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Chapter 46
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 friends always try to introduce him to other Arsenal fans, but Nick finds that none of them shares his passion to the same extent. Pete is the first person Nick meets who does. Pete also shares Nick’s lack of ambition in his personal life. Nick thinks this is because Arsenal fills the gap in both their lives which for other people is filled by their careers and families. Nick and Pete fuel each other’s obsessions with the team. Even now in the present, seven years later, they still attend almost every game together.
Nick’s enthusiasm for Arsenal is an intense commitment. That said, there are many other people who also cross the line from fandom into obsession. Pete shares Nick experience of being emotionally and developmentally stunted due to what the narration suggests is an overreliance on Arsenal.
Themes
