THE ENEMY PYQS

Short Qs 2 marks
1. Answer the question in the context of the following lines from 'The Enemy'.
"Stupid Yumi," she muttered fiercely. "Is this anything but a man? And a wounded helpless
man!"
In the conviction of her own superiority she bent impulsively and untied the knotted rugs that
kept the white man covered.
Explain the superiority Hana is convinced about. [CBSE SQP 2023]
ANS. The superiority of Hana that she is convinced of is helping the white man in his time of
need. In the given lines, Hana expresses her frustration about Yumi not helping her clean up
the wounded white man. Yumi was influenced by her society and did not want to help a
white enemy, even if he was dying. On the other hand, Hana felt that humans are all equal
and must not be left dying due to worldly differences. This comparison made Hana think of
her as superior to Yumi.

2. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent abroad with the troops? [CBSE 2023]
OR
Why was Dr. Sadao not sent to the battlefield? [CBSE 2020]
OR
Why was Dr. Sadao not sent abroad along with the troops? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. Dr. Sadao had not been sent abroad with the troops because the General was being
treated by him, and he could trust no other Japanese surgeon. Secondly, Dr. Sadao was
going to make an important discovery that would completely heal wounds.

3. How do we know that Dr. Sadao was conscientious as well as loyal? [CBSE SQP 2022]
ANS. Dr. Sadao was indeed both conscientious and loyal. He proved his conscientiousness
when he treated the wounded soldier and saved his life. Later, he proved his loyalty to his
country by informing the General about the soldier that was the prisoner of war and agreed
to the plan of his assassination.

4. Sadao's acceptance of the General's plan to assassinate Tom was counterproductive to

having put him on the path of recovery substantiate with your reason/s. [CBSE SQP 2021]
ANS. It is true to say that Sadao's acceptance of the General's plan to assassinate Tom was
counterproductive to having put him on the path of recovery. In order to provide the
American prisoner with medical attention, Dr. Sadao had brought him home without
informing the authorities. He had even operated on him. Thus, Sadao's attempts to save the
prisoner would be in vain if he were to have him killed.

5. What happened on the seventh day after Dr. Sadao had typed the letter? [CBSE SQP
2020]
ANS. Two things occurred on the seventh day following Dr. Sadao's typing of the letter.
Together, the maid Yumi, the cook, and the gardener packed their things and left. The
second event was the messenger's arrival, informing Sadao that the general was
experiencing pain and that he had been called to the palace.

6. What efforts Dr. Sadao and Hana make to save the American soldier? [CBSE 2020]
ANS. Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana brought the wounded man to their house, keeping their
lives in risk. Sadao operated on him and saved the American's life by removing the bullet
from his body. Hana washed him and served him when none of the servants were willing to
even touch him, considering the American as their enemy. Dr. Sadao even helped him
escape to safety.

7. Dr. Sadao and servants were only partly loyal to their country. Comment. [CBSE 2020]
ANS. No, we can't say that Dr. Sadao and his servants were only partly loyal to their country.
Dr. Sadao felt pity for the American because he had spent so much time studying in
America. However, he saw to it that the American was sent out of his country as soon as he
recovered. His servants, on the other hand, were also loyal to their country as they all
decided to walk out of the house because Dr. Sadao had kept the American without letting
the authorities know.

8. Why was Dr. Sadao not arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy? [CBSE 2020]
OR
Why did the General not order immediate arrest of Dr. Sadao who had sheltered a
white man? [CBSE 2014]
ANS. Dr. Sadao was not arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy because the old
General was being treated by Dr. Sadao. In the event of an emergency, nobody would be
available to operate on the General if he was arrested. Moreover, Dr. Sadao had told the
General that the American was staying at his home.

9. How did Dr. Sadao perform his duty as a patriotic Japanese? [CBSE 2019]
ANS. Dr. Sadao was a renowned doctor of Japan. He was not sent to the war, since the
General might need an emergency operation. He carried out his doctor's duty when he
discovered an injured enemy soldier outside his house. He treated the soldier and saved
his life. But he did inform the General about the soldier. He accepted the General's offer
when he suggested sending his own assassins to kill the enemy soldier. As a result, we can
state that Dr. Sadao is not a traitor. He was, in reality, a great patriot, one who served both
his nation and humanity at large.

10. How does the writer indicate that Dr. Sadao's father was a very traditional and
conventional man? [CBSE 2019]
ANS. Dr. Sadao's father was a traditional and conventional man because he would only
accept a pure Japanese girl as his daughter- in-law and no one else. He also preferred his
room to be in Japanese style without modern chairs and tables.

11. How did Hana react when the servants decided to leave the house? [CBSE 2019]
ANS. Hana was dismayed and even terrified, but her pride as a mistress would not allow her
to show it. Instead, she inclined her head gracefully when they appeared before her in the
kitchen, and she paid them off and thanked them for all that they had done for her.

12. What was Sadao's father chief concern for him? [CBSE 2016]
OR
What was Sadao's father's dream for him? How did Sadao realise it? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. Sadao's father never joked or played with him but experienced infinite pains for him, as
he was his only son. Sadao knew that his education was his father's chief concern. For this
reason he had been sent at twenty-two to America to learn all that could be learned of
surgery and medicine.

13. Where, when and how did Dr. Sadao meet Hana? [CBSE 2016]
ANS. Dr. Sadao met Hana in America when he was studying surgery there. He met her at an
American professor's house. The professor and his wife had been kind people anxious to do
something for their few foreign students.

14. What role did the American professor play in bringing Hana and Sadao together? [CBSE
2015]
ANS. The professor and his wife had been kind people, anxious to do something for their
few foreign students and Hana and Sadao were among them. This eventually led to bringing
Hana and Sadao together.
15. Who did Dr. Sadao think the survivor from the sea was when he first saw him? [CBSE
2015]
ANS. When Dr. Sadao saw the man on the seashore, he thought him to be a fisherman from
a nearby village who had been washed ashore from his boat. A mile or two away on either
side there were fishing villages.

16. Why did Dr. Sadao seek Hana's help to treat the U.S. soldier? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. Since Sadao had to conceal the US soldier's presence in his home, he was unable to
make outside calls. Thus, he requested Hana's help during the procedure to give
anaesthesia to the patient.

17. In what condition did Dr. Sadao find the American soldier at the seashore? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. Dr. Sadao and Hana found the American soldier on the seashore in a battered state.
He was bleeding from his gunshot and was torn because the sea threw him on the rocks. He
was barely alive.

18. On the seventh day after the American soldier was found by Dr. Sadao, two things
happened. Why did Hana feel scared of the second? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. On the seventh day after the American soldier was found by Dr. Sadao, two things
happened. The first was that the servants quit doing their work and asked for their wages.
The second was that a uniformed messenger from the General arrived. This made Hana
scared since she thought that Dr. Sadao was being arrested.

19. How did Hana help Dr. Sadao? [CBSE 2014]

ANS. First, Hana washed the wounded man's face and body with warm water until it was
quite clean. She then assisted Dr. Sadao during the operation. She brought in the towels
and though she was not comfortable at the sight of the bleeding wound, she gave
anaesthesia to the patient.

20. Why did Dr. Sadao treat the American soldier even though it was an unpatriotic act on
his part? [CBSE 2014]
ANS. As a doctor, Dr. Sadao had an ethical and moral duty to treat patients regardless of
their nationality. He treated the wounded American soldier, despite the fact that it would
appear to be an act of disloyalty on his side.

Long Qs 5 marks

1. After seeing off the enemy soldier, Dr. Sadao must have felt relieved. He was able to
uphold the oath that he had taken as a doctor. Dr. Sadao made an entry into his daily diary
explaining the dilemma faced by him and how he resolved it.
Imagine yourself to be Dr. Sadao and express his thoughts.
You may begin like this
I was able to uphold the oath I had taken as a
doctor....
[CBSE 2023]
ANS. 10th October, 20XX
Thursday, 10:00 p.m.
Dear Diary
I was able to uphold the oath I had taken as a doctor while also maintaining the loyalty that I
had for my nation. I've been experiencing a lot of stress and depression lately. I had to
decide on something that would affect everything in my life. I was torn between being loyal to
my nation and treating an injured man who needed immediate medical attention.
The injured man was an American prisoner of war, the enemy of the nation but as a doctor, it
is my responsibility to save lives. The choice was difficult but I chose to operate on him and
saved his life. I told the General about the problem at the same time, expecting he would
assist me in getting rid of the man. The General promised help, but he forgot his promise.
So, I helped the American escape from our nation. Finally, my family and I are secure,
content, and stress-free.
Sadao

2. Dr. Sadao emerges as a saviour of humanity. Substantiate your answer with evidence
from the text. [CBSE 2023]
OR
"The Enemy" portrays the victory of humanity in a moment of crisis. Illustrate this fact
through the actions taken by Dr. Sadao for the enemy soldier. [CBSE 2019]
ANS. It is appropriate to state that Dr. Sadao proves to be humanity's saviour. The injured
American soldier was found by Dr. Sadao, who immediately took action to save his life. He
accomplished the moral duty of a doctor to save a life; this was a win for humanity. He then
showed his patriotism by informing the general about the same. When the General offered
him that he would send his assassins to get the American soldier killed, Dr. Sadao agreed.
However, he was guilty and ashamed to have agreed with the general's offer. For many
nights, he didn't sleep and appeared restless. Finally after three nights, he decided to help
the American escape from Japan. He provided him with enough food and also a torch so
that he could escape without any risk. By saving the life of the American and by helping him,
Dr. Sadao emerged as a true humanitarian who knows that even if two countries are at war,
the religion of humanity never changes.

3. How did Dr. Sadao resolve the conflict in his mind between his loyalty to his country and
his duty as a doctor? [CBSE 2020, 17, 15]
OR
What conflicting ideas arise in Dr. Sadao's mind after he has brought the wounded American
soldier home? How is the conflict resolved? [CBSE 2014]
ANS. Sadao's mind was torn by the struggle between his sense of patriotism and loyalty to
his country and his loyalty to his job as a doctor after he carried the injured American soldier
home. He had to make the difficult decision of whether or not to treat the White man. Owing
to the war, it was Dr. Sadao's duty to hand over the American to the authorities.
However, the man needed emergency medical assistance because of his severe injuries.
Being a doctor, it was his first responsibility to save the lives of people despite their
nationality. Therefore, he decided to save him and hence, operated on him. The bullet was
taken out of his body and the enemy survived. Hence, the ethics of a doctor won over petty
racial considerations.

4. Why did Sadao help the American prisoner to escape? What precautions did he want the
man to take? [CBSE 2020]
OR
Dr. Sadao planned and helped the enemy soldier to escape. Comment. [CBSE SQP 2018]
ANS. Sadao's most defining traits were his compassion as a human being and his skill in his
field. As a dutiful doctor, he could not have let the prisoner die due to his injuries and
therefore he saved his life. Simultaneously, he behaved as a law-abiding citizen by informing
the General about the enemy's presence in his home. But Sadao made the decision to save
the American's life when the General's men failed to show up.
He asked the young soldier to take his private boat at night. He asked him to signal him two
flashes at the same instant the sun drops over the horizon. He further told him to not signal
in darkness, for it will be seen. He informed the American that he will find fresh fish easy to
catch but he must eat them raw or a fire would be seen. He was dressed in the Japanese
clothes which Sadao had given him.
5. The servants of Sadao and Hana reflect a particular mindset of the general public in
society towards the thinking of broad minded human beings. Elaborate with the help of the
story "The Enemy". [CBSE SQP 2019]
OR
Explain the reactions of Dr. Sadao's servants when he decided to give shelter to an enemy
in the house. [CBSE 2014]
ANS. Sadao and Hana's servants are a reflection of the narrow-minded section of society.
When they learn that there is an injured American soldier in Sadao's home, they get terrified
since they don't know what would happen to them if the authorities find out they were
helping an enemy soldier. Their mindset is narrow-minded compared to Sadao, who
prioritised protecting the American's life.
The gardener was superstitious. He said that if he was saved, the sea would take revenge
on them. The maid, Yumi, refused to wash the wounds of the enemy soldier because she
was angry with Sadao for hiding their enemy. The cook said that Sadao is so proud of his
skill to save life that he saves any life. The servants eventually left Sadao's home because
they were worried about the consequences of helping a soldier who was on the enemy side.

6. To choose between professional loyalty and patriotism was a dilemma for Dr. Sadao. How
did he succeed in betraying neither? [CBSE 2017]
OR
Good human values are far above any other value system. How did Dr. Sadao succeed as a
doctor as well as a patriot? [CBSE 2017]
OR
Dr. Sadao faced a dilemma. Should he use his surgical skills to save the life of a wounded
person or hand or hand an escaped American prisoner of war over to the Japanese police?
How did he resolve this clash of values? [CBSE 2015]
OR
Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon. How could he honour
both the values? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. In the lesson "The Enemy" Dr. Sadao has been able to prove that good human values
are far above any other value system. Sadao's mind was torn by the struggle between his
sense of patriotism and loyalty to his country and his loyalty to his job as a doctor after he
carried the injured American soldier horne. He had to make the difficult decision of whether
or not to treat the White man. Owing to the war, it was Dr. Sadao's duty to hand over the
American to the authorities.
However, the man needed emergency medical assistance because of his severe injuries.
Being a doctor, it was his first responsibility to save the lives of people despite their
nationality. Therefore, he decided to save him and hence, operated on him. Simultaneously,
he behaved as a law-abiding citizen by informing the General about the enemy's presence in
his home.

7. How did the arrival of the prisoner destroy the peace of Sadao's home? [CBSE 2015]
ANS. The peace in Sadao's home is indeed broken by the prisoner's presence. Dr. Sadao
and his wife are initially worried and perplexed about whether to save the injured soldier,
who they know to be an American.
The servants in Dr. Sadao's house is against his decision of harbouring a soldier from the
enemy's camp. The maid, Yumi, refused to wash the wounds of the enemy soldier. The
servants eventually left Sadao's home because they were worried about the consequences
of helping a soldier who was on the enemy side. Hana is scared by the General's
messenger. She worries that her husband will be labelled a traitor. Even Dr. Sadao is caught
in a dilemma. As a patriotic Japanese citizen, he questions whether what he did was morally
correct. Things in Dr. Sadao's home only return to normal after the prisoner departs.

8. What was the General's plan to get rid of the American prisoner? Was it executed? What
traits of General's character are highlighted in the lesson? [CBSE 2014]
ANS. After Dr. Sadao informed the General about the presence of an American prisoner at
his house, he decided that he would send his personal assassins to kill the enemy and get
rid of his dead body. Sadao accepted the General's suggestion. But the next three days
were spent without the arrival of the General's assassins.
After waiting for the assassins for three sleepless nights, Sadao eventually helped the
prisoner in escaping. The General said that he was ill and had forgotten about the whole
situation when Sadao told him about the prisoner's escape. He also asked Sadao to keep
this information to himself.
This reveals the General's extreme selfishness. All that mattered to him was his pride and
safety. Furthermore, he required Sadao's assistance himself, so he refrained from sending
him to the battlefield. He valued his own life above the lives of thousands of soldiers.