High Fidelity

Rob Fleming obsesses over pop music because he struggles to express himself emotionally. After a long string of difficult breakups, Rob is scared to expose his sincere feelings to the world in case he is hurt again. Whenever he talks about his feelings with girlfriends, he adopts a sarcastic, negative tone which is at odds with his actual thoughts. In the wake of his breakup with Charlie, Rob began working in a record store and escalated his lifelong obsession. Charlie’s departure made a big impact on Rob’s life, but the records at his disposal gave him a way to cope. Rob uses pop music as a coping mechanism to deal with the difficult parts of his life because he needs to build a wall around himself. He chooses to rely on other people’s words and ideas rather than his own sincere emotions because he fears that sincerity makes him vulnerable. His love of pop music is a defense against future pain, an attempt to prevent anyone else hurting him like Charlie hurt him.

Rob’s use of pop music as a coping mechanism reflects his desire for control. The departures of Charlie, Laura, and the other women in his life represent Rob’s inability to control the world around him.