ay they were when the Judge was around. Mrs. McIntyre allows the priest to have unwarranted control of her because of her desire to preserve her farm. This allows him to persuade Mrs. McIntyre to do the unthinkable. She hires Mr. Guizac, a displaced person. Nothing could have caused a bigger change on her farm. He and his family come from Poland and bring with him many different cultural ideas. Normally, Mrs. McIntyre would never have undertaken such a drastic change. But because the priest is able to convince her that it will be best for the farm, she concedes. Soon, he comes to visit her regularly, attempting to both convert her and persuade her to bring yet another Polish family onto her farm. Mrs. McIntyre, who has heretofore been dependent only on herself for survival, has now come to trust the priest and turns to him for advice. She seeks his council about what to do about the possibility of the Guizacs leaving her because she cannot pay them enough. He responds, “ ‘Arrrr, give them some morrre then. They have to get along.’ ” (219). Mrs. McIntyre follows his advice, betraying her only friend, Mrs. Shortley, as well as planning to fire the best family she has ever employed. She soon discovers what an awful mistake this was. As these changing circumstances on her farm, especially the loss of Mrs. Shortley, challenge Mrs. McIntyre, her lack of spiritual dimension catches up with her. Mr. Shortley, her hired man, is able to see physical changes in her. She is getting thinner and more fidgety. Her lips would move when she was not talking. The text states, “She looked as if something was wearing her down from the inside” (245). She is having nightmares about the Displaced Person kicking her out of her own home. All these things occur because she is unable to cope with the realities of her changing circumstances alone. A stronger sense of spirituality, or at least a more diverse s...
