Alexha Charles

In the short story “The Enormous Radio” by John Cheaver, it focuses on a couple, Jim and Irene, who brought a vintage and daunting radio. This story does indeed have gothic irony due to the fact that a radio comes into Westcotts life. This radio isn’t like ordinary radios and it can listen into other conversations being had by neighbors in their building. At first, Jim and Irene disliked the radio due to them not being able to listen to music but the discussions between neighbors. After hearing the neighbors, Jim and Irene felt a sense of superiority because they never experienced issues that their neighbors are currently going through. However, over time, Irene hears her neighbor being abused by her husband and another neighbor faces issues with hospital bills. When the radio is fixed, all goes back to normal. They can no longer hear the conversation being had by neighbors and the radio becomes a normal radio where it only plays music and weather reports. 

One can say that the story does not have gothic irony because there is not a return to normalcy. The Westcotts relationship was “good, decent, and loving”. Having the radio and overhearing the many conversations being had by neighbors all over the building, made the Westcotts feel as if they were better than others, but they (mainly Irene) started to have trust issues. She doubts her friends and her neighbors. She believes that they are playing a facade to hide what they’re truly going through. After the radio is fixed, Jim and Irene eventually start arguing with one another. Irene becomes worried neighbors will hear and Jim reveals that Irene is not innocent and she has done terrible things. It wouldn’t be considered gothic irony due to the fact that the Westcotts relationship doesn’t return to normal and that they are no different from their neighbors that face personal issues.