The narrative structure of Dessa Rose demonstrates the theme of Dessa’s struggle for self-definition. The novel is divided into three parts, with a prologue and an epilogue. Part 1, “The Darky,” is dominated by Adam Nehemiah’s attempts to discover Dessa’s story and appropriate it for his own purposes. Dessa’s indirect replies give only the glimpses into her past that she is willing to disclose. Williams reflects the ambiguity of historical records in creating no definitive account of Dessa’s history; different versions of her various attacks on whites are alluded to throughout the novel. Both Dessa’s story and Dessa herself elude Adam’s grasp. In part 2, “The Wench,” the narrative focus shifts between Dessa and Ruth, reflecting the tension of their relationship. In part 3, “The Negress,” the narrative voice for the first time is Dessa’s own, as she takes command of her own life. Though Adam tells the sheriff he knows her, the notes by which he seeks to capture her are blank pages scattered on the floor. In the epilogue, Dessa, an old woman, rounds off her life story, preserving it from the Adam Nehemiahs of the world who would define her for their own purposes.