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Chapter 12
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 is only satisfied after a game if the afternoon meets a very specific set of conditions—and the Arsenal v Derby game in 1972 is the only one that ever meets them. Nick goes with his dad, eats lunch in a chip shop, they have seats in a perfect location, the stadium is full. Nick’s dad remembers to wear a coat (he visits from France and tends to forget how cold England is). Arsenal wins the game.
Though Nick attends hundreds, if not thousands, of football games in his life, this is the only one that ever leaves him satisfied. The fact that Nick is almost always unsatisfied after leaving a game indicates that Nick’s obsession with Arsenal is more harmful to him than beneficial. It’s also telling that Nick is only happy with a game if his dad is there. He doesn’t discuss his feelings about his dad moving to France, but it’s clear that Nick wants his father around.
Themes
In the present, Nick admits that this perfect game in 1972 has grown more significant in his mind than it actually was. It really was a perfect afternoon, but Nick came to think of this one game as embodying his entire relationship to Arsenal. Now, Nick is able to see that the only important aspect of how good this particular game was is that it was an anomaly.
