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Chapter 11
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fever Pitch, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Obsession vs. Fandom
Sports, Identity, and Community
Escapism
Sports and Masculinity
Summary
Analysis
Nick thinks that all white, suburban English people are envious, in a way, of lower-class people, because they have more substantial identities. Nick himself (who is middle class) wishes he were from North London, and he starts to adopt the cockney accent. In an attempt to latch on to her own new identity, Nick’s sister starts to speak the Queen’s English.
As Nick grows older, it is clear that he struggles with his identity. Earlier, he describes feeling detached from the England national football team even though fans in most other countries seem to feel connected to their national teams. The notion he describes here—that all suburban English people yearn for a sort of material identity—reflects a similar idea.
Themes
Reading’s stadium is the closest to Nick’s house. When he goes to see Arsenal play there, a family from Reading strikes up conversation with him. Convinced by Nick’s accent, the family asks him about life in North London, and Nick enjoys weaving tales about his fake inner-city life. He almost starts to believe that he’s from such a place, when he accidentally reveals that he lives in Maidenhead, just a few miles away. The father is shocked and tells Nick he should support Reading instead since they’re Nick’s local team. Nick is embarrassed and devastated.
Reading is a large affluent town close to London, and Maidenhead (where Nick is from) is a suburb of London of similar socioeconomic status. North London, on the other hand, is known at the time for poverty and crime. Arsenal is from North London, so Nick tries to take on a North Londoner identity as thoroughly as possible so that he can assimilate into the fanbase. Being called out as an outsider is devastating to the identity Nick tries to cultivate.
Themes
