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Chapter 36
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’s father moves back to England with his wife and children after spending the last decade in France and America. Nick takes his half-brother, Jonathon, to an Arsenal game to try to sway him to become an Arsenal fan. Jonathon is 13. He finds the game thrilling because the violence in the audience is so dramatic and exciting. To this day, Jonathon remains an Arsenal fan, and he and Nick still attend games together. Nick thinks that if he had never taken Jonathon to that game against Tottenham in 1980, his relationship with his brother would be much more distant.
Although football creates problems in Nick’s life, it can be a helpful tool for bringing people together. Just as Nick bonded with his father through football games, now he bonds with his younger brother the same way. Jonathon is drawn to the violence at the game, though Nick never experienced such violence when he was Jonathon’s age. This is further evidence that “football hooliganism” (the violence at games) is a rising issue.
Themes
