A theme in "Our Secret", by Susan Griffin that is developed through the character of Himmler, and the symbolism with the development of a cell is that if individuals hide constantly behind masks, they will struggle internally. Himmler's character reflects how masks are developed at an early age and how individuals often begin to hide behind them to gain acceptance from others. However, by pretending to be something a person is not, that individual begins to feel frustrated about their identity and codependency can develop. In "Our Secret", Himmler is given a diary during his childhood to start developing his writing skills and because his father tells him he needs to start maturing. According to Griffin, “Heinrich…. he doesn't write about his feelings…. O dreams,” and that “[t]he voices… [are] like the words of a schoolboy who is commanded to write down what the teacher requires of him” (Griffin 315). In this statement Griffin points out that when a person writes in a diary the feelings can be perceived through the writing, but in Himmler's case, his father taught him to regulate his emotions by limiting their manifestation. Furthermore, by limiting Himmler's expressions to what was considered appropriate, he began to develop a codependency on his father as he struggled within himself. Therefore, the only way Himmler found a solution to his problems was to portray the image of the child his father wanted him to be, while inside he felt insecure and frustrated. Griffin also gives the idea that individuals hide behind masks to find acceptance and to appear ordinary because appearing otherwise would be improper. This is addressed when Griffin states, "ordinary... sort of m... middle of paper... words, she expresses how living under a mask is like living trapped inside yourself. In summary, a theme in "Our Secret", by Susan Griffin which develops through the character of Himmler, and the symbolism with the development of a cell is that if individuals constantly hide behind masks, they will struggle internally. By giving this message Griffin is able to give the idea that, in the end, there are some things that cannot be ignored because one thing is for sure, whatever people are trying to hide, it will start to accumulate, until it leaves no room for anything else. Furthermore, it shows the importance of opening the door to whatever cage people put themselves in because by allowing themselves to show their true selves, they will be able to enjoy how beautiful it can be when secrets are free and hiding behind a mask will no longer be necessary.