In "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner employs the use of first person point of view. In the case of this story, however, the point of view is more like "first people." The narrator speaks for the town's citizens, which include three generations of Jefferson residents. The narrator can best be described as being the town of Jefferson, rather than one specific person. This is seen through the use of first person plural, the use of words like the collective "we, our, and us." The narrator is most likely professing to speak for the people of the town as a collective voice. This is evident through the use of the plural pronouns as well as the use of "I," "me," and "my."

As for the "iron-gray" hair, we can infer that Emily has been laying next to the corpse very recently. Gray hair also signifies aging. The story traces through three generations, showing the passing of time in the south. While the south has changed, Emily has not.