The photographic evidence that proves Sal’s innocence is a key symbol that represents freedom from false accusations for Sal and his family but also the internal conflict Pip faces about whether to bring the evidence to the police. When confronted with the reality of Sal’s innocence through the photograph that proves Sal was still at Max Hastings’s house when he said he was, Pip is forced to make a decision: bring the evidence to the police or protect Naomi from legal trouble due to her involvement in the hit-and-run. Torn between the truth of Sal’s innocence and her desire to protect Naomi for Cara’s sake, Pip must question what the right and wrong choices are, echoing the struggle she faces with her identity throughout the course of her investigation.

Pip struggles throughout much of the narrative to write her college application personal essay, and the essay comes to represent a search for her identity. When faced with the task of writing about who she really is, Pip admits she does not really know and is still searching for herself. This essay becomes a source of stress for Pip as the deadline for the application submission gets closer and closer.