John Cheever’s “The Enormous Radio” is Gothic because the replacement radio behaved supernaturally by broadcasting the conflicts among the apartment tenants (The Fantastic). Irene experienced Gothic emotions since she was in suspense of her neighbor’s secrets and shocked by how the radio had still revealed the private conversations after the initial repair. Irene’s Gothic actions such as doing what is forbidden, eavesdropping and her degenerate desire to listen for more even when the conversations were distressing (degradation) demonstrated the Gothic aspect of this story. Uncertainty had occurred since Irene was unsure as to whether or not the radio could record her own private conversations.

The story, “The Enormous Radio” by John Cheever is not Gothic because the drama between the private conversations and Irene’s gloom was emphasized rather than the Fantastic aspect. The radio’s defect was not horrific nor did the story involve excesses and human boundary explorations. The story did not contain a return to normalcy since the radio’s final repair seemed normal, but Jim and Irene fell into conflict with each other which had not occurred before the radio was even purchased. The story was lacking in Gothic elements such as nightmares, miraculous survival and settings such as castles or basements. Although the radio’s “interference” might be deemed supernatural, Jim and Irene’s reactions to the mystery did not produce suspense or terror in the audience since no apprehension was expressed. The radio might have been an allegory against eavesdropping since Irene’s worldview had been warped because she couldn’t mind her business, rather than a terrifying story of a radio that invades privacy.

-Tahirjon (Vince) Alesso