46 pages • 1 hour read
Wendy MassJeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Box
The box represents Life as a Journey of Discovery and propels Jeremy’s character arc and growth over the course of the novel. Everything Jeremy does throughout the book works toward opening the box, even if he doesn’t realize that many of his actions serve this purpose. Jeremy’s dedication to finding the missing keys and unlocking what his dad left him shows the strength of the bond Jeremy feels for his dad. The box is the last link Jeremy has to his father, and opening it offers a way to know more about the man, as well as a chance to get him back for a moment. For the box, Jeremy is willing to step out of his rigid comfort zone. In doing so, his individual journey of growth begins, and the box comes to represent the catalysts that inspire change in life. Jeremy is initially motivated to face his fears because he feels he is doing so for his dad. As the story progresses, Jeremy learns that he is truly facing those fears for himself.
The rocks contained within the box symbolize the moments that make up a life, as well as the moments Jeremy experiences on his hunt for the keys. Like his dad, Jeremy experiences key interactions and events that become turning points. Though Jeremy isn’t always aware of how much he is changing, at the end of the book he looks back and discovers how the hunt has affected him. Jeremy’s transition from letting events happen to him to being active in those events symbolizes the importance of living in the moment and offers blueprints for becoming more aware. The box is a physical manifestation of the effects of Jeremy’s actions on his world. Though he often has little control over what happens to him, and the search for the box brings him constant surprises, he learns to find agency in the choices he makes in response to random events, illustrating The Interplay of Chance and Choice.
Keys
Throughout Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, keys are both a goal and a symbol of the opportunities life unlocks. Jeremy’s main goal is to find the four keys needed to open the box, but the search for the keys brings new people and experiences into his life in ways he could not have predicted. Once the box arrives, the need to find the keys becomes Jeremy’s world, reflected by the research he does and by the risks he’s willing to take on his search. The quest for the keys is a metaphor for Jeremy’s shifting relationship with Lizzy. The hunt itself brings out the differences in their characters—contrasting Jeremy’s quiet caution with Lizzy’s bold brashness. Along the journey, these personality differences blossom into desires to find their uniqueness, most prominently seen by Lizzy’s new interests in makeup and dolls. Finding all the keys in Mr. Oswald’s suitcase symbolizes Jeremy and Lizzy coming back together, showing that, despite recent changes, their relationship will survive.
Keys also represent the different steps on Jeremy’s journey. The first place he and Lizzy look for keys is down the street from their apartment building, showing that Jeremy is not yet ready to step out of his comfort zone, either physically or mentally. Deciding to take the subway to the flea market for keys is the first big choice Jeremy must make. He has never ridden the subway by himself before, and facing this fear is an important first step in the journey of discovery he undertakes. The people the kids meet at the flea market represent the versatility of keys and how simple objects can be complex. All the keys they find were created for a single purpose (to open one lock), but over time, their use has expanded into things like collections and art projects. Like Jeremy, the keys evolve, and in this way, the keys represent the changes Jeremy undergoes and how he unlocks his mind to new experiences and ideas.
The Deliveries
The three deliveries Jeremy and Lizzy make for Mr. Oswald represent how every event moves us forward, even if it doesn’t seem so at the time. Neither Jeremy nor Lizzy know that the deliveries are bringing them closer to the keys for the box, but they don’t need to be aware of this for it to be true. Each delivery moves them toward their goal in a unique way, both physically and emotionally. The lessons they learn about friendship, outlook, and life help Jeremy and Lizzy navigate their quest, as well as the changes they undergo. Seeing adults who have overcome adversity helps the kids understand that nothing is beyond them and that they, too, can meet the challenges and obstacles ahead. In this way, the deliveries show that no experience is wasted in Life as a Journey of Discovery. Jeremy and Lizzy leave each delivery with a different understanding of what they learned, and their unique insight both solidifies the differences between Jeremy and Lizzy and shows how they can still be friends despite their differences.
The objects the kids deliver come with stories attached to them, and these stories teach lessons that Jeremy and Lizzy need to learn on their quests for both the keys. The book they deliver to the woman represents the power of friendship, helping Jeremy and Lizzy understand the importance of their own friendship as they grow apart and back together before the end of the book. The woman regrets selling the book because it destroyed a valuable friendship, and she recognizes that the responsibility for that falls directly on her, showing that every action has consequences. The lamp the kids return on the second delivery represents the light its owner shines on Jeremy and Lizzy’s quest for the meaning of life. Like the lamp, the man helps those around him to see what has been hidden or shrouded in darkness. From this delivery, Jeremy and Lizzy gain the ability to question, which leaves them uncertain. The telescope in the third delivery represents looking beyond the self and seeing what lies ahead. The scientist offers the kids an understanding of where life came from and where it might go, teaching them that they have potential. Altogether, the three deliveries symbolize the importance of learning from the past, living in the moment, and looking to the future.
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By Wendy Mass
