Plot Summary

The Displaced Person

Flannery O'Connor
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The Displaced Person

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1955

Book Brief

Flannery O'Connor

The Displaced Person

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1955
Book Details
Pages

48

Format

Novella • Fiction

Setting

Southern United States • 1940s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

In "The Displaced Person," from Flannery O'Connor's 1955 collection A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the Guizac family, Polish refugees freed from World War II death camps, arrives at Mrs. McIntyre’s Georgia dairy farm. Their arrival prompts mixed reactions from the farm's existing workers and the local community, culminating in tragedy and reflecting themes of prejudice and charity. Descriptions of racial prejudice, religious intolerance, and a fatal accident are present in the narrative.

Mysterious

Dark

Unnerving

Melancholic

Contemplative

Reviews & Readership

3.7

154 ratings

59%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

The Displaced Person by Flannery O'Connor is praised for its poignant exploration of prejudice, displacement, and redemption. Readers commend O'Connor's masterful storytelling and complex characters. Critics note the stark portrayal of human flaws and social issues, though some find the pacing slow and the themes heavy. Overall, it's a profound, thought-provoking read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Displaced Person?

A reader who appreciates Southern Gothic literature with complex characters and deep moral questions will enjoy The Displaced Person by Flannery O'Connor. Fans of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying or Eudora Welty's The Optimist's Daughter who are drawn to themes of displacement, cultural conflict, and redemption will find this novella compelling.

3.7

154 ratings

59%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

48

Format

Novella • Fiction

Setting

Southern United States • 1940s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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