MCQs - Class XI - Hornbill - Chapter 5 - The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement's Role - By Nani Palkhivala

Due to online exams, the new pattern of question papers in CBSE, KVS and other Education Boards has mandated multiple-choice questions(MCQs) to be part of the paper. Below are some of the questions from the chapter 'The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement's Role by Nani Palkivala' This is from the textbook 'Hornbill' prescribed in class XI English Core. Find the keys at the end.

 

Objective Questions (MCQs)

Q.1. "Every four days the world population increases by ____"

(A) 1.5 million

(B) 1 million

(C) 1.7 million

(D) half a million

Q.2. What forms the foundation of the global economic system according to Lester Brown? 

(A) fisheries, forests, grasslands, croplands

(B) land and water.

(C) forests, fisheries, grasslands

(D) fisheries and forests

Q.3. "Scientists have catalogued about .............. living species with which mankind shares the earth"

(A) 1.4 million 

(C) 1.8 million.

(B) 1.6 million

(D) 1.2 million

Q.4. Where was the first nationwide Green party founded?

(A) U.S.A

(B) Australia

(C) New Zealand

(D) Canada

Q.5. Who said, "We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children"?

(A) Margaret Thatcher 

(B) Mr Edgar S. Woolard

(C) Mr Lester Brown

(D) Brandt Commission

Q.6. What is the transcending concern?

(A) Survival of the planet.

(B) Survival of the forests 

(C) Global warming

(D) Save water

Q.7. What does the three-year study conducted by the United Nations state? 

(A) Environment has deteriorated and is in a critical state in eighty-eight countries. 

(B) Forests are being cut down at an alarming rate.

(C) There is not much of drinking water left. 

(D) Fossil fuels are getting extinct at a rapid pace.

Q.8. Which article of the Constitution of India provides that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country?

(A) Article 48 A

(B) Article 51 A 

(C) Article 49 A

(D) Article 52 A

Q.9. What is the meaning of holistic and ecological view?

(A) rainwater harvesting

(B) saving of the water resources

(C) saving trees

(D) preservation of the environment

Q.10. What is one of the reasons for the exploitation of the environment? 

(A) global warming

(B) increasing population

(C) animal extinctions

(D) water

Q.11. What happens to the forests in poor countries?

(A) They cut down trees for fuel-wood. 

(B) They cut down trees for furniture.

(C) They grow plants in a large number.

(D) Nothing as such.

Q.12. What are the four principal biological systems that form the foundation of the global economic system?

(A) water, air, sand, forests

(B) ocean, forests, deserts, land

(C) fisheries, grasslands, forests and croplands

(D) fisheries, grasslands, oceans, land

Q.13. A signboard in the zoo at____read,

'World's most dangerous animal'.

(A) Albama 

(B) Alaska 

(C) Louvre

(D) Lusaka

Q.14. What is the concept of Sustainable Development?

(A) Development of the future

(B) Development for the present

(C) Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations

(D) Environmental development

Q.15. Dr Myres stated that:

(A) World's most dangerous animal

(B) Tropical forests are the powerhouse evolution of

(C) We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children

(D) fisheries, grasslands, oceans, land

Answer Key

1. B	2. A	3. A	4. C	5. C
6. A	7. A	8. A	9. D	10. B
11. A	12. C	13. D	14. C	15. B

Extract Based MCQs

I. Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions by choosing the correct option:

  Q.1. What is the effect of efforts of a number of agencies on human beings in different countries? 

(A) They have started realising that our environment needs to be preserved.

(B) They have started realising that we are not the sole owners of this planet. 

(C) They have started realising that our planet needs to be saved for saving our existence.

(D) All of these

Q.2. Which of the following means the same as 'dawned upon'? 

(A) assault

(B) reveal

(C) flop

(D) encouragement

Q.3. Human beings share the Earth with___of species

(A) millions

(B) hundreds

(C) thousands

(D) tens

Q.4. Due to domination humans have always the resources of the Earth.

(A) utilized

(B) exploited

(C) developed

(D) urbanised

II. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow : Fertility falls as incomes rise, education spreads and health improves. Thus, development is the best contraceptive.

But development itself may not be possible if the present increase in numbers continues.

Q.1. Whose fertility is being talked about here?

(A) Humans

(B) Animals

(C) Soil

(D) All of these

Q.2. Fertility falls as incomes rise.... This shows that:

(A) with rise in income, greed increases and so investment in fertility enhancers will 

(B) with rise in income, time is invested in more productive engagements instead of raising population not be done

(C) with rise in income, greed increases and so sharing becomes obsolete

(D) All of these 

Q.3. How is the health affected with development?

(A) It deteriorates.

(C) It improves.

(B) It is not affected at all. 

(D) It is not clear.

Q.4. What is a contraceptive'? 

(A) a disease

(B) a medicine

(C) a protection measure

(D) None of these

Q.5. What can stop perpetuation of poverty?

(A) destruction

(C) birth control 

(B) domination

(D) determination

III. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: 

Of all the statements made by Margaret Thatcher during the years of her Prime Ministership, none has passed so decisively into the current coin of English usage as her felicitous words: "No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy with a full repairing lease". In the words of Mr. Lester Brown, "We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers, we have borrowed it from our children." 

Q.1. Having a freehold on the land means

(A) one is under subjugation

(B) one has acquired the property under lease (C) one is the sole owner of the land

(D) one can use the property freely as a tenant

Q.2. What is meant by 'decisively?

(A) carefully

(B) deviously

(C) clearly

(D) cleverly

Q.3. Which of the following options clearly define 'a full repairing lease'?

(A) the tenant is responsible for the cost of all the repairs

(B) the tenant is responsible for the upkeep of the property

(C) Both A & B

(D) None of these

Q.4. When we have borrowed the earth from our children, our responsibility is to:

(A) extract the resources from the earth before returning the earth to the future generations 

(B) keep all the resources intact before returning the earth to the future generations

(C) exploit the earth before returning it to the future generations 

(D) fulfill all the needs of the present generation and return the earth to the future generations in whatever state it is left 

Q.5. Felicitous words' mean:

(A) apt

(B) well chosen

(C) pertinent 

(D) All of these

Answer key

1. Option (D) is correct

Explanation: Man has realised the wisdom of shifting from a system based on domination to one based on partwrnship.

2. Option (B) is correct

Explanation: Become clear

3. Option (A) is correct

Explanation: Scientists have catalogued about 1.4 million living species with which mankind shares the earth. Estimates vary widely with respect to the still-uncatalogued living species.

4. Option (B) is correct

Explanation: Used indiscriminate.

II. 1. Option (A) is correct

Explanation: Increased fertility is related to increasing population.

2. Option (B) is correct

3. Option (C) is correct

Explanation: it improves due to better health facilities.

4. Option (C) is correct

5. Option (C) is correct

Explanation: Family planning

III. 1. Option (C) is correct

Explanation: The sole owner can use or sell or do whatever with the freehold property.

2. Option (C) is correct

Explanation: well-chosen and definite

3. Option (C) is correct

Explanation: Tenant is held responsible for any damage done to the property.

4. Option (B) is correct

Explanation: We are not the owners, we are like tenants/ trustees.

5. Option (D) is correct

Explanation: All these words are synonyms of felicitous.

Short Answer Type Questions:-

Q.1. (a) What do you know about the Green Movement ? 

(b) What does the author mean by a mechanical view of the world?

Ans. (a) In 1972, the world's first Green Party was founded in New Zealand. The Green movement has never looked back since its inception. 

(b) The mechanical view of the world means looking at the world as if it was a machine. A machine has no feeling and no emotional needs. 

Q.2. How does the author point out the importance of Green Movement?

Ans. The author points out the importance of the Green Movement by comparing it to the revolutionary ideas of Copernicus. He had taught mankind in the 16th century that the earth and the other planets revolved round the sun.

Q.3. How have human beings shifted their perceptions? 

Ans. We have shifted our perception from mechanistic view to a holistic and ecological one. Now, we regard the own metabolic needs and vital earth as a living organism. It is an enormous being and we are its parts. It has processes. We must respect and preserve them.

Q.4. What is the holistic and ecological view of the world? 

Ans. The holistic and ecological view means that the world is one whole one enormous being of which human beings are a part. So, the ecology depends not just on human beings but on all things living and non-living Like human being, the world has its own metabolic needs which should be respected and preserved. This view considers the earth as a living organism.

Q.5. What do you understand by the concept of sustainable development? 

Ans. The concept of sustainable development is linked with the survival of human race. It means to consume the resources of the earth in a manner that does not hamper the survival of the coming generations. We should use the resources for our present need without compromising the right of future generation to use them in their need.

Q.6. Describe the terms 'Holistic approach' and sustainable development. 

Ans. The holistic approach is a comprehensive approach in which the world is viewed as a living organism with all its natural resources and species.

Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their needs.

Q.7. What is the new world view according to the author? 

Ans. In the new world view, people feel concerned for the survival of not just the people but of the planet. The new world view is the holistic view of our existence. We can survive or perish only with all other creatures-our future is linked with them. 

Q.8. What is the state of earth today? How should we act now?

Ans. The signs of the earth which are connected with life shows that the earth is a patient in declining health. We must realize our moral obligations to be good stewards of the planet. We must act as responsible trustees of the legacy of future generations.

Q.9. Who is the world's most dangerous animal? Why is it called so? 

Ans. There is a zoo at Lusaka, in Zambia. A notice outside one of the cages says the world's most dangerous animal and when one looks inside the cave, one finds himself in the mirror inside the cave clearly telling that human beings are the world's most dangerous animals as they are the creators of all kinds of pollution and destruction 

Q.10. How does the earth's biological systems behave on reaching an unsustainable level ?

Ans. The productivity of the earth's biological systems is impaired on reaching an unsustainable level. Fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands turn into barren wastelands and croplands become worse.

Q.11. How are the earth's principal biological systems being depleted? 

Ans. The four principal biological systems of the earth are croplands, fisheries, forests and grasslands. Their productivity has become impaired because of human pressure on them. Forests have been cleared. Grasslands have been converted into wastelands. People are overfishing for protein. The world's increasing population is the cause behind the depletion of these biological systems.

Q.12. How can overfishing and decimation of forests prove harmful? 

Ans. Overfishing may lead to stripping of fisheries. Then man will lose a rich source of protein. The decimation of forests will harm ecology. Moreover, several species of life that live in forest will face extinction.

Q.13. Why do we need to plant more forests in India?

Ans. According to official data, India is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. The actual loss of forests is estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics. Large areas, officially named forest land are already treeless. Moreover, a five fold increase in the rate of forest planting is needed to cope up with the expected fuel wood demand five years later.

Q. 14. How have the croplands deteriorated? 

Ans. The growing population needs more food. So, different chemical fertilizers are used to produce more and more food. In the long run, these fertilizers deteriorate the quality of the soil, i.e., the croplands.

Q. 15. What is new awareness that has dawned upon most of the countries in the world?

Ans. The new awareness which dawned upon most of the countries of the world is the realization that we have to shift from a system based on domination of the earth to one of partnership. It means that if the human race is to survive, it can do so only with all other creatures and things. 

Q.16. What makes the author unhappy about the laws in India ?

Ans. The author is unhappy with the laws of India because laws are neither respected nor enforced in India. There are many good laws India for the protection of the environment, but they are shamelessly flouted.

Q.17. How has the population increased after the year 1800 ?

Ans. The world's population was only about one billion around the year 1800 and this had been possible after about a million years. However, there has been a very rapid increase since then. By the year 1900, it became two billions and it has reached upto some 6 billions now.

0.18. Why does the author agree that growth of world's population is one of the strongest factors distorting  future of human society ?

Ans. The world's population has grown fast since the year 1800. At present, the population of the world has reached 5.7 billion. Forest cover is deteriorated due to population pressure. It results in the expansion of deserts. Grasslands are becoming barren. Natural resources are depleting fast. The environment deteriorated upto the critical point. The existence of man himself is threatened. Many species of life have faced total extinction. Thus, the population growth is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society. 

Q.19. Why is population control essential in India?

Ans. The population of India was estimated to be 920 million in 1924. Over population upsets all plans of development and causes poverty and unemployment. So, either population is to be controlled or people would remain poor forever Voluntary family planning is essential in order to overcome such problems. 

Q.20. What does the notice "The world's most dangerous animal" at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify ?

Ans. The notice placed at the cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia read "The world's most dangerous animal. There is no animal in the cage. There is a mirror in it. One sees his own reflection in the zoo. It signifies that man himself is the most dangerous animal. He is responsible for the deterioration of ecology and environment.

Q. 21. How are the earth's principal biological systems being depleted?

Ans. The earth's principal biological systems are four. They are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They are the foundation of the global economy. Their productivity has become impaired due to human pressure on them. Forests have been cleared and cut down for fuel. Grasslands have been converted into barren wasteland. Fisheries are exploited on a large scale for protein. The world's increasing population is the cause behind the depletion of these biological systems.

Q.22 Why does the author say that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?

Ans. The world's population has grown fast since the year 1800. At present, the population of the world has reached 57 billion. Forest cover is deteriorated due to population pressure. It results in the expansion of deserts. Grasslands are becoming barren. Natural resources are depleting fast. The environment has deteriorated upto the critical point. The existence of man himself is threatened. Many species of life have faced total extinction. Thus, the population growth is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q.1. What are the factors enumerated by Nani Palkhivala that have made our earth ensure its health ?

Or

Why does Nani Palkhivala call all the earth "The Ailing Planet? How can the ailing planet survive?

Ans. The signs of the earth connected with life (necessary for staying alive) show that the earth is a patient in declining health. Its deserts are advancing. Landscapes are being impoverished and environment is ailing. Aerial photography using satellites has revealed that the environment has deteriorated very badly in many parts of the world, in fact, it has become critical in many of the eighty eight countries investigated. The concept of sustainable development and Green Movement can help the ailing planet to survive. People must discharge their moral responsibility as stewards of the planet and trustees of the legacy of the future generations. The plundering of the natural resources should be controlled. These must be preserved for the future generations.

Q.2.  Lester R. Brown divided the Earth into four bio-systems, what are they ? What harm is being caused by human beings to these bio-systems? 

Ans. According to Lester R. Brown, there are four principal biological systems in the world. They are croplands, graslands, fisheries and forests. They together form the foundation of the global economic system. In addition to provide food, these four systems provide us with the raw materials for industry But in most part of the world, these systems have been overexploited Fisheries are being ruined, forests are tast disappearing, grasslands and croplands are being converted into deserts and wastelands. The Earth and its environment show deterioration and degradation. Sudden climatic change and global warming are all vital signs The Mother Earth shows all signs of a patient in declining health and is in need of immediate cure. 

Q.3. We have not inherited this earth from our fore-fathers we have borrowed it from our children. Elucidate.

Ans. This statement is made by Mr. Lester Brown, the author of the book The Global Economic Prospect, Mr. Brown has in his mind the well known belief that the property which we inherit from our forefathers is ours and we can do whatever we like with it. So, he asks us to remember that the earth is not for us to use or abuse as we like. It is something which we are duty-bound to preserve for the next generations. So, while we use the earth and its resources for our present needs, it is our duty to see that we do not compromise the ability of the future generations to meet their needs. It is therefore, very important that we do not strip the world off natural resources that our future generation would need. Even more important is the fact that we should not pollute these resources which make them useless or harmful.

Q.4. How is growing human population responsible for the falling health of the earth? Ans. Earth's principal biological systems are being depleted because of over-consumption. These systems are unable to cope up with the demands of human beings. The population of the world which was just one billion in the year 1800, has now become six billion. The increased population has increased demands. There are large areas on the earth where the forests have disappeared and the grasslands have become barren The protein hungry world eats more fish than the sea can easily afford. Consequently, the amount of the fish has depleted. The poor burn wood for fire. The number of trees that are planted are not enough to undo the cutting trees and so the forests deplete. Human beings use chemicals to have more production from crops and this results in the deterioration of the cropland.

Q.5. What are the earth's principal biological systems ? Why have they been depleted and how can they preserved ?

Ans. The earth has four principal biological systems. These are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They form the basis of the world's economic system. They supply us food and raw materials for industry. These biological systems are being depleted due to excessive use. Overfishing is quite common Forests are being destroyed to obtain firewood for cooking In many areas of the world, these biological systems have reached an unsustainable level. Grasslands are turning into deserts and produce from croplands is decreasing. It seems they have lost their productivity. The decimation of forests is likely to cause extinction of several species. We must change our outlook and stop over using the natural resources. We have to hand them over to the coming generations in a healthy state so that they can meet their needs. Consciousness of our moral responsibility as caretakers of the legacy of our children can help to preserve these non-renewable resources.

Q.6. Write a brief note based on your study of this chapter on the 'need for the protection of the environment'.

Ans. For the first time in human history, the people have shown real concern for the environment. It is so because they have understood that human beings cannot survive the systems of the earth fail. We now know that human life depends on four basic systems namely-fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. These four together along with water and air make our environment. Hence, there is the need for the protection of these parts of the environment. Today, the human beings have brought the environment to a state from where it can be allowed to go down only at the peril of human society and indeed all living beings.

Q.7. Write about the Write about the importance of the forests according to the author Nani Palkhivala.

Ans. Nani Palkhivala reminds us of the famous, saying "forests precede mankind, the deserts follow". The best forests on the earth are the tropical forests. The great wealth is now eroding at the rate of forty to fifty million acres a year. The poor cut the forests for the sake of firewood. A five fold increase in the forest planting is needed to cope up with this demand alone. We are losing the forests at the rate of one and a half acre per second in the world. The constitution of India provides that the state shall try to protect and improve the forests of the country. 

However, a report of Parliament Estimates Committee has highlighted the near catastrophic depletion of India's torests We are losing forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year in our country. The author says that the actual loss of forests is estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by the government because large areas officially designated as forest land are already virtually treeless.

Q.8. For the first time in human history, we see transcending concern-"the survival not of the people but of the planet." Elucidate. 

Ans. In the twentieth century, there has been a revolutionary change in human perceptions. We have begun to take a holistic view of the very basis of our existence. The earth is now regarded as a living organism of which we are parts. It has its own metabolic needs and processes necessary for staying alive, which needs to be respected and preserved. The environmental problem does not necessarily indicate our death it is our passport for the future. A new world vision has emerged. It is a holistic view and an ecological view. This regards the world as a whole rather than a collection of isolated parts. This vision has ushered in the 'Era of Responsibility Industrialists, politicians and writers have become environment friendly and realized their responsibility in preserving the non-renewable natural resources.

Q.9. "Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment ?"  

Ans. It certainly seems possible that we might leave a scorched planet of advancing deserts and an ailing environment to future generations. The earth has four chief biological systems-fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. These systems not only supply us food but also the raw material for our industry. In many parts of the earth, human intake from these systems is more than the systems can support. These systems have reached a level where their productivity is impaired When this happens, fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are converted into barren lands and

croplands become less productive. People are eating more and more fish hi search of protein. The poor burning more and more wood as fire. So the fish disappear and the forests deplete.

Q.10. The problems of overpopulation that directly affect our everyday life.

Ans. The problems of overpopulation directly affect our daily life. The basic needs of human beings are-food, clothes and a house. Now, the capacity of the earth to give us these things is not unlimited. This earth used to support about one billion people at the end of the eighteenth century Le.. about the year 1800 but the same earth has to support now a population of about six billion people. It is, therefore, natural that we find it more and more difficult to provide the basic needs for all the inhabitants of the earth. Just a few decades back, getting admission in a school of our choice was not at all difficult. It is not so any longer. The colleges used to allow admission even to failures which is impossible to think now. Cotton clothes were the only clothes that the mankind used but now artificial fibre is used and even that has become very costly. Thus, over population is affecting our everyday life.

Some answering tips:-

• Read the story thoroughly-more than once, if necessary-to grasp the gist. 

• Do not rely on paraphrases.

• Note the character traits of both the major and the minor characters.

• Find out the context of the story. This will help to understand the sub-themes.

• Focus on the narrative style of the story.

Click here for MCQs and practice questions from Chapter 6 The Browning Version

Class 12 - Elective English - A Wedding in Brownsville by Isaac Bashevis Singer

DETAILED SUMMARY

Issac Bashevis Singer was a Polish – American writer who used to write in Yiddish language. He received a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.  This story basically points out the void or the emptiness that overpowers the protagonist of the story, that is, Dr.  Solomon Margolin, even after he manages to accomplish his goals and objectives. The story commences with the portrayal of marriage as a burden in the eyes of Dr.  Solomon. Dr. Solomon was basically a Jew who initially used to reside in Poland where his family was killed in the holocaust that was enforced by Hitler.  

(Holocaust here refers to the extermination of Jews by German Nazis in the rule of Hitler. This means that Jews were killed on a large scale by the Nazis under the supervision of Hitler). Dr.  Solomon ultimately escaped to America along with the other Jews who survived the holocaust. In America, Dr. Solomon had been appointed as the board member of a Jewish scholastic society and co-editor of an academic Jewish quarterly. However, the brutal treatment that was imposed on his family in Poland had an adverse impact on the mind of Dr.  Solomon, he seemed to have lost his faith in humanity and the fear of death often used to haunt him.  Also, Dr.  Solomon often used to keep thinking about his past memories, his first love, Raizel, who was a beautiful Jewish girl and the daughter of a Jewish watch – maker, Melekh. He also recalled that Raizel got married to someone else which disheartened him at that time but she and her entire family was later killed by Nazis. This thought further used to intensify his depressive tendencies.  Dr.  Solomon’s wife, Gretl, was also a German, but she was anti - Nazis. Dr.  Solomon used to treat rabbis, refugees and Jewish writers without charging any money from them and he also used to provide medicines and hospital beds to them in case of necessity. Dr.  Solomon and Gretl used to live a life of simplicity and modesty. Gretl used to manage all the household chores herself without ever thinking of appointing a maid or helper. Sometimes, Dr.  Solomon used to ponder about the transformation of his wife from a German blonde to a Jewish home – maker. Even after originally being a German, Gretl had begun to embrace Jewish culture and befriend Jewish women. This was primarily because one of Gretl’s brothers was killed by the Nazis, merely because he was a communist and he opposed the idea of exterminating (killing on a large scale ) the Jews. The story further begins to unfold. A Jewish wedding was about to happen in a town, that is, Brownsville and Dr.  Solomon had been invited to attend that wedding ceremony. The wedding ceremony was of Sylvia, daughter of Abraham Mekheles, an acquaintance of Dr.  Solomon. Abraham Mekheles was a Senciminer, that is, he too belonged to Sencimin (a small town in Poland) just like Dr.  Solomon. However, Dr.  Solomon was hesitant in attending that wedding ceremony because he was making attempts to distance himself from the Jewish community. This is because Dr.  Solomon had begun to feel that the Jews did not maintain the trueness of their culture after they had gone to America. Dr.  Solomon used to feel that the Jews were breaking their cultural legacy, for instance, Jewish men had started consuming alcohol in excess. This drove Dr.  Solomon away from his own community. Gretl noticed her husband’s aloofness from his own community. But since Dr.  Solomon occupied a prominent position in Jewish community, he finally decided to attend the wedding ceremony in Brownsville. He hired a taxi to reach Brownsville. Suddenly, the taxi in which Dr.  Solomon was going to Brownsville, stopped abruptly and Dr.  Solomon witnessed that an accident had taken place on that road. A man was being taken on a stretcher and Dr.  Solomon apparently seemed to recognize that person. Nevertheless, the driver again started driving the taxi and finally, Dr.  Solomon reached the wedding destination, that is, Brownsville. Upon reaching there, he discovered that the wedding venue was full of mirth and festivity, ladies were dancing around and people were getting drunk.  He came across Zissel, a person from his hometown, who narrated the old stories that described the brutal way in which the Jews were killed by the Nazis.  He described that the Jews were compelled (forced ) by the Nazis to dig their own graves and then those Jews were shot and buried in the graves that were dug by themselves. Many Jews were starved to death, burnt alive and many were transported to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland which had over 40 extermination camps. Each camp was filled with poisonous gases in order to kill the Jews mercilessly. 

Dr.  Solomon felt suffocated when he recalled the animalistic ways in which the members of his community were killed and suddenly, he saw the face of a lady amidst the chaos of people. When he tried to get closer to that lady in order to recall who she was, that lady turned out to be his long – lost love, Raizel. He 

went ahead to confront Raizel and shockingly discovered that it was not a dream rather Raizel was really there at the wedding venue. The old romance between Dr.  Solomon and Raizel rekindled. Dr.  Solomon held the hand of Raizel and took her away from the crowd of people. Dr.  Solomon’s act of taking Raizel away from the crowd of people metaphorically depicts that Dr.  Solomon did not want to lose Raizel amidst the chaos of life all over again. A thought came to Dr.  Solomon that he was still single according to Jewish Law as he got married to Gretl in a civil ceremony.  Therefore, he took Raizel in a secluded place and expressed his desire to get married to her. He needed only a penny (currency ) in order to get married to her.  However, when he searched for his wallet in his breast pocket, he was surprised to discover that he had lost it. Moreover, suddenly it occurred to him that Raizel seemed much younger than the way she should have looked. Dr.  Solomon started feeling devoid of life, he was not able to feel the weight of his body and his body seemed to be deflated as if his body did not exist. This made Dr.  Solomon wonder whether the accident and the body laid on the stretcher that he witnessed on his way to Brownsville (on Eastern Parkway ) was his own accident and his own body. Dr.  Solomon was perplexed and wondered whether he was really alive or it was only his soul that was floating on Earth in order to seek his long – lost love. He also wondered whether Raizel was real or she was just a figment of imagination. The story ends on the note of this ambiguity and finally, Abraham Mekheles led his daughter, Sylvia, down the aisle for her wedding ceremony. 

VARIOUS THEMES

1. Impact Of Holocaust On The Psyche of The Survivors: One of the important themes of this short story is that the holocaust survivors often go through a psychological breakdown and are likely to live in a state of despair throughout their lives because the brutal memories of their past continue to haunt them forever.  For instance, in this story, the central character, that is, Dr.  Solomon was never able to recover from his sorrowful memories in which his family and his beloved, Raizel got slaughtered at the hands of the Nazis under the dictatorship of Hitler.

2. Surrealism: Surrealism in literature basically refers to the presentation of a story in such a way that it starts resembling a dream. In this story, Issac has used ambiguity in order to present a fantastical possibility of the reunion of Dr. Solomon and his long – lost love, Raizel. He presented this possibility by creating two conditions in the minds of his readers : either Dr. Solomon died in the car accident at Eastern Park and his wandering soul reunited with the wandering soul of his beloved, Raizel OR Dr. Solomon was in a state of hallucination which made him imagine his reunion with Raizel amidst the chaos of life. Both these conditions are unrealistic, dream – like and fantastical and therefore, these conditions give a touch of surrealism to the story.
   
   

3. The Unbreakable Chains of A Void That Can Never Be Filled: Issac has depicted the fact that there are some voids in the lives of human beings that can never be filled by anything or anyone. In this story, Dr. Solomon led a life hollowness and emptiness because of the loss of his family and his beloved during a holocaust. This made him miserable with the passage of time and he was never able to restore himself to a life of genuine bliss even after becoming a successful doctor and occupying a prominent position in the Jewish society. All his professional accomplishments and all the ranks that he achieved in the Jewish community ultimately proved worthless because they did not help him in getting rid of his deep – seated depression and his insurmountable (something that cannot be overcome) void.
   
   

4. The Submergence or The Loss Of True Identity in a Foreign Place: Finally, Issac has pointed out to the fact that people often tend to lose their true identities when they migrate to a foreign place. For instance, in this story, Dr. Solomon drove himself away from his own Jewish community because Jews adapted themselves to the culture of America and developed habits like drinking and dancing in order to celebrate their happiness. These habits were condemned in Judaism and the inability of the Jewish community to retain the principles of their religion represent the loss of their true identity.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

QUESTION 1. What do you understand of Dr. Margolin’s past? How does it affect his present life?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin’s past was a mixture of recognition and grief. As a child, he was declared a prodigy. Everyone thought he would grow up to be a genius. But he also faced hardships. His entire family had been tortured, burned and gassed. He had lost his one true love, Raizel. All this shaped Dr. Margolin’s present state of mind. He had grown aloof from the Senciminers after the loss of his family. He suffered from hypochondria ad fear of death. The death of his family and his love in the reign of Hitler made him lose faith in humanity. However, on the other hand, he had a good career. He was a success in his profession. He had an office in West End Avenue and wealthy patients. He was highly respected by his colleagues and everyone else.

QUESTION 2. What was Dr. Margolin’s attitude towards his profession?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin has always been loyal towards his profession. He had never broken the Hippocratic Oath and had always been honourable with his patients. He was an enormous success in his field and is highly respected. Although he has wealthy patients, he treated rabbis, refugees and Jewish writers without any charge, and even supplied them with medicines and a hospital bed, if necessary. However, Hitler’s reign and the brutal death of his family and his community made him despise the matrons who came to him for petty ills while millions faced horrible deaths.

QUESTION 3. What is Dr. Margolin’s view of the kind of life the American Jewish community leads?

ANSWER: The kind of life the American Jewish community led was not appreciated by Dr. Margolin. According to him, Jewish laws and customs were completely distorted. Those who had no regard for Jewishness wore skullcaps. He even found their celebrations irritating, the Anglicised Yiddish, the Yiddishised English, the ear-splitting music and unruly dances. He was ashamed whenever he took his wife to a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah.

QUESTION 4. What were the personality traits that endeared Dr. Margolin to others in his community?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin was a self-taught man, a son of a poor teacher of Talmud. As a child, he was declared as a prodigy, reciting long passages of the bible and studying Talmud and commentaries on his own. He even taught himself geometry and algebra. At the age of seventeen, he attempted a translation. He was referred to as great and illustrious. As a doctor he was always available to other community members, was very social and involved himself in other community activities to promote Yiddish language and Jewish culture. This endeared Dr. Margolin to others in his community.

QUESTION 5. Why do you think Dr. Margolin had the curious experience at the wedding hall?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin experience at the wedding hall was a result of his death. The write has tried to showcase the Jewish sentiments through the metaphysical experience of Dr. Margolin. He met with an accident on the way to the wedding. His curious and mysterious encounter with Raizel could probably be explained through his past. Raizel was his one true love who he never had a chance to marry. She was given away to someone else and was later shot by the Nazis.

QUESTION 6. Was the encounter with Raizel an illusion or was the carousing at the wedding-hall illusory? Was Dr. Margolin the victim of the accident and was his astral body hovering in the world of twilight?

ANSWER: The carousing at the wedding-hall was illusionary. Raizel herself has been dead for long and her encounter with Dr. Margolin was because of his own death. He was the victim of the accident and his astral body was hovering in the world of twilight. Both were missing a physical dimension, and in fact, were spirits.

APPRECIATION

QUESTION 1. Surrealism was an artistic and literary movement in France between the two World Wars. Its basic idea is that the automatic, illogical and uncontrolled associations of the mind represent a higher reality than the world of practical life and ordinary literature. Do you think this story could be loosely classified as surrealistic? What elements in this story would support the idea?

ANSWER: Yes, this story could be loosely classified as surrealistic. The ending is an element of such surrealism. Dr. Margolin is in absence of a physical dimension and yet the story shows him to be participating in the wedding, dancing, drinking, chatting with guests, etc. His encounter with Raizel, his one true love who was shot by Nazis also stands out to explain surrealism.

QUESTION 2: Comment on the technique used by the author to convey the gruesome realities of the war and its devastating effect on the psyche of human beings through an intense personal experience.

ANSWER: The author uses banter at the wedding and the conversation between the guests to portray the realities of the war. At the wedding party, people are shown to be conversing with each other and with Dr. Margolin about the deaths of their family and the destruction of their community. Through this, the author used an unusual and an uncommon way of showcasing the realities of the war in the story.

STOP AND THINK QUESTIONS

Q1. Who were the Senciminers?

ANSWER: Senciminers were the native Jewish inhabitants of the town Sencimin. They were however forced to leave the town because it was destroyed by the Germans. Many Senciminers were tortured, burned and gassed, however, few survived and escaped to America from the camps.

Q2. Why did Dr. Margolin not particularly want his wife to accompany him to the wedding?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin didn’t want his wife to accompany him to the wedding because he was ashamed of the mess that the American Judaism was. Every time he took his wife to a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah, he had to make apologies to her. However, this time he was relieved of it.

Q3. What is the Hippocratic oath?

ANSWER: The Hippocratic Oath is an oath usually taken by doctors to swear their loyalty to their profession. The protagonist, being a doctor himself, says that he has never broken the oath and that he has always been honourable towards his patients.

Q4. What topic does the merry banter the wedding invariably lead to?

ANSWER: The merry banter at the wedding invariably lead to the mentioning of the deaths of the Senciminers. Every conversation eventually led to that and occasionally, the protagonist found himself being asked about his own family and their death.

Q5. Who was the woman that Dr Margolin suddenly encountered at the wedding?

ANSWER: The woman that Dr Margolin encountered was his one great love, Raizel, the daughter of Melekh the watchman. He, however, had no luck with her and couldn’t marry her. The last time Dr Margolin heard of her was that she married someone else and was later shot by the Nazis.

Q6. What were the events that led to his confused state of mind?

ANSWER: Dr Margolin started to realize that something is wrong when he noticed that his wallet was missing but wasn’t sure how he could have lost it. He also couldn’t understand the fact that Raizel looked too young and he thought that maybe she was her daughter, trying to mock him.

Claas 12 - English Core - Vistas - Chapter 04 - The Enemy by Pearl S. Buck

Summary of 'The Enemy' by Pearl S. Buck

"The Enemy" by Pearl S. Buck is a story set during World War II, in which Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon, finds an American prisoner of war washed ashore in a dying state. He takes the man in and nurses him back to health despite knowing he could be punished for helping the enemy. As the man recovers, Dr. Hoki is faced with a difficult decision: should he turn him over to the Army as a patriot, or should he save him as a doctor? The story explores themes of morality, duty, and the conflict between personal and national loyalties.

READ AND FIND OUT

 
Q1. Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?

Answer. 

Dr Sadao Hoki was an eminent Japanese surgeon and scientist. He had spent eight valuable years of his youth in America to learn all that could be learnt of surgery and medicine there. He was perfecting a discovery which would render wounds entirely clean.

Dr Sadao’s house was built on rocks well above a narrow beach that was outlined with bent pines. It was on a spot of the Japanese coast.

Q2. Will Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?

Answer. 

Dr Sadao knew that they would be arrested if they sheltered a white man in their house. The wounded man was a prisoner of war who had escaped with a bullet on his back. Since Japan was at war with America, harbouring an enemy meant being a traitor to Japan. Dr Sadao could be arrested if anyone complained against him and accused him of harbouring an enemy.

Q3. Will Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?

Answer. 

The gardener and the cook were frightened that their master was going to heal the wound of a white man—an enemy. They felt that after being cured he (the white man) will take revenge on the Japanese. Yumi, the maid, was also frightened. She refused to wash the white man. Hana rebuked the maid who had refused to wash a wounded helpless man. Then she dipped a small dean towel into the steaming hot water and washed the white man’s face. She kept on washing him until his upper body was quite dean. But she dared not turn him over.

Q4. What will Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?

Answer. 

Dr Sadao and his wife, Hana, had told the servants that they only wanted to bring the man to his senses so that they could turn him over as a prisoner. They knew that the best possible course under the circumstances was to put him back into the sea. However, Dr Sadao was against handing over a wounded man to the police. He dedded to carry him into his house. He operated upon him and extracted the bullet from his body. He kept the white man in his house. He and his wife looked after him and fed him till he was strong enough to walk on his legs. .

Q5. Will Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?

Answer. 

It was the seventh day since Dr Sadao had operated upon the young white man. Early that morning, their three servants left together. In the afternoon, a messenger came there in official uniform. He told Dr Sadao that he had to come to the palace at once as the old General was in pain again.

Hana, who had thought that the officer had come to arrest Dr Sadao, asked the messenger, “Is that all?” The baffled messenger enquired if that was not enough. She tried to cover her mistake by expressing regret and admitted that the General’s illness was enough. Dr Sadao told the General about the white man he had operated upon. Since Dr Sadao was indispensable to the General, he promised that Dr Sadao would not be arrested.

Q6. What will Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?

Answer.

Dr Sadao had told the old General that he had operated upon a white man. The General promised to send his private assassins to kill the man silently and secretly at night and remove his body. Dr Sadao left the outer partition of white man’s room open. He waited anxiously for three nights. The servants had left their house. His wife Hana had to cook, clean the house and serve the wounded man. She was unaccustomed to this labour. She was anxious that they should get rid of the man.

Dr Sadao told Tom, the white man, that he was quite well then. He offered to put his boat on the shore that night. It would have food and extra clothing in it. Tom might be able to row to the little island which was not far from the coast. It had not been fortified. The .water was quite deep. Nobody lived there, as it was submerged in storm. Since it was not the season of storm, he could live there till he saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. He gave the man his flashlight. He was to signal twice with his flashlight at sunset in case his food ran out. In case, he was still there and all right, he was to signal only once.

Dr Sadao gave the man Japanese clothes and covered his blond head with a black doth. In short, Dr Sadao helped the man to escape from Japan. At the same time he also got rid of the man.

READING WITH INSIGHT

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 loyalty? Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.

Answer. 

Dr Sadao Hoki faces a dilemma when he finds the body of an unconscious wounded white man lying on the lonely coast with dangerous rocks near his house. His first reaction was that the person was perhaps a fisherman who had been washed from his boat. He ran quickly down the steps. His wife, Hana came behind him. When they came near, Sadao found that the man was wounded and lay motionless. His face was in the sand. As they saw his face, they found that he was a white man with long yellow hair and a rough yellow beard.

Being an expert surgeon, Dr Sadao saw that the man had a gun-wound on the right side of his lower back. He at once packed the wound with sea moss to stanch the fearful bleeding. Since Japan was at war with America, the white man was an enemy. Dr Sadao muttered, “What shall we do with this man?” He answered the question himself, “The best thing that we could do would be to put him back in the sea.” His wife approved of his decision.

Then Sadao made another observation. If they sheltered a white man in their house they would be arrested and if they turned him over as a prisoner, he would certainly die. Hana still insisted on putting him back into the sea. From his battered cap, Dr Sadao concluded that he was a sailor from an American warship. The man was a prisoner of war. He had escaped and that was why he was wounded in the back..

Hana asked if they were able to put him back into the sea. Sadao then said that if the man was whole he could turn the man over to the police without difficulty. He cared nothing for the man. He was their enemy. All Americans were their ‘enemy’. But since he was wounded… Hana understood his dilemma and realised that in the conflict between his sense of national loyalty and his duty as a doctor, it was the latter which proved dominant. Since Sadao too could not throw him back to the sea, the only course left for them was to carry him to their house. Sadao enquired about the reaction of the servants.

Hana said that they would, tell the servants that they intended to give the man to the police. She told Sadao that they must do so. They had to think of the children and the doctor’s position. It would endanger all of them if they did not give that man over as a prisoner of war.

Sadao agreed and promised that he would not think of doing anything else.

Q2. Dr Sadao was compelled by his 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?

Answer. 

Dr Sadao and his wife, Hana, together lifted the wounded man and carried him to an empty bedroom in their house. The man was very dirty. Sadao suggested that he had better be washed. He offered to do so if she would fetch water. Hana was against it. She suggested that the maid, Yumi, could wash the man. They would have to tell the servants. Dr Sadao examined the man again and remarked that the man would die unless he was operated upon at once. He left the room to bring his surgical instruments.

The servants did not approve of their master’s decision to heal the wound of a white man. Even Yumi refused to wash the white man. There was so fierce a look of resistance upon Yumi’s round dull face that Hana felt unreasonably afraid. Then she said with dignity that they only wanted to bring him to his senses so that they would turn him over as a prisoner. However, Yumi refused to have anything to do with him. Hana asked Yumi gently to return to her work.

The open defiance from the domestic staff hurt Hana’s feelings. She had told the servants to do what their master commanded them. She was convinced of her own superiority. She now became sympathetic to her husband and helped him in his efforts to heal the wounded man. Though the sight of the white man was repulsive to her, she washed his face and his upper body. She prepared herself to give him the anaesthetic according to her husband’s instructions. She had never seen an operation. She choked and her face turned pale like sulphur. She felt like vomiting and left for a while. She returned after retching and administered anaesthetic to the man. Thus she co-operated with her husband fully to save the wounded man.

Q3. 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?

Answer. 

On the third day after the operation, the young man asked Dr Sadao what he was going to do with him and if he was going to hand him over. Dr Sadao said that he did not know himself what he would do with the mem. He ought to hand him over to the police as he was a prisoner of war.

The young man saw that Dr Sadao and his wife Hana were different from other Japanese. They spoke English well, looked after him and served him food. Seven days after the operation of the man, Dr Sadao was called to the palace to see the General. Hana thought that the police had come to arrest Dr Sadao. Dr Sadao confided in the General and he (General) promised to send his personal assassins to kill the man and remove his body. Dr Sadao waited for three nights. Nothing happened. Then he made a plan to let the prisoner escape. He told Tom, the young American, about it. The young man stared at him and asked if he had to leave. It seemed he was reluctant to leave. Dr Sadao told him that he should understand everything clearly. It was not hidden that he was there and this situation was full of risk for himself as well as for the doctor and his family. Thus it is quite clear that the reluctance of the soldier was caused by the single motive of self-preservation. He knew from the treatment he had received from the couple that they would save him.

Q4. 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?

Answer. 

During his meeting with the General, Dr Sadao told him about the man he had operated on successfully. He explained that he cared nothing for the man. The General appreciated his skill and efficiency and promised that he would not be arrested.

The General thought it quite unfortunate that the man had been washed up to Dr Sadao’s doorstep and thought it best if he could be quietly killed. He promised to send his private assassins to do so and remove his dead body. He suggested that Dr Sadao should leave the outer partition of the white man’s room to the garden open at night.

It is evident that the General had no human consideration in this matter. For him an enemy was an enemy and must be wiped out. He wanted the man to be eliminated silently to save the doctor from being arrested. It was neither lack of national loyalty nor dereliction of duty that guided and inspired his decision. It was simply his sense of self-absorption. He “wanted to keep Dr Sadao safe only for his own sake. He had no faith in the other Germany trained doctors. He might have to be operated upon anytime when he had another attack and he had full faith in the skill and loyalty of Dr Sadao only.

This fact is further corroborated by the General’s remarks to Dr Sadao, one week after the emergency operation upon the General. Dr Sadao informed him that the man had escaped. The General asked whether he had not promised Sadao that he would kill the

man for him. Dr Sadao replied that he had done nothing. The General admitted that he had forgotten his promise as he had been suffering a great deal and he thought of nothing but himself. He revealed the whole truth. He admitted that it was careless of him to have forgotten his promise. But added that it was not lack of patriotism or dereliction of duty on his part.

Q5. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during wartime, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?

Answer. 

It is the consciousness of the demands of one’s calling that make a sensitive soul respond to the call of his duty as a professional doctor to attend to the wounded human being regardless of his being an enemy.

In the story ‘The Enemy’ Dr Sadao Hoki finds a prisoner of war washed ashore and in a dying state thrown to his doorstep. As a patriot, it is his duty to hand him over to the police. If he does not want to be entangled, the next best thing is to put him back to the sea.

However, the surgeon in him instinctively inspires him to operate upon the dying man and save him from the jaws of death. First, he packs the wound with sea-moss to stanch the fearful bleeding. Then he brings him home with the help of his wife. In spite of stiff opposition and open defiance of the servants, he operates upon the man and harbours him till he is able to leave. He knows fully well the risk of sheltering a white man—a prisoner of war—in his house. But his sentimentality for the suffering and wounded person help him rise above narrow national prejudices and extend his help and services even to an enemy.

Q6. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?

Answer. 

Yes, I think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances. Initially, the doctor as well as his wife thought that the best as well as kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea. But neither of them was able to put him back into the sea.

Sadao explained that if the man was whole he could turn him over to the police without difficulty, but since he was wounded, the doctor could not throw him back to the sea. He could not kill the man whom he had saved from the jaws of death.

The General promised to send his private assassins to kill the man and remove his dead body. Sadao waited for three nights for their arrival, but they never came as the General being preoccupied with his own suffering, forgot everything else.

Meanwhile the fear of Hana, the doctor’s wife, that he would be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy kept on mounting. Dr Sadao made up his mind to get rid of the man as it was not only inconvenient but also dangerous for them to have him there any longer. He, therefore, quietly devised the plan of letting the prisoner escape by using his own boat and Japanese clothes.

As soon as the enemy left, the servants returned and life became normal once again. Dr Sadao informed the General that “the man” had escaped. The General admitted that he had forgotten his promise as he thought of nothing but himself as he was suffering a great deal. He confessed that it was careless of him but it was not his lack of patriotism or dereliction of duty. In short, the doctor’s strategy to let the prisoner escape was the best possible solution to the problem under the prevailing circumstances.

Q7. Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in ‘Snapshots’ last year? What are the similarities?

Answer. 

Yes, the story ‘The Enemy’ by Pearl S. Buck certainly reminds us of the story ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin. Both the stories have certain obvious similarities. Both the stories revolve around the protagonist who is a doctor. Both of them focus on the doctor’s devotion and dedication to his duty and his concern for the well-being of his patient. The doctor sacrifices his own rest and comfort while attending to the patient. If the doctor brings a ‘still-born’ baby back to life in the story ‘Birth’, Dr Sadao Hoki performs no less a miracle. He saves an almost dying man from the jaws of death by skilfully extracting the bullet from his body and giving him medicines and injections for quick relief.

Dr Sadao runs a greater risk than Dr Andrew Mason. While the former could be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy and condemned to death, the latter (Dr Andrew) was foregoing rest and staking his reputation as a medical practitioner. He had had a disappointing evening with Christine, the girl he loves, but he forgets his personal feelings and concentrates on the safe delivery of child and then of reviving the middle-aged mother and the still-born child. Similarly, Dr Sadao is dedicated to his patient and his problems. He forgets everything while concentrating on the operation. His servants have defied him for sheltering an enemy and run away. His wife, Hana, has to do menial jobs while attending to the patient and her retching disturbs him. Her distress and his inability to attend to her make him impatient and irritable, but he does not desert the man who is under his knife. To conclude, we may say that the zeal, dedication and efforts of both the doctors are similar. There is difference of degree in the risk factor, but their devotion to suffering humanity is undoubtedly of the same kind.

Q8. Is there any film you have seen or novel you have read with a similar theme?

Answer. 

I remember an old Hindi film ‘Dr Kotnis ki Amar Kahani’ that deals with a similar theme. The eminent doctor gives up his practice and goes to the war front to look after the wounded and ailing soldiers and render them medical help. He spares no pain in performing his duties. He ignores the demands of his own body that is sleep, rest and comfort. Service to suffering humanity is his sole motivation and in his zeal to restore the maximum number of victims back to health, the doctor suffers from physical and mental exhaustion and ultimately dies.

The film based on the life of Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp, also glorifies the spirit of service and sacrifice of a member of the medical profession. It is through her sheer hard work and dedication to duty that Florence Nightingale raises the job of a nurse to a high pedestal.

Short-Answer Questions (Solved)

Q1. Why didn't Sadao want to know anything about the white man?

Ans. In "The Enemy" by Pearl S. Buck, Dr. Sadao Hoki did not want to know anything about the white man because he was afraid that if he knew too much about him, he would become emotionally attached and find it even more difficult to make the decision of whether to turn him over to the Army or not. Additionally, he was aware that if he was caught sheltering an American prisoner of war, he could be punished severely, so he wanted to keep his distance emotionally to protect himself and his family.

Q2. How is Hana's perspective about the white man different from Yumi's perspective?

Ans. Hana is more compassionate and empathetic towards the white man, while Yumi is more resistant and stubborn. Yumi sees the man as an enemy and refuses to help him, while Hana is more concerned with doing what is right and helping someone in need.

Q3. The theme of racism is reflected in the story. Give examples.

Ans. In "The Enemy" by Pearl S. Buck, the theme of racism is reflected in several ways. Firstly, Dr. Sadao Hoki faces discrimination in America because of his Japanese heritage, struggling to find a place to live and being treated as inferior by Americans. Secondly, Yumi's refusal to help the white man and her derogatory comments about him reflect the racial tensions between the Japanese and Americans during the war. Finally, the decision of whether to turn the white man over to the Army or not is complicated by the racial prejudices and loyalties of the characters involved. Dr. Hoki must weigh his duty as a doctor to save a life against his duty as a citizen to support his country's war effort.

Q4. What did Dr. Sadao do to help Tom escape to freedom?

Ans. Dr. Sadao Hoki helps Tom escape to freedom by providing him with warm clothes, food, and a map to guide him to safety. He also gives him money to help him on his journey and arranges for a fishing boat to take him to a nearby island where he can be picked up by a fishing Korean boat. Dr. Hoki risks his own safety and reputation to help Tom, showing compassion and humanity towards an enemy soldier.