Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

Jeremy and Lizzy learn important lessons from the people they make deliveries to. What essential wisdom does each character bring to Jeremy and Lizzy, and how does each move the kids along on their journey?

Explore how Jeremy and Lizzy’s journey through searching for the keys and delivering the objects challenges and supports their friendship. What does their journey say about how friendships last or fall apart? Choose three individual experiences (such as the flea market or one of the deliveries) and illustrate how and why each influences their friendship.

Jeremy and Lizzy’s quest for the keys has been orchestrated from behind the scenes by Jeremy’s father, who uses the mystery of the locked box to teach them lessons about life. How does this mirror the role of the author?

What story elements work to create and preserve a feeling of suspense around the contents of the box? Are there red herrings intended to lead the reader in the wrong direction, for example? Are there clues?

Does the novel arrive at a definitive answer to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Do different characters answer this question in different ways?

In Chapter 15, Jeremy learns that the fortune-teller’s prediction of his dad’s death was a lie. How does this revelation change Jeremy and how he approaches the search for the keys? Would learning this sooner have changed Jeremy’s relationship to the box? Why or why not?

Jeremy spends much of the book concerned about stepping outside his comfort zone (whether physical or emotional). Explore how Jeremy’s concept of a comfort zone relates to the idea of living in the moment. How does Jeremy’s comfort zone help and hinder him from living in the present? How does his unique journey shift his comfort zone, and how do those shifts change him?

Many of the characters Jeremy and Lizzy meet on their journey appear in only a single scene, and they are often unnamed. How does this format contribute to the book’s exploration of meaning? Do all the characters Jeremy and Lizzy interact with help them grow somehow? Why or why not?