Structure

The structure of Chee’s collection is essentially chronological, moving from his adolescence into his successful adulthood. But, there’s also an important thematic corollary to this structure, as he moves from immaturity into greater certainty, success and confidence. At the outset of the collection, he is a 15-year-old curious about the world and in awe of its mysteries; by the end, his professor of English at Dartmouth College, in despair for his country and its future, though confident in his own abilities as a teacher and writer. There is an arc of ascent and triumph to the collection, as Chee navigates obstacles and strife to become the man and artist he always wanted to be.

Chee offers an interesting sense of what he considers to be the structure of the personal essay in his reflections on the Tarot. When he has a reading done, he noticed...