Hypocrisy in The Enormous RadioIn the short story "The Enormous Radio" by John Cheever, the radio acts as a wake-up call for Jim and Irene Westcott. Even if they believe that their life is better than that of their neighbors, the radio proves them wrong. The Westcott's life can be compared to that of a freshly repainted ten-year-old car: beautiful and shiny on the outside but ruined on the inside. At first, Jim and Irene seem to have a good, trouble-free life; they seem to be ordinary people. The story states, “The Westcotts differed from their friends, classmates, and neighbors only in a shared interest in serious music” (Cheever 812). This already hints that they might have their share of problems, especially since they're almost exactly like everyone they know. One of the reasons they think they have a better life is their music, but in reality, that's where their conflicts arise. Once they received the new radio, everything seems fine, although they can hear all the neighbors' conversations. . The Westcotts ...