The Displaced Person by Flannery O'Connor Essay

San Francisco has a homelessness problem, yet that problem can be solved. The problem of homelessness in San Francisco can be observed by taking a stroll through an area such as the Tenderloin District or Haight Ashbury. In these places, homeless people are plentiful, yet they are almost always overlooked by the other San Franciscans who use those areas to work and play. Providing permanent housing (as opposed to places at shelters) to chronically homeless people has been proven to be an efficient method of combatting homelessness. I propose that San Francisco introduce a voluntary 10-cent tax on coffee, as a way of raising money to provide services to homeless people within permanent housing, and simultaneously raise awareness about the housing disparity within San Francisco.

The homeless are a vulnerable population. They are defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” (The National Health Care for the Homeless Council, 2016). They are a social group throughout the US who are susceptible to all of the life’s cruelties. They are much more at risk for adverse illnesses due to their lack of available resources and medical help. Many have predetermined illnesses which need daily treatment but cannot acquire the medication needed. The homeless population lacks the funding for life’s necessities, thus the luxury of insurance and medicine is a dream.

     Here in Tahoe, we are lucky enough to experience a great quality of life, and only a few have to face the horrible life of poverty and homelessness. However, nationwide, even right outside the basin, homelessness is a growing epidemic across the country. There are many ways one can become homeless; for the most part poverty. There are also different concentrations of homeless in different types of terrain, such as urban or suburban areas. Last, there is the ever- growing homeless population, and how much money it costs us for others to live in poverty. These are the questions we ask ourselves about homelessness, and the only way we can help is to know the facts about this lingering

It was surprising to learn that there is a hierarchy that exists among the homeless. Contrary to how power is established in a typical culture, the characteristics and values of the homeless culture are formed in an inverted hierarchy. For example, a homeless individual who has experienced the most traumas and lived on the streets for an extended amount of time will receive a great deal of respect from his or her peers. Individuals who are homeless perceive living on the streets to be much harsher than a person from the mainstream culture would (Philipps, 2012). As a result, an individual gains authority by being able to survive no matter

When you see the homeless what do you think about? Do you see them and feel disgust or are you someone who wonders how and why they are where they are, or maybe, you are one of the few who want to help and who are able to. In the U.S., more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year and that number is growing. They are families with little children, people who are trying to escape domestic violence, people with mental illness, veterans who have served our country, and many more. From what I read in Jonathan Kozol’s “Untouchables” city officials in various places are only coming up with short term solutions, that aren’t helping the homeless. City officials are just trying to get rid of the homeless from their cities or area. I think it’s time that more individuals and groups, really gets involved and figure out a way to help those who are already homeless, and stop future people from becoming homeless. We have to come up with ways to help the homeless readjust and get back into the world.

Another aspect of her life infiltrated her stories as well. All her life, O’Connor was always an outcast. When she was young she lost her dad, making it just her mother and herself in the family. In her childhood she was a Catholic in the South which was mainly populated with Protestants. And later in life she was crimpled and on crutches way before the expected age to become dependent on others. All of these are not common occurrences, making her different from the rest of society. After she was on crutches, O’Connor once said, “"I write every day for at least two hours," she told in an interview, "and I spend the rest of my time largely in the society of ducks,” (Liukkonen). She never quite fit in with society. This is also the case with many of the characters in her story. Most noticeable this is the case with the Polish farmer found in her story, “The Displaced Person.” He was a foreigner who came over to America. He was feared by the other employees on the farm. It was such an extreme case that it caused complete turmoil on the farm. The Polish farmer ended up being killed by a tractor with several onlookers, none of whom spoke up to save him. This shows that society is unwilling to take in people who are different from them. O’Connor experienced this first-hand while growing up, most notably because she was Catholic and her world around her was not Catholic. Through this story, she demonstrated an exaggerated example of

After digging his camera back up from burying it in the desert, Chris McCandless found that it did not work anymore. Therefore he stopped taking so many pictures and keeping a journal. He sent a letter to Jan Burres, explaining that he spent about two months in Oregon. He also complained about the fog and rainy weather. In September he passed through California again and arrived in Bullhead City, Arizona. Although Bullhead City was not a particularly appealing city, McCandless grew fond of it anyway. He felt a connection with the scattered residents and the desert landscape. He got a job at a McDonalds and even opened a saving account at a local bank. The two assistant managers at the McDonalds had polar opposite opinions of him: one thought he was a good worker and the other thought he was too slow.

They say that opposites attract and this holds true for the relationship between William and Hester as they learn more about one another. The husband and wife came from different upbringings. William is born with a strict father among the “Back Creek Folk”, while his wife is considered “one of the Gap people” with flexible, supportive parents. The way their parents raised them influences the way they act. William is a hard worker who speaks very little, but his wife Hester does enough talking for the both of them. Hester is a strong woman and manages the family farm very well. She is able to make decisions quickly without William’s input. The farm is considered to be most prosperous in Mcpherson County. The couple’s three sons work on the

St. Cyril of Jerusalem once said “The dragon is by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you. We go to the father of the souls, but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.” The road in which St. Cyril speaks of in this passage is the path one travels on his or her’s journey to Heaven, and the dragon is referring to the temptation one may submit to on that journey. Temptation is almost always present, but it is up to the individual to either acknowledge the dragon and ‘let him devour you’ or pass by and ignore the dragon. Flannery O’Connor wrote short stories with this quote in mind; she often depicts characters who become side tracked with pride, greed, vanity, etc. creating an encounter with the dragon on their

To many critics, Flannery O’Connor was a“very devout catholic, [of the] (thirteenth century, [O’Connor described] herself),” suggests Mark Bosco a Jesuit priest, professor of Theology and English studies at Loyola University Chicago (qtd in Bosco 41). Along with being a native Georgian, O’Connor experienced life, albeit short lived, during an era of racial conflict. Although, she considered herself from another century, she was acutely aware of her twentieth century southern world, and furthermore she expressed it through her short stories. As Robert Drake a writer and Prof. at the University of Texas explains “[she wrote of what she] knew [to be] at her own doorstep” (Drake, “Apocalyptic Perception” 32), meaning that her strong religious

Homelessness affects millions of Americans each year, with approximately one third of this population suffering from severe mental disorders. In Las Cruces we have a number of homeless people that have a mental disorder. Las Cruces does not provide the homeless mentally ill with sufficient services. it is necessary to provide them with support, protection, treatment, and rehabilitation.

According to Streetwise of Street News Services (2010), the first reported instances of homelessness dates as far back as 1640, in some of the larger cities in the original 13 colonies. At this time, there were wars being fought between settlers and Native Americans, and people were left with no shelter in both sides (Street News Service, 2010). Later, the industrial revolution caused more homelessness, industrial accidents left many former hard-working families with a dead provider, or with severe disabilities, and then the economy entered a recession in the same time period (Street News Service, 2010). Wars always left a large number of veterans homeless. Later, in 1927, there was an astronomical flood along the Mississippi River,

The Problems and causes of homelessness are closely intertwined, with many of the problems of homelessness also sharing common source with the causes of homelessness. Narrative comments are included. There are three central themes that are highlighted in the cases. Mental health plays a large role in the cause and problem of homelessness as displayed by Stephanie’s experience as “her parents asked her to leave home. Stephanie had suffered from anxieties and bipolar”. Abusive relationships are also experienced frequently amongst the participants illustrated by Lauren and her children as it is noted “her husband was manipulative and abusive to her and the children”. Exposure to drugs is another theme of homelessness demonstrated by Elle’s

¨Homeless¨ is about Anna Quindlen doing a story on homeless people but meets a woman named Ann; who claims she is not homeless. Ann ends up showing Quindlen a photograph of a yellow house. Quindlen soon understands that a home can not just be replaced by a shelter but a home is where the heart is. We are reminded that the homeless are not just people without homes but they are just rootless.

The homeless stand down was an eye-opener experience for me. I had the opportunity to interact with several individuals, and one family. Initially I conducted some interviews with them to help complete the questionnaire; and the remainder of the time, I escorted the individuals and helped them choose items that were necessary for them. As I talked to each of them, I realized that the present state of these individuals were a product of the current economic situations. According to the National Homeless Coalition (2009), work factors are one of the many reasons why individuals are homeless. One of the individuals that I spoke to informed me that he was working a regular nine to five job at a construction site, but now due to the