Question Read and Find Out
Who is Dr Sadao, and where does he live?
Steps only
Identify his profession and nationality.
Describe where the house stands.
Answer
Dr Sadao is a Japanese surgeon who lives with Hana in a house on the coast.
CLASS 12 · VISTAS · CHAPTER 4
The Enemy
Original student-friendly short and expanded answers for embedded reading prompts and all eight Reading with Insight questions in The Enemy.
13 worked answersOriginal sample responses
13 worked answers · short steps first, explanations when you need them
Read and Find Out
Textbook pages
Question Read and Find Out
Why did Sadao study in America, and why was he not sent with the troops during the war?
Steps only
Recall his father’s hopes for his education.
State the two reasons he remained in Japan.
Answer
His father sent him to America to study medicine; he stayed in Japan to continue medical research and remain available to the General.
Question Read and Find Out
Why might Sadao and Hana be in danger if they shelter the wounded American?
Steps only
Identify who the injured man is.
Explain the danger of sheltering him and the danger of refusing help.
Answer
They could be accused of helping an enemy, but turning him over untreated could cost him his life.
Question Read and Find Out
Does Hana help wash the wounded man? Why does she do it herself?
Steps only
Notice the servants’ refusal.
Explain what Hana recognises about the man.
Answer
Yes. She washes him herself because he is helpless and the servants refuse, despite her fear.
Question Read and Find Out
What do Sadao and Hana decide to do with the American after the operation?
Steps only
Separate the immediate medical decision from the later plan.
Explain how Sadao arranges the escape.
Answer
They treat him first; later Sadao helps him escape by boat to an island and signals him to reach a fishing boat.
Reading with Insight
Textbook pages
Question Reading with Insight 1
How does the story show the conflict between private duty as a doctor and loyalty to one’s country?
Steps only
Name the two roles pulling Sadao in different directions.
Use his treatment of the soldier as evidence.
Explain what his choice says about his values.
Answer
Sadao risks being seen as disloyal because his medical duty compels him to save an enemy’s life.
Question Reading with Insight 2
What helps Hana support Sadao despite the servants’ open refusal to help?
Steps only
Notice Hana’s fear as well as her actions.
Explain what makes her continue helping.
Answer
She trusts Sadao’s medical judgment and sees the prisoner’s humanity, so she helps even when the servants refuse.
Question Reading with Insight 3
Why is the American soldier reluctant to leave the doctor’s home, even though he knows it is dangerous for them?
Steps only
Consider his physical condition and fear.
Explain why safety matters to him.
Note that he does leave when able.
Answer
He is still weak and afraid, and the house is his only safe shelter; after recovering, he agrees to leave.
Question Reading with Insight 4
What best explains the General’s response to the prisoner: compassion, disloyalty, neglect of duty, or self-interest?
Steps only
Recall his promise and what happens afterward.
Connect his forgetting to his personal concerns.
Answer
Self-interest. He forgets his plan while focused on his own illness and wants Sadao available for himself.
Question Reading with Insight 5
What enables a person to rise above wartime hatred and prejudice?
Steps only
Explain how war encourages group labels.
Use Sadao or Hana as an example of seeing the person.
Answer
Empathy and a commitment to human life help people see a person rather than only an enemy label.
Question Reading with Insight 6
Was Sadao’s final plan to help the soldier escape the best choice in the circumstances? Explain your view.
Steps only
State a clear opinion.
Weigh the soldier’s safety against the risk to the household.
Support the conclusion with details from the ending.
Answer
It was a humane and practical choice because the soldier could leave safely and the family’s danger was reduced. Support other views with story evidence.
Question Reading with Insight 7
How is “The Enemy” similar to A. J. Cronin’s story “Birth”?
Steps only
Identify the shared focus on medical duty.
Give one important difference in the conflict.
Answer
Both show doctors using skill and persistence to save life; “The Enemy” adds the conflict of war and prejudice.
Question Reading with Insight 8
Name a film or book with a similar theme and compare it briefly with this story.
Steps only
Name the film or book.
Describe its conflict briefly.
Compare one theme and one difference with “The Enemy.”
Answer
Answers vary. Choose a work about compassion across conflict; explain one similarity and one difference.