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Chapter 72
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
If any one season exemplifies Arsenal, it’s the season of 1991. Arsenal makes it far in the league through a series of low-scoring games, the team captain gets a DUI, and the crowd starts various riots. Nick wonders about the psychological impact of supporting a team that most people hate. Nick thinks it has made him sensitive to any slight criticism, defiant, and argumentative.
Even as Arsenal and its fanbase deteriorate into debauchery, Nick doesn’t even consider abandoning his support. Arsenal is simply a part of him at this point, so he will change according to how the team changes. In this case, Nick’s personality seems to have changed for the worse. Alternatively, it’s possible that Arsenal hasn’t really change Nick, but Nick uses the team as a sort of scapegoat for his negative qualities.
Themes
