Vocabulary
What do we call a doctor who performs operations?
a surgeon
How many servants are there and what are their names or work?
3 servants:
Yumi - the nanny
the gardener
the cook
Where were Sadao and Hana when they first saw the injured American?
On the veranda of their house which was on a hill above the beach of the
Japanese island where they lived.
How did Sadao and Hana know that the wounded man had been a prisoner of war?
2 things.
He had gunshot wounds in his back which meant he had been shot while running away.
He had torture marks on his neck.
Why didn't Sadao want to know the sailor's name?
He didn't want to feel any empathy for him or have any kind of human feelings
towards him.
What is another word for 'fog'?
mist
Hoki
Where did the island 'stepping stones' lead to and why were they important.
They led to China and Southeast Asia. These were the places Japan needed to supply them
with the natural resources that Japan lacked: fuel, minerals, building materials, ores, and
even manpower (slave labor)
Why did Hana have to was the white man?
Because Yumi refused to touch him.
Because she couldn't stand the thought of Sadao doing it.
Why did Sadao write a letter to the chief of police and why did he hide it in his desk?
He wanted to protect himself and his family if the authorities learned about
his saving the sailor.
being full of life, energy, and activity
vitality
Give a list of all the characters in the story and a short description.
Sadao: protagonist
Hana: Sadao's wife
Yumi, the gardener, the cook
Tom: the wounded American sailor
The General
The General's messenger
Where did the General get his education?
In America in Princeton University.
Why didn't the General want to be treated by a German-trained doctor?
He believed that a German doctor would consider the operation successful even if he died.
What is the relationship between Sadao and the General before the prisoner escaped
and how did it change after he had escaped?
Sadao was afraid of the General and what he would do if he found out that Sadao
had helped the prisoner. He also knew that because the General needed him
to treat him, he wouldn't have to go to the army. The general admired Sadao and
his skills as a doctor.
After the escape, the General was afraid that Sadao might tell the higher authorities
that the General had failed to kill the prisoner and let him escape.
Translate to Hebrew:
In the conviction of her own superiority
היא הייתה בטוחה בעליונות שלה
In what way was Hana a typical Japanese wife?
She obeyed her husband even when she didn't agree with him.
She washed the sailor and assisted in the operation even though both
of these acts were distastful to her.
Where did Sadao and Hana keep the wounded sailor? Be very specific.
In the room of their house where Sadao's father used to live.
How did Hana know that the General was cruel?
She had heard that the General used to beat his wife.
How do we know that the sailor was not less of a racist than Sadao?
Because he says to Sadao "If all Japs were like you there wouldn't have been a war."
When you are sure that you have the power to make someone do whatever you want we say that:
you have them "in the palm of your hand"
Which adjective did Sadao use to describe his feelings about the sailor, the professor and his wife,
and his landlady in America, and in fact all white people?
repulsive
Where did the General live?
in the palace
Why did Sadao 'sigh' when after the operation he said to Hana "This man will in spite of all"?
Because he was in conflict within himself. On the one hand he gave him medicine but on
the other hand he thought to himself, "But certainly I do not want this man to live".
Who/what is the real enemy in the story?
Prejudice and racism.