Pin-up girls always have a secret. You don't know what they're thinking as they smile at you from the other side of that sheet, and we're probably never going to find out. That makes Rita Hayworth and Andy's other pin-up girls a very clever way of keeping a very big secret. They help define a very important aspect of Andy's personality: He's got a lot going on, both good and bad, but he doesn't share it with anybody. This theme helps drive home the importance of having an internal life, a guiding light. If you can tap into that secret inner world, then the bad things on the outside don't seem quite so bad after all. All it takes is a little thoughtfulness, and sometimes a giant pin-up poster.
Questions About Secrets
- What kind of secrets does Red carry with him. How are they similar to Andy's secrets? How do they differ?
- Are Norton or any of the other wardens more hypocritical because of the secrets they carry? Why or why not?
- Besides the posters, what other symbols are used to signify secrecy in the story?
- Could you consider Andy's innocence a secret? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Secrets are invariably a positive thing in the story, helping Andy to escape and maintain hope in his fellow inmates?
Secrets cut both ways in the story, and some end up hurting Andy more than helping him.