Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in 120-150 words (): (A) Examine how the presence of school students on the expedition contribute to the message of environmental responsibility and hope. (Journey to the End of the Earth) OR (B) How does Pearl S. Buck explore the theme of humanitarianism versus patriotism in the lesson 'The Enemy'? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in 120-150 words (): (A) Examine how the presence of school students on the expedition contribute to the message of environmental responsibility and hope. (Journey to the End of the Earth) OR (B) How does Pearl S. Buck explore the theme of humanitarianism versus patriotism in the lesson 'The Enemy'? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Attempt ANY ONE option in 120-150 words.
(A) School students on the Antarctic expedition: The presence of school students from around the world, through the 'Students on Ice' programme, is central to the essay's message of environmental hope and responsibility.
By bringing young people directly to Antarctica — a continent that visibly reveals global warming through melting ice and shifting ecosystems — the programme transforms abstract climate science into lived experience. These students become genuine 'ambassadors', carrying first-hand understanding of environmental fragility back to their communities and future workplaces, potentially as scientists, policymakers, or activists.
Tishani Doshi emphasises that real change requires reaching young minds early, before apathy sets in, since they will inherit today's environmental choices. Their curiosity counters the despair the destruction might otherwise inspire, suggesting that education and exposure — not just legislation — offer genuine hope for reversing ecological damage.
(B) Humanitarianism versus patriotism in The Enemy: In 'The Enemy', Pearl S. Buck explores the tension between humanitarianism and patriotism through Dr. Sadao Hoki, a Japanese surgeon who discovers a wounded American POW washed ashore during wartime.
As a doctor trained in scientific humanism, Sadao feels professionally and morally bound to save the enemy soldier's life, performing surgery and nursing him despite the risk of being branded a traitor. His wife Hana's fear and the servants' desertion highlight the intense social pressure of wartime patriotism, which demands hatred of the enemy above all else.
Ultimately, Sadao's humanity prevails — he cannot let the man die or be captured and tortured, so he secretly helps him escape to a nearby island. Buck suggests genuine humanitarian instinct, rooted in the Hippocratic oath and personal conscience, can transcend nationalist hostility, even though Sadao never fully resolves his guilt or public loyalty conflict.
Marking Scheme
- 1Attempt only ONE option (A) or (B), within 120-150 words.
- 2Content (2 marks): Accurate, specific reference to the text/characters/events named in the option.
- 3Analysis (2 marks): Clear articulation of the theme (environmental hope / humanitarianism vs patriotism) with supporting evidence.
- 4Expression & Organisation (1 mark): Coherent structure, appropriate register, adherence to word limit.
Hint
Pick one option; open with the theme (environmental hope / humanitarianism vs patriotism) and support it with specific plot details.
Quick Oral Answer
In Journey to the End of the Earth, involving students in the Antarctic expedition turns climate science into lived experience, building genuine hope for the future; in The Enemy, Dr Sadao's decision to save the American soldier shows humanitarian conscience overriding wartime patriotism.
Analysis & Explanation
Concept: Both options ask students to evaluate a theme (environmental hope, or the moral conflict between duty to nation and duty to humanity) using specific textual evidence, within a strict word limit.
Why these are the key ideas
- Option (A): the essay's optimistic tone rests specifically on involving the next generation — education plus direct exposure to climate impact builds long-term environmental responsibility more effectively than warnings alone.
- Option (B): Sadao's arc is deliberately ambiguous — Buck does not present a clean 'humanity wins' resolution; Sadao remains fearful and guilt-ridden even after helping the soldier escape, which is precisely what makes the humanitarianism-versus-patriotism conflict realistic rather than didactic.
Exam trap: In option (B), many students wrongly claim Sadao openly defies his government or faces punishment — in fact, he acts secretly and is never caught, and General Takima quietly ignores the matter.
Real-world connection: Option (A) resonates with today's youth-led climate activism; option (B) speaks to enduring wartime dilemmas about medical ethics and the universality of human compassion, as seen in modern conflict-zone humanitarian medicine.
Common Mistakes
- 1Summarising the whole chapter's plot instead of directly addressing the specific theme asked (environmental hope / humanitarianism vs patriotism).
- 2In option (B), ignoring Hana's role and the social pressure aspect, focusing only on Sadao.
- 3Exceeding the 120-150 word limit with excessive descriptive detail.
Interesting Facts
Tishani Doshi's essay is based on a real 2004 expedition to Antarctica organised by Geoff Green's 'Students on Ice' programme, which has since taken thousands of students to polar regions.
Antarctica holds about 70% of the world's fresh water, locked in ice — a key reason its melting is a major focus of climate science.
Pearl S. Buck, author of 'The Enemy', was raised in China as a missionary's daughter and became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1938).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What role do the school students play in Journey to the End of the Earth?
They act as young ambassadors who experience climate change first-hand in Antarctica, carrying the message of environmental responsibility back to their communities, symbolising hope for future action.
Does Dr Sadao's humanitarianism completely overpower his patriotism in The Enemy?
Not entirely — he saves and helps the American soldier escape out of humanitarian conscience, but he remains conflicted, fearful of social judgment, and never fully resolves his loyalty to Japan versus his duty as a doctor.