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Chapter 8
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, adult Nick reflects on the Arsenal game in Southampton he attends when he is 13. Nick is visible in the crowd when the game highlights are televised, and he appears noticeably still and silent compared to the onlookers around him, who jostle and joke around. Nick remarks that, indeed, he never smiled or laughed at Arsenal games. He was generally unhappy as an adolescent, and Arsenal matches provided an outlet for him to comfortably express his unhappiness. At school and at home, it wasn’t socially acceptable to worry and mope.
Football provides Nick with a community in several different ways. Aside from being a common interest that helps spark conversation with other men, Nick finds being an Arsenal fan a good way to commiserate. As far as football clubs go, Arsenal fans are known for being particularly downtrodden. This is part of what draws Nick to Arsenal, as he also feels pretty downtrodden and has nowhere else to express this feeling.
Themes
