The Enormous Radio

Listening to classical music is something that the Westcotts seldom mention to others. Using examples from the story, analyze this tendency to keep such an interest a secret from others. Explain any insight this analysis provides into their character motivation.

The enormous radio's fantastical power in an otherwise realistic narrative is indicative of magical realism. If this story were set in the present, would a household radio be as meaningful and allow the author to communicate his message in the same way? If not, which appliance or technological device would be more effective today, and why?

How does Irene feel about her own position in life as a homemaker? Use examples from the text to describe how Irene regards housekeeping and childrearing. How does Emma support or subvert Irene’s position?

There are so many different neighbors who are heard over the radio. What does the writer accomplish by introducing such a large cast of minor characters? What purpose do they serve for the story? Use examples to help illustrate your ideas.

Known as “the Chekhov of the suburbs,” Cheever’s works often centered on the disillusionment of characters in the American suburbs. What is the author’s critique of the American culture of domesticity in the 1940s when the story was originally written?

How and why is silence contrasted with sound in the story? Choose one or two moments where that contrast is apparent and provide a close reading of the text.

The end of the story comes straight through the speakers of the radio once its powers have been stripped away for good. Instead of neighbors’ secrets, Jim and Irene hear a couple of lines of news reportage. Some of it is tragic, while some of it, like the weather, is banal. How does this ending relate to the opening paragraph, and what does it tell us about the Westcott marriage?

What is the significance of the “Missouri Waltz”? Use examples from the text to support how the song represents a loss of innocence.