! has a satire about how powers in hand of self centred people : how do they use it or rather how they misuse it, a dutiful Japanese wife , a little bit of supernatural medicine and finally the thing that i loved the most about the story that humanity is above all , must read.
- ^_^
February 12, 2015
As with most of the other reviewers here I came across this story solely because it was part of my English curriculum in 12th grade and though most of such stories are not worth special mention I found this one to be quite charming and worth extra attention. Undoubtedly my favorite story out of all the ones we were forced to study it is a simple tale of forgiveness and nobility that seeks to reach out to the most human part of us.
This is the story of a Japanese doctor, Dr. Sadao Hoki, who, one unassuming night, discovers an American soldier washed up on the shores near his house. With the relations between the west and the east more turmoils than ever due to World War II he is faced with a dilemma, to save the man and risk the wellbeing of his household or turn him in to the authorities as he should. This inner conflict is the focal point from which much of the drama is derived.
Buck does a good job of drawing up a believable character in Sadao. Though he is not quite as nuanced as a larger word-count might have allowed the complexities that are presented in his character are fairly well rendered. He is a man torn between two ideals of nobility, one of the doctor, trained to save a life no matter the circumstances or the patient involved and the other of the patriot, trained to serve his country no matter the cost. He succumbs to the former and chooses to hide the American in his home, much to the disapproval of the servants and his wife. One thing I found particularly interesting was that though Sadao is shown to save the American initially, Buck reminds us that it is not because of some self-righteous sense of nobility but because it is what he is trained to do and that any other Japanese man, in Sadao's place would have turned the American in on a whim. This is made most apparent when Sadao later betrays the American's location to a powerful Army General he occasionally treats as he rationalizes that he simply cannot put his family in danger for one man. However, soon after he makes this decision he is overcome with guilt. I felt that this simple move on Sadao's part went a long way towards making his character more three-dimensional and holistic.
The writing is simple and as such it is obvious to see why it was chosen to be part of a school text. There were no complex words or sentences to labor through and the read was incredibly easy.
I don't know whether this story is available in print as I haven't seen any copies on-line. This work is usually overshadowed by Buck's other, more important works such as The Good Earth and A House Divided, and though that is to be expected I believe The Enemy is a good read to determine whether you enjoy Buck's style of writing or not. Some may find her somewhat flat in terms of description and very straight to the point but I believe she possesses the ability to transcend that limitation by providing us with living, breathing and relatable characters.
This is the story of a Japanese doctor, Dr. Sadao Hoki, who, one unassuming night, discovers an American soldier washed up on the shores near his house. With the relations between the west and the east more turmoils than ever due to World War II he is faced with a dilemma, to save the man and risk the wellbeing of his household or turn him in to the authorities as he should. This inner conflict is the focal point from which much of the drama is derived.
Buck does a good job of drawing up a believable character in Sadao. Though he is not quite as nuanced as a larger word-count might have allowed the complexities that are presented in his character are fairly well rendered. He is a man torn between two ideals of nobility, one of the doctor, trained to save a life no matter the circumstances or the patient involved and the other of the patriot, trained to serve his country no matter the cost. He succumbs to the former and chooses to hide the American in his home, much to the disapproval of the servants and his wife. One thing I found particularly interesting was that though Sadao is shown to save the American initially, Buck reminds us that it is not because of some self-righteous sense of nobility but because it is what he is trained to do and that any other Japanese man, in Sadao's place would have turned the American in on a whim. This is made most apparent when Sadao later betrays the American's location to a powerful Army General he occasionally treats as he rationalizes that he simply cannot put his family in danger for one man. However, soon after he makes this decision he is overcome with guilt. I felt that this simple move on Sadao's part went a long way towards making his character more three-dimensional and holistic.
The writing is simple and as such it is obvious to see why it was chosen to be part of a school text. There were no complex words or sentences to labor through and the read was incredibly easy.
I don't know whether this story is available in print as I haven't seen any copies on-line. This work is usually overshadowed by Buck's other, more important works such as The Good Earth and A House Divided, and though that is to be expected I believe The Enemy is a good read to determine whether you enjoy Buck's style of writing or not. Some may find her somewhat flat in terms of description and very straight to the point but I believe she possesses the ability to transcend that limitation by providing us with living, breathing and relatable characters.
January 11, 2014
A great story, that makes you question the values you hold dear; the short story is about a doctor who is faced with a choice between his professional and human ethics on one hand; and patriotism on the other hand. The story leaves you debating within yourself as to whether the choice made by protagonist was a correct one.
August 2, 2021
read it as part of my grade 12 english curriculum. such a great story. to me it’s one of those stories that everyone should read. simple yet breathtaking.
June 15, 2021
Artfully written, and packed with meaning. Dr. Hoki, and American trained Japanese doctor, and his wife Hana rescue an American--a white male, the enemy, after he was washed up on the beach. This was during WWII when the Japanese were fighting for supremacy in the Pacific and the Japanese worshipped the emperor as a god. The doctor reverted to his medical training and saved the man's life. In the meantime the servants left because they could not be party to treason. The doctor was treating a General and told him about the man. The General said he would arrange for his assassins to take care of the American, white male but it didn't happen so the doctor put food and water in a boat and told the American kid which island to escape to and catch a ride with the Korean fishing boats. So, sometimes, not always, there is an ember of caring in a person and they choose caring for their fellow human beings even when they are the enemy. It is ironic that the American, white male was the enemy in Japan during the war and now he is the enemy to the "woke" here in the U.S. in 2021.
November 21, 2023
aint no way im crying over a cbse ncert english chapter LMFAO. this is genuinely the most perfect story ever i have such a deep attachment to it. this showcases the complexity of human emotions and how nothing is black and white. this story is so special to me. every single word is perfect. the writing is perfect. i love sadao. the confusion at their empathy, helping him despite him being the enemy and not knowing why themselves. it's Perfect
(p.s. to me sadao is a hot kdrama type doctor (he's japanese i know) but he's young with cut black hair and smooth skin absolutely dedicated to his work and heartless ygm) [Fainting woman GIF]
(p.s. to me sadao is a hot kdrama type doctor (he's japanese i know) but he's young with cut black hair and smooth skin absolutely dedicated to his work and heartless ygm) [Fainting woman GIF]
January 19, 2024
The only short story from my English curriculum that has made it into my goodreads reading count and that says it all
October 11, 2020
Pearl S Buck's story 'The Enemy' is set in Japan during the Second Word War. It is a heart touching portrayal of the dillemna of a Japanese surgeon, Dr. Sadao as he is torn between his loyalty towards his country and his duty as a surgeon towards his patient. To hate our enemies is natural and is quite justifiable especially during war times. But the story tells us how we can overcome these prejudices and narrow minded nationalism and help our enemies on humanitarian grounds.
One day Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana stood outside their house. Suddenly a wounded soldier washed up near their house. Soon they discovered that he was an American prisoner of war. Dr. Sadao immediately thought of sending him back to the sea. His wife Hana also had the same opinion. He thought of handing over the soldier to the police. Because treatment of an enemy was synonymous to treason and he might be arrested for helping an enemy.
But within few moments he could overcome his prejudices and on humanitarian grounds took the wounded soldier to their house. Dr. Sadao started treatment and he succeeded in pulling out the bullet from the soldier's body. However, he did all these keeping in mind that he would hand over the soldier to the police after recovery. He also informed his domestic staffs about this incident. Though his wife hated all Americans and considered them enemies, she helped her husband during the operation. Their domestic staffs protested against this and left the house for giving shelter to an enemy. But Dr. Sadao took care of the American as usual.
However, Dr. Sadao could not keep all these secret because he might be arrested on treason. He had a reputation. He thought of sending a letter to the Police informing the details. But he neither finished the letter nor informed the police.
The soldier recovered from his wounds. His name was Tom. He thanked Dr.Sadao for saving his life and said that he had never met a Japanese like him.
During his visit to the General who he was treating Dr.Sadao confessed all that had happened with the wounded soldier. The old general promised to Sadao that he would his trained assassins to kill the soldier. Dr. Sadao agreed. Accordingly, he kept the door open so that assassins could enter easily. However, days passed and no one came to kill the soldier. During these days Dr. Sadao passed sleepless nights as any sound from outside seemed to him the approaching of the killers.
Finally, Dr. Sadao decided to get rid of the American soldier by arranging a boat for helping him to reach the nearby island.He provided food and clothes to survive while sending him off to the sea. Dr. Sadao instructed the soldier to find a Korean fishing boat near the island which could rescue him. Dr. Sadao was happy as he knew the soldier had gone safely back home.
One day Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana stood outside their house. Suddenly a wounded soldier washed up near their house. Soon they discovered that he was an American prisoner of war. Dr. Sadao immediately thought of sending him back to the sea. His wife Hana also had the same opinion. He thought of handing over the soldier to the police. Because treatment of an enemy was synonymous to treason and he might be arrested for helping an enemy.
But within few moments he could overcome his prejudices and on humanitarian grounds took the wounded soldier to their house. Dr. Sadao started treatment and he succeeded in pulling out the bullet from the soldier's body. However, he did all these keeping in mind that he would hand over the soldier to the police after recovery. He also informed his domestic staffs about this incident. Though his wife hated all Americans and considered them enemies, she helped her husband during the operation. Their domestic staffs protested against this and left the house for giving shelter to an enemy. But Dr. Sadao took care of the American as usual.
However, Dr. Sadao could not keep all these secret because he might be arrested on treason. He had a reputation. He thought of sending a letter to the Police informing the details. But he neither finished the letter nor informed the police.
The soldier recovered from his wounds. His name was Tom. He thanked Dr.Sadao for saving his life and said that he had never met a Japanese like him.
During his visit to the General who he was treating Dr.Sadao confessed all that had happened with the wounded soldier. The old general promised to Sadao that he would his trained assassins to kill the soldier. Dr. Sadao agreed. Accordingly, he kept the door open so that assassins could enter easily. However, days passed and no one came to kill the soldier. During these days Dr. Sadao passed sleepless nights as any sound from outside seemed to him the approaching of the killers.
Finally, Dr. Sadao decided to get rid of the American soldier by arranging a boat for helping him to reach the nearby island.He provided food and clothes to survive while sending him off to the sea. Dr. Sadao instructed the soldier to find a Korean fishing boat near the island which could rescue him. Dr. Sadao was happy as he knew the soldier had gone safely back home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2026
Thank you for having this in our 12th CBSE curriculum. Every line was so damn valuable, that the pages of this lesson have bathed with the colours of my highlighters (Orange and Neon -> Saffron and Green). After a point I was exhausted with highlighting as my orange highlighter was losing its colour, but still I had to highlight because the author won't stop dropping bombs of literature beauty in this story! Very amazing! I loved it how the American was referred to as Sadao's prisoner in the end... Sadao, Hana, Yumi, the General, the gardener, the fear of the assassins and the white and repulsive prisoner... Beautiful.
December 5, 2020
A beautifully haunting portrayal of the moral faced by a Japanese doctor during World War 2. The conflict between patriotism and humanity has been highlighted masterfully.
February 10, 2021
Read it for school. It is alright.
October 13, 2021
Such a well written story, I remember reading this during high school.
February 21, 2024
The internal conflict was all I lived for reading this 😭
December 18, 2025
the only one worth reading 💔
February 5, 2023
amazing book in which author pushes lead into a difficult choice of morals and he goes against all to do the right thing. If you have read this. You will say he did right thing but lemme ask you this what would you do if you were in his position? reply in comments
May 11, 2011
One of the best stories I have ever read! It's touching, rich in expression and describes wonderfully the dilemma one faces between patriotism and humanity. The story is a beautiful example to illustrate the futility of war!
May 16, 2014
I read this book in 12th. It was part of flamingo (our eng text). It is a great read honing in on the dilemma of a Japanese doctor between his duty and ethics as a doctor and his love towards his country.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews