44 pages 1 hour read

Stephen King

Finders Keepers

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Symbols & Motifs

“Shit Don’t Mean Shit”

The repeating phrase “Shit Don’t Mean Shit” is an important motif throughout the novel, illustrating the theme of How Literature Shapes Lives. The phrase first appears as Jimmy Gold’s catchphrase, and both Morris and Pete repeat the phrase throughout the novel to help them get through difficult situations. For example, Morris uses it as a sort of mantra to help survive his time in prison. The phrase proves particularly important during the novel’s climax, as Pete contemplates lighting the notebooks on fire. He realizes The Dangers of Obsession as he compares himself to Morris: They have both become obsessed with the Gold trilogy and allowed it to control their lives. However, Pete proves his ultimate freedom from Gold when he modifies the catchphrase to reflect his realization that his sister matters more than the notebooks: There is, in fact, “some kind of shit that means shit” (398). He, like Gold, realizes that life is not completely pointless, as the phrase “shit don’t mean shit” implies. Rather, his family actually does mean something to him. At the end of the novel, Jerome also gifts Holly with a shirt with the phrase printed on it, suggesting that the phrase was meaningful to them, as well.

Related Titles

By Stephen King

Plot Summary

logo

Bag of Bones

Stephen King

Bag of Bones

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Billy Summers

Stephen King

Billy Summers

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Children of the Corn

Stephen King

Children of the Corn

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Different Seasons

Stephen King

Different Seasons

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Doctor Sleep

Stephen King

Doctor Sleep

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King

Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Elevation

Stephen King

Elevation: A Novel

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

End of Watch

Stephen King

End of Watch

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Fairy Tale

Stephen King

Fairy Tale

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Firestarter

Stephen King

Firestarter

Stephen King

Plot Summary

logo

From a Buick 8

Stephen King

From a Buick 8

Stephen King

Plot Summary

logo

Full Dark, No Stars

Stephen King

Full Dark, No Stars

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Gerald's Game

Stephen King

Gerald's Game

Stephen King

Study Guide

logo

Gwendy's Button Box

Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

Gwendy's Button Box

Stephen King, Richard Chizmar