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Lydia Conroy

Prof. Gogan

COMP 303

28 February 2023

Disillusioned Displacement

Stories have been told for centuries but transformed into visually moving pictures in the

late 1800s. Some of the most beloved stories have been composed in the art of cinematography,

like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Divergent series. These stories started as

books and then a visual reality for their readers. Another example of this movement is The

Displaced Person. “The Displaced Person,” written by Flannery O'Connor, is a novella published

in 1955 about racism, religion, and social order. All of these stories have the potential to leave

their viewers longing for a better representation of their beloved story; The Displaced Person

does not fall short of this disillusion. While, The Displaced Person established a decently

characterized cast, a unique tone, and verbatim dialogue, it failed to tell the same story as the

O’Connor Novella.

“The Displaced Person” starts with the arrival of Mr. Guizac, a Polish man, on the farm

of Mrs. McIntrye, a selfish woman whose only friend is a priest. Mr. Guizac arrives at the farm

as a strong and hard-working man. Initially, Mrs. McIntrye is relieved by the presence of the

Polish man but soon turns towards the termination of her faithful worker, Mr. Shortley. In a

panic, Mr. Shortley’s wife overhears the plan of her husband’s one-month notice and flees the

farm with her family. Upon the stress of the situation, Mrs. Shortley suffers a stroke and is left

dead, with her family nowhere to go back to other than the farm. At the time of the run, Mr.

Guizac discusses with one of the workers, Sulk, about marrying his cousin. Mrs. McIntyre
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discovers this proposed plan and feels threatened by this state of events. She approaches Mr.

Guizac and states he must not let his cousin marry Sulk, or she will fire him because white and

blacks do not marry each other on this side of the world. Mrs. McIntrye has no choice but to fire

Mr. Guizac. Before she can do so, Mr. Shortley returns to the farm, longing for his job and

vengeance in his heart. The story ends with Mr. Shortley murdering Mr. Guizac after operating a

tractor (O’Connor 194-213).

The Displaced Person contains several intriguing characters, including Mrs. McIntrye,

Mrs. Shortley, and Mr. Guizac. The movie transforms these distinct characters from our

imagination to the screen. The author uses specific depictions of the characters in her story, and

the filmmakers take them to the screen. One example of this comes from Mrs. McIntyre's first

appearance. In the book, she is harsh, racist, and full of herself (O’Connor 203). This aspect of

Mrs. McIntrye is within the visual representation, but the movie interestingly implies that the

character needs sympathy (The Displaced Person). It is not the case in the novella, as O’Connor

leaves out more of the emotional distress of Mrs. McIntyre while the movie highlights it.

Another character is Mrs. Shortley, a proud and hateful woman with many visions (200). She

seems to hate everyone around her but does a fantastic job working hard and maintaining the

relationships that help her survive. As for Mr. Guizac, while he is displayed in the film less often,

he maintains his Polish accent and delicate look from the novella (201). These characters, Mrs.

McIntrye, Mrs. Shortley, and Mr. Guizac, are decently transformed from the pages to the screen.

From the beginning of the novella, something does not feel quite right. Throughout the

book, there is this impending doom that the reader cannot quite place (O’Connor 205). From the

racist comments to the hinting of murder from Mrs. Shortley saying, “if don't no terrible accident

occur,'' there seems to be a dark presence in the air (205). Throughout the story, there are ups and
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downs, from hope in Mr. Guizac's arrival to fear of Mrs. Shortley’s husband losing his job. This

constant up-and-down tone leaves the reader anticipating a horrendous ending, but the film does

not do the same. The film seems to display the same plot, but the composition leaves a more

hopeful and nostalgic feel. Bill Conti utilizes harps, trumpets, and wind instruments not to create

a happy tone but also not an impending doom sense (The Displaced Person). Nevertheless, while

Conti creates a beautiful soundtrack to the film, it fails to replicate the original tone of the

novella.

The most admirable aspect the filmmakers incorporated was the verbatim dialogue

throughout the movie. Starting with the encounter with the peacock, Mrs. Shortley states it is

“nothing but a peachicken” (O’Connor 198). The distinct line is written by O’Connor and pasted

into The Displaced Person script (The Displaced Person). For readers, it is a relief to see a story

they have loved and recognize some of their favorite sayings in the very dialogue of the film.

Another example of this verbatim conversation is the mention of Mr. Shortley as a “dead man”

(206). This saying is taken directly from the O’Connor novella and is in the motion picture. The

last and likely most well-known is when Mrs. McIntrye states, “that man is my salvation,” as she

gazes across the field at Mr. Guizac (203). Altogether, several lines are taken directly from the

novella and replicated in the film's script.

In ending remarks, The Displaced Person is a well-done film, but it fails to encapsulate

the originality of the O’Connor novella. While the story highlights the main characters, tone, and

dialogue, it forgets to create the impact the author intended. Ultimately, the downfall of the film's

replication of the story lies in its tone. While the well-executed dialogue and characterization are

evident, the tone changes the eeriness and impending doom of the original story. Bill Conti
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composed the music well, but not well for the story that O’Connor was trying to tell. Ultimately

the movie cannot stand alone and tell the same story with the same impact as the novella.
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Works Cited

The Displaced Person. Directed by Glenn Jordan, performances by John Houseman and Irene

Worth, In Focus, 1976. YouTube.

O’Connor, Flannery. “The Displaced Person.” Encounters, E-book, edited by William R.

Epperson and Mark R. Hall, Kendall/Hunt, 2019, pp. 194–235.