The Million Dollar Shot

Chapter 9 introduces Mr. Finkle in person. On the Finkle box, Mr. Finkle is portrayed as a handsome man with a full head of hair, but in reality, he is short and bald. This pointed contrast between advertising and real life offers further proof that the Finkle box is little more than an advertising tool, and that by extension, Mr. Finkle himself approaches life with dishonesty. The deal that Mr. Finkle offers Eddie in Chapter 9—a prime example of flat-out bribery—also reinforces this point, for Mr. Finkle has realized that because of his own dishonest business practices, the promised award of $1 million is no longer something that he can afford to give. Thus, the contest is no longer just a publicity stunt; if Eddie makes the shot, it will put Finkle Foods out of business. As a result, Mr. Finkle follows up his failed attempt at bribery with underhanded mind games in an attempt to intimidate Eddie and cause him to miss the shot. The revelation that the boys from Eddie’s trailer park were paid to help with Mr. Finkle’s various pranks shows just how low Mr. Finkle is willing to stoop to get what he wants.

The phone conversation with Mr. Finkle in Chapter 10 stands as a crucial turning point for the protagonist, for in this moment, Eddie realizes how much he has to lose if he misses the shot. Because he refuses to accept the bribe, he makes an enemy out of Mr. Finkle, who still has more resources at his disposal than Eddie despite his company’s new financial troubles. Mr. Finkle therefore has an unfair advantage in the war that he and Eddie must now fight, but Eddie has a strong support group in his mom, Annie, and Annie’s dad, and his determination to continue practicing and improving indicates The Link Between Mindset and Outcome.

However, the author also makes sure to add details that increase the tension and the uncertainty surrounding Eddie’s performance on the court, and the conditions under which Eddie practices in Chapter 10 show that his vulnerability to distraction affects his ability to make shots. The practicing band throws Eddie off all by itself, and when Annie and her dad add additional distractions to the mix, Eddie’s performance worsens drastically, therefore injecting a source of doubt into his mind, given the multitude of distractions that await him during the NBA game. The man who is videotaping Eddie in Chapter 10 is an even worse form of distraction, for his presence reminds Eddie of the ongoing feud with Mr. Finkle and the high stakes of the upcoming game. As a result, Eddie’s anxiety about the shot starts to build, and this issue intensifies as the climactic scene of the novel approaches.

With the reporters and the news article in Chapter 12, the author indicates that the interest in Eddie’s contest shot has skyrocketed, thereby increasing the psychological pressure on the protagonist to succeed. Now, in addition to overcoming the inevitable visual and auditory distractions of the NBA setting itself, Eddie must also come to terms with a multitude of intensifying psychological distractions. He must also contend with his own ambiguous feelings about the prospect of becoming a local celebrity, for although he does his best to act the part and show respect to the people who clearly think so much of him, he also does not want to convey the impression that he has allowed this taste of fame to go to his head. Between his conflict with Mr. Finkle and the widespread interest in the contest, the stakes are becoming almost insurmountably high. Eddie has become an overnight celebrity, and while he doesn’t want this type of attention, there is nothing he can do about it. Thus, he must once again find creative ways to overcome The Stress of Navigating Change as his world turns upside down.

It is also important to note that the article in USA Today also reveals deeply personal details from Eddie’s past and his family life—details that have only been relayed in bits and pieces up until this more comprehensive overview. The news article’s emphasis on the fact that Eddie’s father had cancer also raises the implicit question of whether the unsafe business practices at Finkle caused that illness. While this possibility remains unspoken, it also has the effect of painting Mr. Finkle as even more of a villain. However, from Eddie’s more limited perspective, the sudden public knowledge of his family’s private grief causes him additional anxiety, because even the most personal aspects of his life are suddenly on display for everyone to see and judge. In this time of fear and uncertainty, Eddie thinks more frequently about his falling back on comforting memories to lessen his worries. Significantly, the end of Chapter 13 shows Eddie placing the shot in proper perspective within the broader scope of his life. By asking his mom if she will be angry if he misses, Eddie is seeking comfort and validation. His mom’s response shows that her love for him is more important than his success on the basketball court, and this moment takes some of the pressure off Eddie because he knows that he will always have her love and support.