The story’s title suggests that secrets will be the catalyst for its narrative development. This proves true in more than one sense, as the story explores not only the central secret—Mary’s relationship with John—but also the protagonist’s intrusion into his great aunt’s privacy, which neither of them seem to have discussed afterwards. Although the secrets themselves negatively impact familial relationships, the story also cautions against prying into others’ secrets in an attempt to force intimacy.

MacLaverty establishes Mary’s secrecy even before the incident involving the letters. When the protagonist asks about the history of her cameo ring—a family heirloom—Mary tells him it was once a brooch belonging to her grandmother, but declines to say more when the boy pushes. Although Mary may simply (as she herself explains) not know anything else about the ring, her response also discourages the boy from being “inquisitive.” She repeats the admonition the first time the protagonist asks about the letters, presumably piquing his curiosity all the more.

“Secrets” therefore asks readers to question what an appropriate amount of curiosity is in a family. The protagonist shares a loving bond with Mary, but his attempt to know her more deeply—reading the letters—backfires and actually severs their closeness.