Buck opens the story by introducing the setting. The remote nature of Sadao’s home on the Japanese coast plays an essential role in the plot of “The Enemy.” The sea becomes a central symbol in the narrative, as the medium that washes up a moral dilemma for the main characters, in the form of Tom, eventually carries him away again.

Significantly, the narrative begins with flashbacks before entering the present-day plot. Sadao’s memories of his childhood and meeting his wife Hana in America help establish the Asian protagonists as fully rounded characters—one of the notable elements of Buck’s story. The details of Sadao’s childhood give Western readers insight into the influences that have shaped him, thereby eliciting empathy.

In these early flashbacks, the theme of Oaths and Duty is introduced as Sadao is shown to have grown up deeply loyal to his father’s values. Sadao’s father embodied Japanese tradition and was staunchly loyal to his cultural customs, even refusing to sleep in a bed or sit on a chair in his own home. As a father in Japanese society, he was greatly concerned with honor and his son’s reputation.