The Enemy Characters

Dr. Sadao Hoki is the protagonist of the story and Hana’s husband. A skilled surgeon educated in America, Sadao is wholly responsible for saving the life of Tom, an American prisoner of war… read analysis of Dr. Sadao Hoki

Hana is Dr. Sadao Hoki’s wife. The couple met at a university in America, but “waited to fall in love” until their parents back in Japan could properly approve of and arrange the marriage… read analysis of Hana

Tom is a teenage American prisoner of war who was captured and tortured by the Japanese but somehow escaped. He washes up on the beach near Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s isolated house, and… read analysis of Tom / The American

The General is a sickly man in the Japanese military who suffers from some sort of physical condition that Dr. Sadao Hoki treats. According to Sadao, the General will only be able to survive one… read analysis of The General

Yumi is one of the servants at Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s house. She largely tends to the children and is seen with them far more than Hana herself is. Like the gardener… read analysis of Yumi

The cook is one of Dr. Sadao Hoki and Hana’s servants. She is critical of her “young master,” implying that she is more loyal to Sadao’s father, even though he is dead. Like… read analysis of The Cook

Dr. Sadao Hoki’s father is dead from the outset of the story, but his presence lingers throughout the story due to Sadao’s reflections and the servants’ loyalty to their “old master.” At the start… read analysis of Sadao’s Father

As he’s performing an emergency surgery on Tom to remove the bullet lodged near his kidney, Dr. Sadao Hoki thinks back fondly on his strict anatomy professor from college in America. The professor was adamant… read analysis of Sadao’s Anatomy Professor

When Dr. Sadao Hoki moved to the United States for college, he struggled to find housing because he was Japanese. Only one landlady—“fat and slatternly”—welcomed him into her home. Instead of feeling grateful for her… read analysis of The American Landlady

General Takima is a famed Japanese war hero. While observing Tom’s peculiar wounds—which indicate that he’s endured some type of torture at the hands of the Japanese—Hana reflects on how General Takima “beat his… read analysis of General Takima