The enormous radio
The short story "The Enormous Radio" written by John Cheever tells about a family, Jim and Irene Westcotts, who buys a new radio that permits them to eavesdrop on conversations and quarrels of other tenants of their apartment building. At first Westcotts appears like the perfect American family who seems to strike that satisfactory average of income, endeavor and respectability. They like listening to classical music and they went to a great many concerts. But they try not to show it off because these activities were not something members of their community did. Westcotts wanted to conform to their society. Yet they are far from being the perfect family.
One day Jim buys a new radio to replace their broken one that is unpredictable, and beyond repair. This radio would pick up noises and conversations throughput their apartment building. And Irene listens for hours to the conversations of her neighbors. So she begins to wonder if neighbors can hear her, and if her relationship with Jim is the same as theirs. And by this reader can see that Irene is a self-centered woman who is only concerned with how people view and treat her.
From the beginning reader learns that Irene is quite optimistic. But this radio gives Irene a chance to learn the real world with all its controversy, quarrels, diseases and despair. So he realizes that the society is not as flawless as she thought. And we can trace how her personality degrades from day to day. She spends all days eavesdropping others’ private affairs. She idles all day long while her husband works awfully hard. She spends great sums of money on luxury. She takes it for granted that it is her husband’s responsibility to support the family. But she doesn’t feel shame.
In all only one fact that when she experiences that she is the one who can learn about the private life of the neighbors, she does not care about the virtue or decency, she just listens to them can characterize her as a tactless and indecent person .
But
One day Jim buys a new radio to replace their broken one that is unpredictable, and beyond repair. This radio would pick up noises and conversations throughput their apartment building. And Irene listens for hours to the conversations of her neighbors. So she begins to wonder if neighbors can hear her, and if her relationship with Jim is the same as theirs. And by this reader can see that Irene is a self-centered woman who is only concerned with how people view and treat her.
From the beginning reader learns that Irene is quite optimistic. But this radio gives Irene a chance to learn the real world with all its controversy, quarrels, diseases and despair. So he realizes that the society is not as flawless as she thought. And we can trace how her personality degrades from day to day. She spends all days eavesdropping others’ private affairs. She idles all day long while her husband works awfully hard. She spends great sums of money on luxury. She takes it for granted that it is her husband’s responsibility to support the family. But she doesn’t feel shame.
In all only one fact that when she experiences that she is the one who can learn about the private life of the neighbors, she does not care about the virtue or decency, she just listens to them can characterize her as a tactless and indecent person .
But