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