The Enemy / Pearl S. Buck
HOTS: 1.
Problem solving; 2. Making connections; 3. Distinguishing different perspectives
4. Uncovering motives
1.
Problem solving:
identifying the problem->considering the options->weighing the pros and
cons (בעד ונגד) of each option->reaching a
decision
2.
Making connections:
When we use our knowledge in one area to help us understand another area
better
3.
Distinguishing different perspectives:
When people see/perceive things differently
4.
Uncovering motives:
What makes a character or someone do what he/she does? Why does he/she do this
specific thing?
Background
information:
In the summer of 1941, the Japanese conquered China and Indochina. In response,
America, Britain and the Netherlands froze Japanese financial assets in their
banks and started and oil embargo against Japan. America demanded that Japan
withdraw from China and Indochina. In return, America would lift the oil
embargo. The Japanese, however, continued their offensive, with plans to conquer
the rest of south-east Asia as well as islands in the Pacific Ocean. Fearing
opposition from the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
the Japanese navy undertook to cripple the Pacific Fleet by a surprise air
attack. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes struck Pearl
Harbor. This attack brought the USA into the war on December 8. Germany and
Italy, Japan's allies then declared war on the USA. In this way, the USA found
itself in the war fighting against Japan in Asia, and against Germany and Italy
in Europe and Africa. On May 8, 1945, Germany finally surrendered to the Allies
(בעלות הברית). Italy had already surrendered, but
the Japanese refused to give up the fight, as surrender was against their
tradition. Seeing no end to the fierce was with Japan, the USA dropped an atomic
bomb over the city of Hiroshima on August 6 and another over Nagasaki on August
9. Only then did Japan announce its surrender, thus ending
WW2.
About
the author:
The author of the story, Pearl S. Buck, was the daughter of American
missionaries living in China, where she grew up. In 1934, conditions in China
forced her to return to the USA. In 1942, while America was fighting Japan and
anti-Japanese sentiment was common, she and her husband founded the East and
West Association to promote cultural exchange and understanding between Asia and
the West. Buck strongly believed that all people are equal. In 1949, angered
that American adoption services didn't consider Asian and mixed-race children
adoptable, Buck founded Welcome House, the first international, inter-racial
adoption agency in the USA. She and her husband adopted six children, two of
whom were of mixed race.
This background information helps put the specific events of the
story into a wider historical context. It helps us understand why the characters
in the story consider the helpless American sailor their enemy and why they feel
so threatened by his presence in the house. It helps explain why the servants
have no sympathy for Tom and why they think he must be handed over to the police
as a prisoner of war. It also helps explain Sadao and Hana's conflict. The fact
that Pearl Buck grew up in China and had a different perception of Asians from
that of most of her countrymen parallels the fact that Sadao and Hana spent
time in America and so are able to see Americans in a different light from most
of their countrymen, even during wartime. Sadao and Hana are "different from
other Japanese" in the same way that Buck was probably different from many
Americans in her perception of the Japanese (the enemy) during WW2. This is
shown by the fact that she and her husband founded the East and West Association
in 1942 while the war was going on. Finally, Buck's belief in the essential
equality and brotherhood of man, despite political and cultural differences, is
a central message of the story.
Literary
terms:
climax, setting, symbolism, connotation,
conflict
Setting: The
story takes place at Sadao and Hana's home on the coast of Japan. It's a misty
evening, sometime during WW2.
Symbolism: The
fog which appears soon before the American soldier shows up symbolizes Sadao and
Hana's predicament (dilemma and problem), the lack of clarity, concerning what
they should do with the man on the beach. It might also symbolize secrecy
(סודיות).Considerations of safety compel
(מאלץ) them to keep the man's presence in
their home a secret. They're faced with the dilemma of whether or not to save
the man's life. On the one hand, sheltering an enemy in their home, especially
an enemy prisoner, could endanger the entire family. On the other hand, they are
incapable of throwing a wounded man back into the sea, where he would certainly
die. For the same reason, they hesitate to turn him over to the
police.
Climax: It is
the point of highest interest and the turning point of the action. The climax
of the story occurs when a messenger appears with a message from the old
General. Hana assumes that the servants have revealed that she and Sadao are
hiding an enemy soldier. Knowing what the consequences will be for the family,
Hana almost faints with fright. Sadao resolves to get rid of the American
somehow. This is the point of highest tension, from which all of the subsequent
events lead to the resolution of the problem.
Conflict: The
conflict is between obligation to humanity and duty to one's country. In this
story, Sadao and Hana are faced with the dilemma of helping the enemy for
humanitarian reasons, even though doing so would be an act of treason against
the country. In the end, duty to humanity triumphs (מנצחת).
The
message of the story:
Universal human values take precedence over (עולים על) narrow sectarian considerations
(racism, nationalism, chauvinism). The bond uniting all human beings transcends
(or should transcend) the difference between
us.
The
theme of racism is
reflected in the story in several ways. When Sadao recalls how he met Hana, he
remembers that he didn't become serious with her until he was sure that she "had
been pure in her race" because otherwise his father wouldn't have approved. Yumi
refused to touch the American, let alone wash him before the operation, and when
he left she "cleaned the guest room thoroughly…to get the white man's smell out
of it." Sadao has strong feelings about white people. He thinks to himself that
they are "repulsive" and that "it was a relief to be openly at war with them at
last." He also believed that "Americans were full of prejudice, and it had been
bitter to live in it, knowing himself their
superior."
The story reveals the conflict between East and West.
When we are told about Sadao's father we see that Sadao's father's room has no
western furniture, there are mats on the floor and wall cupboards with bedding.
This description reinforces the importance to Sadao's father of Japanese culture
and tradition. It suggests a complete rejection of western culture, reinforcing
the idea of cultural conflict between East and
West.
Hana and Sadao are different from other Japanese because they
have been exposed to western culture and so are more open-minded and tolerant.
They live a good life which combines both traditional values and modern ideas.
Because they are well educated and aware, they believe they also have a duty to
humanity in addition to their duty to Japan.
Sadao and Hana are both well-educated and acquired some of that
education in the USA. Therefore, they possess a great deal of knowledge of the
world beyond Japan and, particularly, about Americans and their culture.
Furthermore, Sadao is a surgeon and took an oath to save lives, which he takes
very seriously. As a result, his loyalty to his country isn't the only driving
force in his life. The General is also an educated man who studied at Princeton
University in the USA, and this is perhaps why he can understand Sadao's
predicament (big dilemma). As a general, his loyalty to his country is
unquestionable.
The
servants are simple, uneducated people.
As servants, they aren't trained to think for themselves but to obey
orders. However, we see that their loyalty to their country surpasses
(עולה על) their loyalty to their masters. Their
knowledge of the world is limited, so they can't begin to understand the dilemma
that Sadao and Hana are facing.
In part 4, the General's offer solves Sadao's dilemma. With the
man gone from the house, he needs no longer fear arrest. In addition, it solves
the moral dilemma of what to do with the man by taking the responsibility out of
Sadao's hands. Since he had already resolved to get rid of the man for Hana's
sake, when the General offered a solution, Sadao readily accepted it. He doesn't
tell Hanna about it because the idea of assassins in the house would upset her,
as might the idea of having a man murdered.
The story takes place during WW2. From the story, we can
understand that Japan was a totalitarian (absolute) state in which rulers dealt
harshly with those who opposed them. People could be informed on, arrested and
condemned to death. An atmosphere of fear and mistrust prevailed. Hana and Sadao
mistrust the servants. Sadao and the general mistrust each
other.
From what Tom (the enemy) says to Sadao, we can infer that Tom
thinks most Japanese are cruel and inhumane, unlike Sadao ("If I hadn't met a
Jap like you –well, I wouldn't be alive today. I know that.") and that the
Japanese are aggressive and militaristic ("I suggest if all the Japs were like
you there wouldn't have been a war.")
HOTS: 1.
Problem solving; 2. Making connections; 3. Distinguishing different perspectives
4. Uncovering motives
1.
Problem solving:
identifying the problem->considering the options->weighing the pros and
cons (בעד ונגד) of each option->reaching a
decision
2.
Making connections:
When we use our knowledge in one area to help us understand another area
better
3.
Distinguishing different perspectives:
When people see/perceive things differently
4.
Uncovering motives:
What makes a character or someone do what he/she does? Why does he/she do this
specific thing?
Background
information:
In the summer of 1941, the Japanese conquered China and Indochina. In response,
America, Britain and the Netherlands froze Japanese financial assets in their
banks and started and oil embargo against Japan. America demanded that Japan
withdraw from China and Indochina. In return, America would lift the oil
embargo. The Japanese, however, continued their offensive, with plans to conquer
the rest of south-east Asia as well as islands in the Pacific Ocean. Fearing
opposition from the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
the Japanese navy undertook to cripple the Pacific Fleet by a surprise air
attack. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes struck Pearl
Harbor. This attack brought the USA into the war on December 8. Germany and
Italy, Japan's allies then declared war on the USA. In this way, the USA found
itself in the war fighting against Japan in Asia, and against Germany and Italy
in Europe and Africa. On May 8, 1945, Germany finally surrendered to the Allies
(בעלות הברית). Italy had already surrendered, but
the Japanese refused to give up the fight, as surrender was against their
tradition. Seeing no end to the fierce was with Japan, the USA dropped an atomic
bomb over the city of Hiroshima on August 6 and another over Nagasaki on August
9. Only then did Japan announce its surrender, thus ending
WW2.
About
the author:
The author of the story, Pearl S. Buck, was the daughter of American
missionaries living in China, where she grew up. In 1934, conditions in China
forced her to return to the USA. In 1942, while America was fighting Japan and
anti-Japanese sentiment was common, she and her husband founded the East and
West Association to promote cultural exchange and understanding between Asia and
the West. Buck strongly believed that all people are equal. In 1949, angered
that American adoption services didn't consider Asian and mixed-race children
adoptable, Buck founded Welcome House, the first international, inter-racial
adoption agency in the USA. She and her husband adopted six children, two of
whom were of mixed race.
This background information helps put the specific events of the
story into a wider historical context. It helps us understand why the characters
in the story consider the helpless American sailor their enemy and why they feel
so threatened by his presence in the house. It helps explain why the servants
have no sympathy for Tom and why they think he must be handed over to the police
as a prisoner of war. It also helps explain Sadao and Hana's conflict. The fact
that Pearl Buck grew up in China and had a different perception of Asians from
that of most of her countrymen parallels the fact that Sadao and Hana spent
time in America and so are able to see Americans in a different light from most
of their countrymen, even during wartime. Sadao and Hana are "different from
other Japanese" in the same way that Buck was probably different from many
Americans in her perception of the Japanese (the enemy) during WW2. This is
shown by the fact that she and her husband founded the East and West Association
in 1942 while the war was going on. Finally, Buck's belief in the essential
equality and brotherhood of man, despite political and cultural differences, is
a central message of the story.
Literary
terms:
climax, setting, symbolism, connotation,
conflict
Setting: The
story takes place at Sadao and Hana's home on the coast of Japan. It's a misty
evening, sometime during WW2.
Symbolism: The
fog which appears soon before the American soldier shows up symbolizes Sadao and
Hana's predicament (dilemma and problem), the lack of clarity, concerning what
they should do with the man on the beach. It might also symbolize secrecy
(סודיות).Considerations of safety compel
(מאלץ) them to keep the man's presence in
their home a secret. They're faced with the dilemma of whether or not to save
the man's life. On the one hand, sheltering an enemy in their home, especially
an enemy prisoner, could endanger the entire family. On the other hand, they are
incapable of throwing a wounded man back into the sea, where he would certainly
die. For the same reason, they hesitate to turn him over to the
police.
Climax: It is
the point of highest interest and the turning point of the action. The climax
of the story occurs when a messenger appears with a message from the old
General. Hana assumes that the servants have revealed that she and Sadao are
hiding an enemy soldier. Knowing what the consequences will be for the family,
Hana almost faints with fright. Sadao resolves to get rid of the American
somehow. This is the point of highest tension, from which all of the subsequent
events lead to the resolution of the problem.
Conflict: The
conflict is between obligation to humanity and duty to one's country. In this
story, Sadao and Hana are faced with the dilemma of helping the enemy for
humanitarian reasons, even though doing so would be an act of treason against
the country. In the end, duty to humanity triumphs (מנצחת).
The
message of the story:
Universal human values take precedence over (עולים על) narrow sectarian considerations
(racism, nationalism, chauvinism). The bond uniting all human beings transcends
(or should transcend) the difference between
us.
The
theme of racism is
reflected in the story in several ways. When Sadao recalls how he met Hana, he
remembers that he didn't become serious with her until he was sure that she "had
been pure in her race" because otherwise his father wouldn't have approved. Yumi
refused to touch the American, let alone wash him before the operation, and when
he left she "cleaned the guest room thoroughly…to get the white man's smell out
of it." Sadao has strong feelings about white people. He thinks to himself that
they are "repulsive" and that "it was a relief to be openly at war with them at
last." He also believed that "Americans were full of prejudice, and it had been
bitter to live in it, knowing himself their
superior."
The story reveals the conflict between East and West.
When we are told about Sadao's father we see that Sadao's father's room has no
western furniture, there are mats on the floor and wall cupboards with bedding.
This description reinforces the importance to Sadao's father of Japanese culture
and tradition. It suggests a complete rejection of western culture, reinforcing
the idea of cultural conflict between East and
West.
Hana and Sadao are different from other Japanese because they
have been exposed to western culture and so are more open-minded and tolerant.
They live a good life which combines both traditional values and modern ideas.
Because they are well educated and aware, they believe they also have a duty to
humanity in addition to their duty to Japan.
Sadao and Hana are both well-educated and acquired some of that
education in the USA. Therefore, they possess a great deal of knowledge of the
world beyond Japan and, particularly, about Americans and their culture.
Furthermore, Sadao is a surgeon and took an oath to save lives, which he takes
very seriously. As a result, his loyalty to his country isn't the only driving
force in his life. The General is also an educated man who studied at Princeton
University in the USA, and this is perhaps why he can understand Sadao's
predicament (big dilemma). As a general, his loyalty to his country is
unquestionable.
The
servants are simple, uneducated people.
As servants, they aren't trained to think for themselves but to obey
orders. However, we see that their loyalty to their country surpasses
(עולה על) their loyalty to their masters. Their
knowledge of the world is limited, so they can't begin to understand the dilemma
that Sadao and Hana are facing.
In part 4, the General's offer solves Sadao's dilemma. With the
man gone from the house, he needs no longer fear arrest. In addition, it solves
the moral dilemma of what to do with the man by taking the responsibility out of
Sadao's hands. Since he had already resolved to get rid of the man for Hana's
sake, when the General offered a solution, Sadao readily accepted it. He doesn't
tell Hanna about it because the idea of assassins in the house would upset her,
as might the idea of having a man murdered.
The story takes place during WW2. From the story, we can
understand that Japan was a totalitarian (absolute) state in which rulers dealt
harshly with those who opposed them. People could be informed on, arrested and
condemned to death. An atmosphere of fear and mistrust prevailed. Hana and Sadao
mistrust the servants. Sadao and the general mistrust each
other.
From what Tom (the enemy) says to Sadao, we can infer that Tom
thinks most Japanese are cruel and inhumane, unlike Sadao ("If I hadn't met a
Jap like you –well, I wouldn't be alive today. I know that.") and that the
Japanese are aggressive and militaristic ("I suggest if all the Japs were like
you there wouldn't have been a war.")
the_hippocratic_oath_summary.docx |