The Million Dollar Shot

Finkle Foods and its unscrupulous owner represent the insular nature of Eddie’s community, demonstrating that power often corrupts and that nothing lasts forever. Finkle Foods is the largest company—and therefore the largest employer—in Eddie’s town. As a result, the community is largely at the mercy of Finkle Foods and Mr. Finkle. As the company begins to experience financial trouble, Mr. Finkle begins firing employees, and when his mother loses her job, this has a direct impact on Eddie’s life. In addition, the community thinks less and less of Finkle Foods because the company pays poorly, mistreats its employees, and is managed by an unethical man. While the contest is a chance for Eddie to change his life, it also represents a last-ditch effort on the part of Finkle Foods to save itself from ruin. Because the company is losing money, Mr. Finkle hopes that the contest will bring in business, a hope that is dashed by a report claiming that Finkle snack foods cause cancer.

The Finkle snacks themselves represent the greediness of unscrupulous businesses and the unhealthier aspects of consumer culture. Mr. Finkle’s snack food serves as a generic version of heavily processed snacks that are made from unhealthy ingredients and chemical preservatives. Thus, the fictitious yet dangerously unhealthy snack food allows the author to use the novel to draw attention to the fact that real-life foods are also believed to cause a host of health problems but are still popular due to their low price and appealing flavor.

The Finkles offer an affordable snack option for those who struggle to afford higher-priced options. In addition, their strong story-based advertising exploits the idea that anyone can create a successful product and make a name for themselves. Thus, Finkles are an example of the proverbial “American dream.” As the story progresses, the enduring popularity of Finkle snack foods starts to wane, especially when it is revealed that the product poses a significant health risk. After this, the waning popularity of the snack food means that a large segment of the population desires change, which allows Eddie’s new healthy snacks company to find a market. Given this outcome, the Finkle snack foods also symbolize the idea that one person’s downfall becomes another person’s opportunity.