The Displaced Person
Encyclopedia
"The Displaced Person" is a short story
by Flannery O'Connor
. It was published in 1955 in her short story collection A Good Man Is Hard to Find
. A devout Roman Catholic, O'Connor often used religious themes in her work and her own family hired a displaced person
after World War II.
in the 1940s. The owner of the farm, Mrs. McIntyre, contacts a Catholic priest to find her a "displaced person
" to work as a farm hand. The priest finds a Polish refugee named Mr. Guizac who relocates with his family to the farm. Because the displaced person is quite industrious, the Shortlys, a family of white farm hands, feel threatened and try to manipulate Mrs. McIntyre into firing Guizac, but Mrs. McIntyre decides to fire Shortly instead because of his perceived laziness. After the Shortlys leave, Mrs. McIntre misses Mrs. Shortly but finds out she died of a stroke on the day that they left, so she invites Mr. Shortly back instead. When she finds out that Guizac is asking his teenage niece to come to America by marrying one of the African American farm hands, she is appalled and when she eventually goes to fire him, a tractor rolls over his body.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...
. It was published in 1955 in her short story collection A Good Man Is Hard to Find
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by American author Flannery O'Connor. The collection was first published in 1955...
. A devout Roman Catholic, O'Connor often used religious themes in her work and her own family hired a displaced person
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
after World War II.
Plot summary
The story takes place on a farm in Georgia, just after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the 1940s. The owner of the farm, Mrs. McIntyre, contacts a Catholic priest to find her a "displaced person
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
" to work as a farm hand. The priest finds a Polish refugee named Mr. Guizac who relocates with his family to the farm. Because the displaced person is quite industrious, the Shortlys, a family of white farm hands, feel threatened and try to manipulate Mrs. McIntyre into firing Guizac, but Mrs. McIntyre decides to fire Shortly instead because of his perceived laziness. After the Shortlys leave, Mrs. McIntre misses Mrs. Shortly but finds out she died of a stroke on the day that they left, so she invites Mr. Shortly back instead. When she finds out that Guizac is asking his teenage niece to come to America by marrying one of the African American farm hands, she is appalled and when she eventually goes to fire him, a tractor rolls over his body.