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Chapter 65
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
In the present, Nick is still obsessed with Arsenal to the point that his friends and family know that he will never attend an event if there is an Arsenal game on at the time. Nick calls his obsession a “disability,” noting that he sometimes offends people close to him by turning down their invitations in favor of Arsenal games. Nick is afraid of one day missing an important life event of his future (potential) child for a football game. He doesn’t think he could work a job with demanding hours if it interfered with Arsenal games.
On many occasions Nick declares that he is done being an Arsenal “lunatic,” but he never shows evidence that this is the case. Now he resigns himself to the idea that his attachment to football is a “disability.” Disability may be too strong a word—Nick uses it for comedic effect—but his obsession is genuinely harmful to his relationships at times, perhaps akin to an addiction.
Themes
