The Enemy

“The Enemy” by the American writer and novelist Pearl S. Buck is a short story of the historical fiction genre that explores themes of patriotic loyalty, racial prejudice, and duty, among others. First published in 1942 in Harper’s Magazine, Buck’s work encapsulates the racial tensions between the Japanese and Americans that were prevalent during World War II. The story follows the internal struggle of Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese doctor who stumbles upon an American prisoner of war on a beach outside his house. The reader gains insight into the conflict between Sadao’s complex ideals of Japanese patriotic duty and the doctor’s Hippocratic duty to save the life of a man he has been taught to consider his enemy. “The Enemy” utilizes a third-person limited point of view, largely following the perspective and internal conflict of Sadao and his wife, Hana.

Buck is best known for her bestselling novel The Good Earth, which earned the writer the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. Buck became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for her portrayal of the life of peasants in Asia, particularly in China. She is celebrated for her depictions of human ideals and the inherent capability of humanity to overcome social and racial prejudice. Though American, Buck was raised in China by missionary parents. She grew up among Chinese playmates, gaining firsthand knowledge of Chinese tradition and the political issues and conflicts within the country. Her novels and short stories provided an international audience with insight into Asian culture, which had rarely been explored accurately by Western novelists by the time she was writing.

This guide refers to the version of the short story freely available from City University of New York.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide refer to racial and xenophobic prejudice, derogatory racial terms, and abuse inflicted on prisoners of war.

Dr. Sadao Hoki lives on the Japanese coast with his wife, two children, and a handful of servants, including Yumi, the children’s caregiver. Sadao’s father took education very seriously, which was how Sadao came to study medicine and surgery in the United States, where he met his wife, Hana. Sadao only allowed himself to fall in love with Hana once he had established that she was Japanese. Otherwise, his father would not have approved of the marriage. Sadao’s knowledge is now vital to the war effort, as he is working on a way of disinfecting battle wounds and treating an important Japanese general. As Sadao stands on the beach reflecting on his life and career, he is joined by Hana, and together they observe the mist rolling over the waves.

Suddenly, Sadao and his wife see something wash up on the shore. They watch as the figure staggers unsteadily and falls on the sand. Sadao and Hana run to the fallen man, believing him to be a fisherman who has fallen off his boat, but upon turning him over, they see that he is white. Sadao examines the man’s wounds and determines that he was shot. They realize that they cannot be seen assisting an enemy soldier, so Sadao suggests they return him to the waves. Hana agrees, but they cannot go through with their plan. Instead, Sadao decides to hand over the man to the authorities, as they will be arrested if he is found in their house. Sadao examines the man further and concludes that he is an American prisoner of war who has escaped captivity.

After much deliberation, the couple decides to carry the wounded man into their house. Yumi, the servant, staunchly refuses to wash the man, stating that her “master ought to not command [her] to wash the enemy” (45). Hana struggles to overcome her pride and wash a man she has learned to see as an enemy. Sadao decides to remove the bullet from the American’s gunshot wound. He completes the operation with Hana’s reluctant assistance and declares that the young man will live despite the extent of his injuries.

When the American wakes, he is “terrified” to find himself in a Japanese home. Without knowing why, Hana tries to comfort him; the man is surprised to learn that she speaks English. When Sadao visits, the American asks the doctor what he will do with him, and Sadao confesses that he does not yet know. He orders the American not to tell him anything about himself, “not even [his] name” (50). As Sadao leaves the room, Hana tells him that the servants are threatening to leave if she and her husband continue to shelter the American.

Amongst themselves, Yumi, the cook, and the gardener discuss their dissatisfaction with the situation, which they feel Sadao’s father would not have allowed to progress to this point. Hana overhears but cannot entirely suppress her sympathy for the American, who recently told her his name: Tom.

Sadao begins to write a letter to the authorities confessing that he found a prisoner of war, but he does not complete it. Instead, he places the letter in a secret drawer in his desk. A few days later, all the servants leave.

The American thanks Sadao for saving his life, but Sadao says it is too early to thank him. Later that afternoon, Hana sees a messenger in “official uniform” arrive at the house and worries that the servants have reported the prisoner. The messenger tells Sadao that he must immediately report to the palace to attend to the ailing general. While there, Sadao confesses the presence of the American. The general is understanding and mentions that he went to Princeton. Without chastising Sadao, he suggests that assassins should be sent to kill the American; he says he will not tell Sadao which night the assassins will visit, implying that in this way, Sadao can avoid responsibility for the American’s death. Sadao accepts the offer.

Sadao returns home to find Tom up and about. Tom once again thanks the doctor, suggesting that if only other Japanese people were like Sadao, “there wouldn’t have been a war” (55). Sadao begins to regret his acceptance of the general’s offer to have the American killed. Each night, Sadao is unable to sleep, fearing that the assassins have killed Tom. Yet, each day, he enters Tom’s room to find the young man still alive.

After three nights, Sadao decides that he will save the man after all. He tells Tom that he will leave his boat on the shore, stocked with food and extra clothing. Tom is to row to a nearby island and wait to be found by a Korean fishing boat. Tom realizes what Sadao is suggesting but hesitates to leave. Sadao admits that his presence is no longer a secret, and Tom comprehends the danger of the situation.

That evening, without Hana’s knowledge, Sadao prepares for Tom’s escape. Tom tells Sadao that he is once again saving his life. Sadao gives Tom a flashlight to send a signal from the island if he runs out of supplies. The two men shake hands, and Tom sets off toward the boat. Sadao watches until he knows Tom is safe and returns to his house.

When Sadao revisits the general, he tells him the American escaped. The general, weak from undergoing a recent surgery, tells Sadao that he forgot to send assassins to the house but is relieved to hear that the American is no longer there. He insists that he merely forgot to order the assassination, and Sadao realizes that the general is worried he would be perceived as a traitor if Sadao exposes his oversight. Sadao returns home and takes comfort in seeing no signal from the island. Reflecting on the racial prejudice he experienced in America and his dislike of Americans, he wonders why he couldn’t kill Tom.