"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner: Point of View

       In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," the speaker is not just one person.  The point of view is actually first person plural.  The town narrates the story.  This limits the reader to only knowing what the town knows which is mainly based on gossip and a little bit on actual experiences with Emily.  She is a seriously psychotic woman, but we do not know much absolute fact about her.  There is lots of evidence that Emily murdered Homer and that she slept next to him multiple times.  Although there is no concrete evidence, such as Emily telling a character of the reader but the evidence against Emily is enough to convince the reader of her criminal behaviors.  A place where the first person plural is seen is here, "We did not say she was crazy then," (Faulkner, 285).  The first person plural greatly impacts the story.  Its use distances Emily and the community.