Structure

Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat is divided into twenty-six chapters, plus an introduction and epilogue. The book is not divided further into parts or sections, giving the reader the sense that the main chapters all form a continuous narrative. This continuous narrative is further reinforced by the fact that the book is written chronologically. With the exception of a few brief flashback sections, the main chapters follow Patricia's life story as she grows up from roughly the age of seven until adulthood. The introduction and epilogue, however, exist outside this chronological narrative. The introduction takes place in the present day and harkens back to the forthcoming narrative. The epilogue takes place roughly in the present day as well, spanning a few years before the book's publication. This structure bookends Patricia's story by grounding it firmly in the present. Readers therefore have an idea of how Patricia's...