Blindness in "The Displaced Person"

This morning, when I woke up, I felt differently about the role of the peacock and what it could possibly symbolize in O'Connor's short story. I know peacocks are often associated with The Transfiguration of Christ (I've seen a lot of artwork of this in churches, particularly when I was in Greece), so it took me on a religious tangent. I did some more research today, and also found that peacocks have another, sometimes more sinister, symbolic meaning within society. The most useful sight was actually vanishingtattoo.com, which provides the symbolic meaning of peacocks throughout the ages! To this day, in many cultures, peacock feathers are not allowed inside the home because they are "the evil eye" and bring bad luck into the home; the green part at the end looks like an eye to many people. The tattoo artist also called it the "bird with 100 eyes" because of its pattering. O'Connor also draws attention to the "spots of sky" at the end of Mrs. McIntyre's bird. When I re-read the short story, I noticed that O'Connor incorporated the motif of blindness into her short story.
Many characters, one way or another, seem to suffer from poor eyesight. The first instance of blindness I noticed was with Mrs. Shortley, when the peacock is first introduced. Her "unseeing eyes [are] directly in front of the peacock's tail", and yet she is unable to see it, because she is trying so desperately to see what is beyond it. Mrs. McIntyre, perhaps more than any other character, carries on the motif of blindness. She lacks foresight, that is the ability to see how her actions will affect her and others around her, and also the ability to see people clearly for who they truly are. She wills herself to be blind to the faults of some people, while willing herself to be blind to the virtues in others in order to justify her selfishness. When Guizac tells her about Astor stealing her turkey, she responds that "all Negroes will steal". Mr. Guizac strives to bring honesty and enlightenment onto her farm, and she struggles equally against his attempts in order to remain ignorant. She also chooses to ignore Mr. Guizac's virtues and humanity, seeing him as one of a million faceless victims, in order to deny her responsibility to him. Mrs. McIntyre, Mr. Shortley, and Sulk are also blind to how their actions will result disastorously. Like many of O'Connor's works, she uses foreshadowing to alert the reader to a disastrous end; although she provides her readers with sight, her characters obliviously continue on towards a path of self-destruction.
Once again, the peacock also emphasizes the blindness that is taking place on the dairy. The bird is considered "a mythic metaphor as all-seeing witnesses to hidden transgressions" (vanishingtattoo.com), which is why O'Connor is always careful to emphasize its presence its presence in the story. The bird is all-seeing and all-knowing- once more associating it with God- and a witness to the many sins that are occurring on the farm. Ironically, it is the one character who can see everything that is taking place, yet lacks the language to communicate. I also wonder if the fact that Mr. Guizac wears "gold-rimmed glasses" is significant. He also has poor eyesight, but tries to correct his insufficiencies, his human imperfections, through glasses. While the others will themselves to be blind, he wants to see clearly. This motif of blindness ties into my assertions last night about racism. The characters allow themselves to be blinded by appearances, and are unable to see people for who they truly are.

Displaced Jesus

Like many of O'Connor's other short stories, the Biblical allusions were especially striking to me in "The Displaced Person". Mr. Guizac plays the role of a modern Jesus throughout the story, which is particularly evident in the end, when it is his innocence and naivety that makes him an outsider, and ultimately leads to his death. Also, he is a "carpenter", so the connection here is undeniable! In my opinion, the priest played a minor part in the plot of the story, other than to emphasize the purity of Mr. Guizac through juxtaposition: while the priest should ideally represent holiness on earth, he demonstrates a deluded sense of religion. While he is religious, he is far from spiritual, and his detachment from Jesus and the true meaning of God is evident. (I will get into this more, when I discuss the peacock as a religious symbol) Unlike Father Flynn, who demonstrates his faith through pious speeches and his appearance, Mr. Guizac exudes holiness. His integrity, like when he tells Mrs. McIntyre about the stolen turkey, and his comical appearance made him an even more appealing character and someone whom I came to respect.
O'Connor's portrayal of her modern-day Jesus was refreshing to me simply because he was realistic and easier to relate to; it seems very rare that an author humanizes a Jesus figure in their literature, and Mr. Guizac therefore is more believable and carries a strong symbolic significance. She describes Mr. Guizac as "shaped like a peanut", and socially awkward in the eyes of American society; many Catholics could consider this depiction of Christ as blasphemous, and it's surprising that O'Connor would portray him as vulnerable, dislikeable, and weak. To his observers, Guizac is a pathetic character, and his appearances enable others to look past his better qualities. O'Connor seems to be playing with the dichotomy of appearances and essence: I argue this through juxtaposing the Pole and the peacock, who also symbolizes a religious character, and whose fate is also determined by its appearance. The peacock, when it is first introduced, is "like a miniature god". Father Flynn is left awe-struck by its beauty, and remarks that, "Christ will come like that", as he watches its feathers unfold before him. In religious iconography, the peacock is associated with "the Transfiguration", which the Father alludes to. Unlike Mr. Guizac, whose personality makes him a symbol of Christ, the peacock is ultimately revered by the Father because of its appearance. This struck me as extremely ironic, because O'Connor is careful to emphasize that, although beautiful, it was extremely annoying and dirty. Their contrasting fates can also be attributed to their differing appearances: while Mr. Guizac dies tragically, the peacock is able to live its life being cared for by Father Flynn. It is his appearance, its "glittering green-gold and blue" feathers that ultimately save its life.
I feel that O'Connor is exploring the dichotomy of seeming vs. being in order to comment on racism. The peacock is privileged because it appears holy; while Mr. Guizac is the Christlike figure, his unusual demeanor, accent, and exterior prevents others from seeing his remarkable qualities. It is also set after World War II, when issues of racism and appearance were at the front debates. By making her Christ figure believable, and therefore perfection attainable, she is also commenting on how tragic racism is. She reveals that it is ultimately our fears of something that is different and "ugly", and not their actions, that often separate the revered from the crucified.