Point Of View In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

The inclusion of a first person point of view in A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner, demonstrates how the narrator, and townspeople, isolated Emily and were the ultimate factors that lead to her downfall. As Emily began to find interest in Homer Barron, many of the townspeople were also interested in their relationship. However, the differences in social class lead many to start saying “‘Poor Emily.’ She carried her head high enough--even when we believed that she was fallen” (Faulkner 33). Continuously throughout the piece, the unknown narrator used the word “we” to describe the townspeople and he/herself. The use of the word “we” suggests a first person point of view; however, the narrator never uses “I”. From the death of Emily’s father

After purchasing the arsenic from the drug store, many were concerned with what was to follow. “So the next day we all said, ‘She will kill herself’; and we said it would be the best thing” (Faulkner 43). As the members of the town searched Emily’s home earlier in the story, they find that Emily was not oblivious to their inquiries. The use of the word “we” is once again powerful and suggests the uniformity between the townspeople and the exclusion of Emily. The changing community of Jefferson,“we”, have followed Emily from her youth, and now come to the conclusion that it is simply best for her to end her life. One opinion may not be as persuasive, but an entire community can easily persuade a single individual to do something he or she may have been contemplating. Faulkner expresses the large number of opinions through the word “we”, and demonstrates how the community has decided to dispose of a person who was never considered a member. The narrator’s use of first person point of view allowed for the community’s thoughts to come together and push Emily over the ledge she has been standing near for a long period of