Question:
Why did the Chief General overlook the matter of the enemy soldier? (from 'The Enemy')
Why did the Chief General overlook the matter of the enemy soldier? (from 'The Enemy')
Updated On: Sep 24, 2026
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Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Recalling the Text:
In Pearl S. Buck's 'The Enemy', Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon, secretly treats and shelters a wounded American prisoner of war who washes up near his house, despite the risk during wartime.
Step 2: Explaining the General's Response:
The Chief General, who required Dr. Sadao's surgical skill for his own upcoming operation, chose to overlook Sadao's act of sheltering the enemy soldier rather than punish him, since he valued Sadao's medical expertise for his own survival more than strict enforcement of wartime loyalty.
Final Answer:
The Chief General overlooked the matter because he needed Dr. Sadao's surgical skills for his own critical operation; his personal need for Sadao's expertise outweighed any wish to punish him for helping the enemy soldier.
In Pearl S. Buck's 'The Enemy', Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon, secretly treats and shelters a wounded American prisoner of war who washes up near his house, despite the risk during wartime.
Step 2: Explaining the General's Response:
The Chief General, who required Dr. Sadao's surgical skill for his own upcoming operation, chose to overlook Sadao's act of sheltering the enemy soldier rather than punish him, since he valued Sadao's medical expertise for his own survival more than strict enforcement of wartime loyalty.
Final Answer:
The Chief General overlooked the matter because he needed Dr. Sadao's surgical skills for his own critical operation; his personal need for Sadao's expertise outweighed any wish to punish him for helping the enemy soldier.
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