The Missouri Waltz Symbol Analysis

The Missouri Waltz that repeatedly plays on the Westcotts’ new radio represents a loss of innocence and of ignorance. The song first appears in the story after the Westcotts hire a handyman to repair their new radio, which has been broadcasting the sounds and conversations of their neighbors. Initially, Irene believes the radio has been fixed, as she hears a scratchy recording of the Missouri Waltz; the recording reminds Irene of music she heard during her childhood vacations. When the waltz ends, she expects to hear an accompanying description of the song; instead, the recording merely repeats. Irene hears the song again when one of her neighbors hums the tune in the elevator. Later in the story, Irene calls that same neighbor a loose woman, implying that her neighbor often plays the song while she entertains her partners.

To Irene, the Missouri Waltz represents a twofold loss of innocence: the song both reminds her of childhood scenes that have faded into memory, and represents her gradual awareness of her peers’ immoral behavior. Irene is notably described as a naïve character; as such, the corruption of the waltz—from a song of her youth into something associated with sexual indiscretion—emphasizes a certain disillusionment as she begins to see the reality of the world around her. The waltz’s missing description also illustrates an additional element of this lost innocence: its inexplicability. Irene is not given a rationale for—nor an explanation of—the terrible revelations she hears on the radio; rather, she is simply exposed to her peers’ faults, problems, and sins, and must acclimate to this unexpected knowledge without help or clarification.