Written by John Cheever in 1947, "The Enormous Radio" is a powerful short story written through an almost comedic lens. The underlying themes are as applicable to current times as they were in 1947. Between winning a Pulitzer for fiction in 1979 and writing for more than fifty years, it's obvious that Cheever had a gift for the written word. At first glance his story “The Enormous Radio” may not appear as weighty and truthful as it actually is. Cheever was a brilliant writer and knew how to fill his words with deeper meanings. However, his writing paralleled his lifestyle. Although his writing skills were marvelous, he struggled deeply with alcoholism and sexual remorse. His lifestyle, much like his writing, varied significantly above and below the surface. “The Enormous Radio” exploits the natural desire of human beings to discover information that they are not necessarily supposed to know. Through the use of specific character characteristics, rich themes, symbolism, and setting, Cheever leaves his audience to reflect on their own “radios” that consume their lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The main character of the 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 he wants something different in his life, he doesn't do much to fix it. Overall, she is depicted as a passive character. This passivity affects his fascination with his new radio. The radio acts as a symbol that provides information. The radio could represent true secrets or deceptions or how a person discovers secret information. Once Irene begins to discover other people's secrets, she is amazed by the information but remains passive throughout every conversation. Even when he hears a woman being beaten by her husband, he refuses to act on the information. She tells her husband to do something, to go and fix it, but neither of them does anything. He simply accepts that his job is not to engage or change what is happening, whether he is listening to the radio or not. It seems to embody the "ignorance is bliss" idea. It would be better if he knew less than he knew. With each new piece of information on the radio came more weariness in his life. In the end, however, Cheever puts the woman on the "pedestal" and is overwhelmed 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 has a complete outburst of frustration that the audience gets a glimpse into his real life. All the gossip and information he disapproved of (coming from the radio) actually existed in his life. Her obsession with her neighbors' dirty little secrets had somehow made her forget her imperfect past. Although the beginning of the story portrays her as a normal, interested person, the audience ends the story realizing that she is covered in hypocrisy and a desire for secrets. The setting of Cheever's tale plays a significant role in the plot. The timing of the story gives the reader a better understanding of the importance of radio to the family. The radio in the 1940s would have been as important as the cell phone today. Most families had one and it provided entertainment and news. Another important aspect of the setting it has)..