The Box Arrives

Jeremy Fink, a thoughtful, anxious almost-thirteen-year-old, receives a wooden box engraved with "The Meaning of Life—for Jeremy Fink to open on his 13th birthday." The box, left by his late father, is locked with four keyholes and no keys. Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy, a bold, impulsive girl, are instantly drawn into the mystery. The box becomes a symbol of Jeremy's hopes, fears, and the lingering grief over his father's death. The quest to open it will define their summer and force them to confront big questions about life, loss, and growing up.

Keys and Questions

The box's keys are missing, lost by the lawyer who was supposed to safeguard them. Jeremy and Lizzy, determined to honor the instructions, begin brainstorming ways to open the box. Their search is both literal and metaphorical: they want the keys, but also answers about Jeremy's father, the meaning of life, and their own identities. The box's presence stirs up old memories, family secrets, and the ache of unfinished business.

The Search Begins

Jeremy and Lizzy embark on a citywide hunt for the keys. They try everything: visiting locksmiths, scouring flea markets for old keys, and even considering breaking open the box. Their efforts are both comic and poignant, revealing their personalities—Jeremy's caution and Lizzy's daring—and the depth of their friendship. The search is complicated by Jeremy's anxiety and Lizzy's penchant for trouble, but their determination never wavers.

Flea Markets and Failures

The duo's adventures take them to flea markets, where they encounter eccentric vendors and a world of lost objects. They try dozens of keys, but none fit. Along the way, they meet people who collect things for reasons as mysterious as their own quest. The failures pile up, but so do small moments of insight about luck, fate, and the connections between people and their possessions.

Breaking and Entering

Running out of options, Lizzy proposes a daring plan: break into the lawyer's old office to search for the keys. Their attempt is clumsy and ends with them being caught by security and the police. Instead of jail, they're sentenced to community service. The failed break-in is a turning point, forcing Jeremy to confront his fears and the limits of control, while Lizzy's bravado is tested by real consequences.

Community Service Twist

Jeremy and Lizzy are assigned to help Mr. Oswald, an elderly pawnshop owner, with deliveries around New York. What seems like a setback becomes a new kind of adventure. Mr. Oswald is enigmatic, wise, and surrounded by objects with stories. Through their work, Jeremy and Lizzy meet people whose lives were shaped by the things they pawned as children, each with their own regrets, hopes, and lessons.

Mr. Oswald's Odd Jobs

Each delivery for Mr. Oswald is a window into another life. They return a signed book to a lonely old woman, a lamp to a minimalist, and a telescope to a scientist. These encounters are more than errands—they're lessons in empathy, forgiveness, and the complexity of choices. Jeremy and Lizzy begin to see that everyone carries their own "box" of meaning, and that life's answers are rarely simple.

Deliveries and Discoveries

The people they meet through Mr. Oswald—each with a unique story of loss, love, or regret—help Jeremy and Lizzy reflect on their own lives. The deliveries become a journey of self-discovery, as Jeremy wrestles with his father's absence and Lizzy with her own family wounds. The meaning of life, it seems, is found in the connections between people and the moments they share.

The Meaning of Life?

Jeremy's search for the meaning of life becomes more urgent as his birthday approaches. He asks everyone he meets—scientists, spiritualists, strangers—for their answer. The responses are as varied as the people themselves: love, friendship, helping others, being present, embracing wonder. Jeremy learns that meaning is personal, ever-changing, and often found in the journey rather than the destination.

Science, Stars, and Self

A visit to the Museum of Natural History and a conversation with an astronomer expand Jeremy's view. He learns about the universe's vastness, the randomness of existence, and the interconnectedness of all life. The realization that he is both insignificant and unique helps Jeremy accept uncertainty and appreciate the beauty of simply being alive.

The Last Key

As Jeremy's thirteenth birthday nears, he and Lizzy find three of the four keys in a suitcase of "flotsam and jetsam" given by Mr. Oswald. The last key is missing, and hope fades. But on his birthday, Lizzy surprises Jeremy with the final key—she had found it earlier and saved it as a gift. The box can finally be opened, but Jeremy is filled with anxiety: what if the answer disappoints him?

The Birthday Deadline

Jeremy's birthday arrives, and with it, a sense of both excitement and dread. The box has become a symbol of his father's love, his own coming-of-age, and the universal search for meaning. Surrounded by family and friends, Jeremy prepares to open the box, knowing that whatever is inside will not magically solve all his problems, but will mark a turning point in his life.

The Box Opens

With trembling hands, Jeremy and Lizzy use the four keys to open the box. Inside, they find a letter from Jeremy's father, a list of "moments" marked by rocks collected throughout his life, and a special gift for Lizzy. The contents are simple, but profound: a string of memories, a story of love, and a reminder that meaning is made, not found.

Dad's Letter

The letter from Jeremy's father is heartfelt and wise. He shares a parable about two wolves—one good, one bad—fighting inside everyone, and says the one you feed is the one that wins. He urges Jeremy to pay attention to life's moments, to create his own meaning, and to cherish the people he loves. The letter is both a goodbye and a blessing, giving Jeremy permission to move forward.

The String of Moments

The rocks in the box represent milestones in Jeremy's father's life: first kiss, meeting Jeremy's mother, Jeremy's birth, and more. The "string" is a metaphor for the chain of experiences that make a life meaningful. Jeremy realizes that his father's greatest gift is not an answer, but an example: to live fully, notice beauty, and create a string of moments worth remembering.

Revelations and Goodbyes

Jeremy learns that the entire summer's adventure was orchestrated by his father and Mr. Oswald, with help from family and friends. The elaborate quest was designed to give Jeremy an adventure, to help him grow, and to prepare him for the uncertainties of life. Jeremy says goodbye to Mr. Oswald, who is moving away, and to the childhood version of himself who needed everything to be certain.

Growing Up, Letting Go

Jeremy and Lizzy return home changed. They have faced fears, made mistakes, and learned to let go. Jeremy accepts that he cannot control everything, that loss is part of life, and that growing up means embracing uncertainty. Lizzy, too, matures, learning to trust others and herself. Their friendship is stronger, and both are ready for the next chapter.

The Journey Continues

The story ends not with a final answer, but with a sense of hope and possibility. Jeremy understands that the meaning of life is not a secret locked in a box, but something created every day through choices, relationships, and wonder. He is ready to keep searching, keep living, and keep adding to his own string of moments.

Characters

Jeremy Fink

Jeremy is a sensitive, introspective boy on the cusp of adolescence, haunted by the loss of his father and anxious about the future. He is cautious, loyal, and deeply curious about life's big questions. Jeremy's journey is one of self-discovery: he learns to face uncertainty, accept loss, and find meaning in the everyday. His relationship with Lizzy is central—she challenges and supports him, helping him grow braver and more open.

Lizzy Muldoun

Lizzy is Jeremy's best friend and opposite in many ways: bold, impulsive, and unafraid of breaking rules. She is fiercely loyal, quick-witted, and often gets Jeremy into (and out of) trouble. Lizzy's own family wounds—her mother's absence, her father's struggles—make her both tough and vulnerable. Through the summer, Lizzy matures, learning empathy, patience, and the value of trust.

Jeremy's Mother (Elaine Fink)

Jeremy's mother is practical, resourceful, and deeply caring. She supports Jeremy's quest while gently nudging him toward independence. Her own grief over her husband's death is ever-present, but she models resilience and hope. She is a quiet architect of Jeremy's journey, helping orchestrate the adventure that leads him to the box's meaning.

Mr. Oswald

Mr. Oswald, the elderly pawnshop owner, is both a guide and a gatekeeper. He is surrounded by objects with stories, and his odd jobs for Jeremy and Lizzy are lessons in empathy and perspective. Mr. Oswald's own history is entwined with the city's lost and found, and he becomes a surrogate grandfather figure, teaching the value of stories, choices, and letting go.

Lizzy's Father (Mr. Muldoun)

Lizzy's dad is loving but distracted, struggling to raise his daughter alone after her mother's departure. He is supportive but often out of his depth, especially with Lizzy's rebellious streak. His relationship with Jeremy is warm, and he provides comic relief and a sense of stability.

Jeremy's Father (Daniel Fink)

Though deceased, Jeremy's father is the story's emotional center. His love, wisdom, and playfulness are revealed through memories, the box, and the final letter. He orchestrates Jeremy's adventure from beyond, teaching that meaning is found in living fully and loving deeply.

Uncle Arthur

Jeremy's uncle, his father's twin, is a background figure who reminds Jeremy of what he's lost. Their relationship is strained, but Arthur's presence is a subtle thread connecting past and present.

Samantha and Rick

The twin siblings who move in next door represent new beginnings and the awkwardness of adolescence. Samantha becomes a friend to Lizzy, while Rick's antagonism challenges Jeremy and Lizzy's insular world.

James (the Chauffeur)

Mr. Oswald's driver, James, is a steady, quiet presence who ferries Jeremy and Lizzy on their adventures. He offers practical wisdom and a sense of safety, embodying the idea that help can come from unexpected places.

Mrs. Billingsly, Mr. Rudolph, Dr. Grady

Each person Jeremy and Lizzy meet through Mr. Oswald's deliveries offers a different perspective on regret, forgiveness, and meaning. Their stories help Jeremy and Lizzy see that everyone is searching for answers, and that life's meaning is found in connection and acceptance.

Plot Devices

The Locked Box

The box is both a puzzle to be solved and a symbol of life's unanswered questions. Its four missing keys drive the plot, forcing Jeremy and Lizzy into action, reflection, and growth. The box's contents—rocks, a letter, and a playing card—subvert expectations, teaching that meaning is found in the journey, not the destination.

The Quest Structure

The story follows a classic quest structure: a call to adventure (the box), trials and obstacles (the search for keys), helpers and mentors (Lizzy, Mr. Oswald), and a final revelation. Each step is both an external challenge and an internal lesson, mirroring the process of growing up.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

The story is rich with foreshadowing: the fortune-teller's prophecy, the recurring theme of collections, and the idea that "the answer is in the question." Objects—keys, rocks, playing cards—are loaded with symbolic meaning, representing memory, choice, and the threads that connect people.

Interwoven Stories

The stories of the people Jeremy and Lizzy meet through Mr. Oswald serve as parables, each offering a different answer to the meaning of life. These encounters broaden the protagonists' perspectives and help them see their own struggles in a new light.

Narrative Voice and Humor

Jeremy's first-person narration is honest, self-deprecating, and often funny. The humor balances the story's deeper themes, making big questions about life and death approachable for young readers.

Analysis

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life is a heartfelt, accessible meditation on what it means to come of age in the shadow of loss. Wendy Mass uses the device of a locked box to explore universal questions: How do we find meaning after tragedy? What does it mean to grow up? The novel's answer is both simple and profound: meaning is not a secret to be unlocked, but something created through relationships, choices, and the willingness to embrace uncertainty. The story encourages readers to pay attention to life's moments, to feed the "good wolf" inside, and to accept that the journey is as important as the destination. In a world obsessed with answers, Jeremy's story is a gentle reminder that sometimes, the best we can do is live fully, love deeply, and keep searching.

Last updated: May 3, 2025