Written by John Cheever in 1947, “The Enormous Radio” is a powerful short story written with an almost comical perspective. The underlying themes are as applicable to today as they were in 1947. Between winning a Pulitzer for fiction in 1979 and writing for over fifty years, it's clear that Cheever had a gift for fiction. 'writing. At first glance, his short story “The Enormous Radio” may not seem as heavy and truthful as it actually is. Cheever was a brilliant writer and had a way of giving his words deeper meanings. However, his writings fit his lifestyle. Although his writing skills were wonderful, he struggled deeply with alcoholism and sexual remorse. His lifestyle, like his writing, varied considerably above and below the surface. “The Enormous Radio” is inspired by the natural desire that human beings have to discover information that they shouldn't necessarily know. Through the use of specific character characteristics, rich themes, symbolism, and settings, Cheever leaves his audience reflecting on their own "radios" that consume their lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The main character of the short story is a woman named Irene. Interestingly, the reader's perception of Irene's personality and character seems to change throughout the story. At the beginning of the story, she envies those who have more than her and her husband. The people around her begin to symbolize the idea that the more she has, the happier she will be. Even though she wants something different for her life, she doesn't do much about it. Overall, she is portrayed as a passive character. This passivity is reflected in his fascination with his new radio. The radio acts as the symbol that gives information. The radio could represent actual secrets or deceptions or how a person discovers secret information. Once Irene begins to discover other people's secrets, she is impressed by the information but remains passive throughout each conversation. Even when she hears a woman being beaten by her husband, she refuses to act on this information. She tells her husband to do something, to go up and fix it, but neither of them do anything. She simply accepts that her job is not to engage or change what happens, whether she listens to the radio or not. She seems to embody the idea “ignorance is bliss”. It would be better if she knew less than her. With each new piece of information broadcast on the radio came additional exhaustion in his life. Ultimately, however, Cheever puts the woman on a "pedestal" and is knocked down by her husband. She believes that she and her husband are better and live more wisely than those around them. It's only when the husband completely explodes in frustration that the audience gets a glimpse into his real life. All the gossip and information she disapproved of (on the radio) actually existed in her own life. His obsession with the neighbors' dirty little secrets had somehow made him forget his own imperfect past. Although the beginning of the story presents her as a normal, self-interested person, the audience ends the story realizing that she is covered in hypocrisy and a desire for secrets. The setting of Cheever's short story plays an important role in the plot. The timing of the story allows the reader to better understand the importance of radio to the family. Radio in the 1940s would have been as important as.