HOTS

Uncovering Motives

In this story we focus a great deal on how the characters behave. In order to understand not only what they do, but why they do it, we use the thinking skill called Uncovering Motives. We can’t always know for sure what the motives are, but we can come with the possibilities. In literature, this means looking for evidence in the text to support our explanations.

Questions

1. Why didn’t Sadao ask Tom about the scars on his neck?
2. What was Tom terrified of?
3. Why did Sadao write a letter? Why didn’t he send it?
4. Why did the servants leave the house? Why did they come back?
5. “I must get rid of this man for your sake”. What does this tell us about the relationship between Sadao and Hana?
6. What motivated Sadao to tell the General about the prisoner?
7. What was the General’s main reason for offering to help Sadao solve the problem with the prisoner?
8. Why didn’t the General send the assassins?
9. What did Sadao give Tom the flashlight for?
10. Why did Sadao save Tom?

Making Connections

When relating to other people or looking at the events, it is often useful to look for connections that can help us understand people and events better.

Questions

1. When Hana saw the deep red scars on the prisoner’s neck, what rumors did she connect them with?
2. What is the connection between what Sadao’s father had said to him about the islands near their house and how the story ends?
3. Sadao and Hana both kept saying to themselves that Tom is their enemy and they do not like him even though they help him. Why do they do this?
4. What is the answer to Hana’s question: “Why are we different from other Japanese?”
5. Why do the characters in The Enemy have different ideas about what to do with the American? Consider their education, position in the society, knowledge of the world beyond Japan).