Sadao’s Anatomy Professor Character Analysis

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 that his students understand every minute detail of the human body—performing surgery without this intimate knowledge is “murder,” the professor said. Sadao implies that his success as a surgeon largely stems from this one anatomy professor’s teaching and influence, and this man is also the only American that Sadao doesn’t outright despise in the story. The professor believed fervently in “mercy with the knife,” gesturing to the undertones of human compassion and altruism that run throughout the story. Although Sadao seems to genuinely respect his anatomy professor, at the end of the story, Sadao lumps him in with all of the “white and repulsive” faces he’s known throughout his life. Thus, Sadao’s anatomy professor challenges Sadao’s narrow prejudices, but his influence, though profound professionally, doesn’t overturn Sadao’s way of thinking.