Question

Education enables one to rise above narrow prejudices. Analyse the character of Dr. Sadao in the light of the above statement. (The Enemy)

Hint:

Contrast the "trained surgeon" with the "patriotic citizen."
Highlight that Sadao's internal conflict is resolved through the "superiority of his medical ethics" over "political boundaries."

Answer 1

Concept:
• The conflict between professional ethics and nationalistic duty.
• Education as a tool for developing a universal humanitarian outlook.
• The role of scientific training in fostering rational decision-making over emotional prejudice.

Step 1: Analyze the impact of Dr. Sadao's education in America
Dr. Sadao Hoki’s character is deeply influenced by the eight years he spent studying medicine in America.
His father, a traditional Japanese man, sent him there specifically to master surgery and science.
This exposure to a different culture and, more importantly, to the rigorous ethics of medical science, instilled in him a belief that a doctor’s primary responsibility is to save life, regardless of the patient's identity.

Step 2: Evaluate the struggle against nationalistic prejudice during the war
When a wounded American soldier (an "enemy") washes up on the shore, Sadao faces a severe moral dilemma.
His Japanese upbringing and the prevailing wartime sentiment urge him to hand the man over to the police or let him die.
However, his "trained hands" and his medical education take over. He finds himself unable to let a human being die when he has the skill to save them. He explicitly mentions that "if the man were whole, I could turn him over without difficulty," but as a wounded patient, the soldier transcends the category of an enemy.

Step 3: Synthesize how education led to his final act of compassion
Despite the risks to his own safety and the disapproval of his servants, Sadao operates on the soldier and later helps him escape.
His education allowed him to view the world through a lens of humanism rather than narrow patriotism.
While he remained a loyal Japanese citizen, his identity as a doctor—shaped by his education—proved to be his highest calling, enabling him to rise above the "narrow prejudices" of war.