“She did not listen to them (795)”, but they listened to her. They listened and watched throughout Miss Emily's life – sullen, compassionate, and sometimes even smiled for her. These ever-vigilant beings, Jefferson's curious citizens, share and constitute the backbone of this twisted tale of William Faulkner's gothic short story, A Rose For Emily; although opinions expressed about Miss Emily differ considerably by generation and gender, their expressed opinion as a whole expresses that they consider Miss Emily to be shocking, unacceptable and "fallen" (792). Faulkner's emphasis on narrative takes the mystery further. In addition to the disturbing secret that Emily is hiding, Faulkner conceals the identity of the narrator(s). The townspeople, as a whole, are the narrator, but throughout the play it is suggested that the town's spokesperson changes. For example, in Part I, the narration appears to come from a member of the older generation as he or she watches the "next generation, with its more modern ideas (788)" come to an unsatisfactory conclusion about a resolution for the smell to come. from the estate of Miss Emily. However, in Part IV, it is suggested that the townspeople's narrator is a woman who worries about Emily's relationship, her material purchases, and the details of her dilapidated appearance. The pronoun "we" is used in place of "I", suggesting that the opinions expressed constitute the general consensus of the entire city - such as "we believed it had fallen" - the entire city views it as a failure of this that she could have had. has been. When the pronoun "I" is used, it generally expresses that the one using it is going against the wishes of the townsman speaking or possibly the entire town. The "I" is primarily used by Miss Emily, proving that she is an outcast in the eyes of her society. Judge Stevens also speaks in the first person singular when fighting to defend Miss Emily's respect – believing that the suggested actions are not "necessary (790)." The various citizens shape the reader's thoughts and emotions towards Emily - given that the townsfolk are the reason the story exists. They are an essential part of Emily's story and so their opinions, whether entirely credible or not, must be considered in the mysterious affair that is Miss Emily's life. The people of Jefferson have always had a certain curiosity about the events of Emily's life. and despite the years curiosity continued.