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Chapter 6
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
Even though football is played all around the world, English people didn’t have much of a conception of South American teams or players until 1970. At this time, Pelé is considered the greatest football player in the world, and the televised game between Brazil and Czechoslovakia is the first time English audiences see him in action. Nick, as well as the rest of the England, is awed by the embellished Brazilian style of playing. England plays Brazil soon after, and though it’s a close game, Brazil wins. “In a way,” Nick thinks, “Brazil ruined it for all of us.”
Pele popularized the term “The Beautiful Game” to describe football, which refers to the stylistic and dignified way that Brazilians played football. Part of this style is a strong sense of sportsmanship, which Arsenal famously lacks. Nick is so dedicated to Arsenal that he is bitter towards Brazil for showing the world a better way of playing.
Themes
