NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 4-The Enemy

Reading with Insight :

1. . 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. Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.
   Ans. Life has many facets. We live it by maintaining a delicate balance between the various facets it offers to us as part of our existence as an individual in a society. Living for our own self, family, profession and country are just a few of them. However at times, it becomes difficult to maintain this balance, and one gets overpowered by confusion and dilemmas. The story about Dr. Sadao, Hana and the war prisoner exemplified that. On finding a wounded war prisoner washed ashore, Dr Sadao and his wife were unable to decide what to do. They were confused whether they should save and treat the injured man, leave him to die or inform the army. Eventually, he struck the balance by deciding to save his life before handing him over to the army. He and his wife sympathetically treated him but secretly hid a war prisoner in their home going against the rule of the law and subdued self conscience. In a bid to get rid of that burden, he revealed the fact to the General who promised to get the prisoner killed through assassins. His inner conscience did not allow him to get the war prisoner killed and he helped the enemy soldier flee to safety.
2. Dr. Sadao was compelled by duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
   Ans. Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana knew that their decision to save the enemy soldier would be questioned by everyone. However, they firmly followed their sense of duty. For him, this sense of duty came from the profession he was in; but for her, the duty was purely humanitarian. Despite getting no cooperation from her domestic staff, she did all the household work herself with grace and dignity. Her loving, considerate and sympathetic nature blossomed out when she washed and fed the soldier which helped the soldier to recover fast. It was also apparent from the story that she respected her husband which was evident from the fact that she came back to the room and did whatever was told by her husband during the operation.
3. How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor’s home even when he knew he couldn’t stay there without risk to the doctor and himself?
   Ans. When the American war prisoner came to consciousness and realised that he was saved by a Japanese family, he feared that he would be soon handed over to the army. However, as he realised the hospitality and care given to him by the family, he understood that he was in safe hands. He knew that although he was a threat to the doctor’s family but his own life was saved by them. Burdened with gratitude towards the family, he ultimately decided to comply with what the doctor planned for him for his escape.
4. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it human consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply self absorption?
   Ans. The General was totally governed by self absorption. He was a patient of Dr. Sadao and did not trust anyone except him when it came to his health. He could not risk executing the doctor for treachery at the expense of his health. He conspired to kill the soldier by private assassins to ensure his own interest and safety. His soft attitude towards Dr. Sadao was absolutely a gesture of selfish interest which overcame human consideration and lacked national loyalty.
5. Whi le hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during war time, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?
   Ans. News of war is fast becoming a way of life. The moment one picks up a newspaper, one is bombarded with news of conflicts between different countries. It is obvious that the countries at war are enemies of each other and hatred is a part of this enmity. However, the success of humanity comes when we rise above this enmity and show our love towards the civilisation as a whole. Dr. Sadao did the same. He did whatever he could tosave the life of a man whom he knew was a war prisoner and the enemy of his country. He ignored the fact that he could be executed for the treachery by the law of his country for sheltering a war prisoner.
6. . Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?
   Ans. The doctor tried his best to save the injured soldier as a part of his duty. The ultimate question was what to do next ? It could not be said that he betrayed his country as he told the truth to the General. However, when he noticed that the soldier was to be killed not for the benefit of the country but only to save the doctor’s life, he decided to help him flee. In such a situation, the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one.
7. Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?
   Ans. The story definitely reminds one of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin. There is a striking similarity between both the stories. Both revolve around doctors who try their level’s best to save the lives of nearly dead human beings. In the story ‘Birth’, Dr. Andrew saves the life of baby-boy with a lot of effort, while ‘The Enemy’ deals with the story of Dr. Sadao who saves the life of an American soldier from the enemy troops and also by treating him during the times of war. Both the stories deal with humanity, love, affection, selflessness and a strong sense of duty.
8. Is there any film you have seen or a novel you have read with a similar theme?
   Ans. The story ‘The Enemy’ is built on the pillars of selflessness, sense of duty, kindness and generosity. There have been many films and novels based on this theme. One such example is the film ‘My Name is Khan’, where the protagonist, with a sense of duty and generosity, goes to flooded Georgia to save the lives of his friends, Mama Jenny, Joel and other natives. He selflessly works to save the town without thinking twice about the possible dangers to his own life.