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Chapter 14
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
Arsenal and Derby have a replay since their last game was a tie. At the time there was a power strike, so electricity was unreliable in London. Since there were no floodlights, the Arsenal v Derby replay takes place in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. Nick skips school to watch the game, expecting the crowd to be scant. He is shocked that the turnout ends up being the biggest of the season, at 63,000 people. Present-day Nick considers that perhaps the big turnout happened because so many people just wanted to make a part of “social history.”
Regularly scheduled football games never happen in the middle of a workday, so this game is unique. Nick misses school to attend because he makes every Arsenal game he possibly can, but also because he himself wants to make a part of “social history” by attending a once in a lifetime game. Many others have the same idea, seeming to want to be a part of something greater than themselves.
Themes
