Self-Deception and Hypocrisy Theme Analysis

In “The Enormous Radio,” Jim and Irene Westcott own a radio that allows them to eavesdrop on their neighbors’ various exploits. The Westcotts themselves seem to be an average family, content and untroubled; as the story continues, however, it becomes evident that Jim and Irene often deceive themselves and each other by pretending that they do not share any of the struggles of their peers. Despite believing, erroneously, that they are better than those around them, Irene and Jim are revealed to be perilously self-delusional. Cheever’s story thus illustrates not only the danger of maintaining false appearances to deflect others’ prying eyes, but the perils of lying to oneself. The story ultimately suggests that individuals who practice such self-deception are often deeply flawed and must actively fool themselves in order to maintain their hypocritical belief in their social superiority.

From the beginning of the story, there are hints that the Westcotts lie to themselves in order to feel superior to those around them. At first, Irene and Jim seem to be the quintessential middle-class family: they “seem to strike” a “satisfactory average of income, endeavor, and respectability.” The details of their life together are presented like the “statistical reports in college alumni bulletins,” a description that emphasizes the superficial nature of their happiness. Yet Jim is then revealed to be someone who is “intentionally naïve,” and who, despite his older appearance, still feels “younger” than his age. His wife Irene wears “a coat of fitch,” which is “dyed to resemble mink.” The Westcotts are thus presented as willfully self-deceptive: Jim actively cultivates an air of innocence to feel younger, and Irene dyes her clothing to look more expensive and feel richer.

This tendency to be dishonest is reflected when the Westcotts realize that their new radio lets them overhear their neighbors’ conversations. They initially lie to themselves about what they are hearing: Jim believes it is “impossible” for the radio to broadcast such conversations. As the Westcotts eavesdrop on their neighbors’ problems, however, their pride in their carefree life overrides their skepticism. They become “weak with laughter,” implying that they not only listen to but in fact revel in their neighbors’ struggles. Despite the seeming impossibility of a magical radio, the broadcasts fuel the Westcotts’ fantasy of superiority and good fortune, and they begin to rejoice in the seeming confirmation that they’re better than everyone else.

Gleeful and smug, Irene deliberately seeks out more of the neighbors’ quarrels, which allows her to judge her their dysfunctional lifestyles. She then insists that the Westcotts’ lifestyle is picturesque in comparison, and uses the radio to justify this self-deception. For example, Irene tells Jim that their neighbors have been “quarrelling all day.” She points out that everyone is “worried about money,” and calls one of her neighbors—who replays a recording of the Missouri Waltz during her trysts—a “whore.” The radio, which has exposed Irene to unsavory scenarios from her neighbors’ lives, has provided Irene with a basis of comparison by which to measure and overrate her own lifestyle. Unable to resist comparing herself to others, Irene then says that the Westcotts have “never been like” their neighbors, and insists that they are “good and decent.” She asks Jim to confirm that they are not “hypercritical or worried about money or dishonest.” Irene reinforces her romanticized perspective by comparing it to what she has overheard; Irene believes her family, unlike others, is free from worry and marital strife.

Irene’s self-delusion is, however, eventually challenged by accusations from Jim. Despite Jim and Irene’s overinflated sense of self-worth, Jim’s confrontation reveals how the Westcotts’ behavior is just as flawed—and their problems just as sordid—as anyone else’s. Jim eventually confesses that the radio cost “a good deal more” money than the Westcotts can afford; he then accuses Irene of lying about paying her “clothing bills.” Irene, unwilling to admit to the deception, claims she did not tell him because she did not want to “worry” him. Irene has so thoroughly bought into her fantasy of financial security that she avoids the truth: she claims her lie is meant to protect Jim, when in actuality her bills are unpaid because her family is in dire financial straits. 

Additionally, Jim admits that he has not “done as well” as he had “hoped to do.” He claims that he worries “about money a great deal” and says he is “not at all sure of the future.” In admitting this, Jim breaks any illusion of the Westcotts’ superiority: the Westcotts, despite dismissing their neighbors’ financial quarrels, also fight about money. Their problems are exacerbated, however, by their ongoing deflection. By believing that they are more stable than their neighbors—and lying to each other to maintain this fantasy—the Westcotts have, in fact, worsened their financial situation.

Jim then lashes out at Irene and lists her disreputable actions, which include stealing her “mother’s jewelry” and financially abandoning her sister. Jim reveals how Irene’s behavior is disgraceful, thereby eroding Irene’s ability to lie to herself about her “virtue.” She can no longer compare herself to her neighbors, as she has committed cruel and despicable acts, and is not the virtuous woman she believes herself to be.

The radio, then, serves as a tool to reveal the Westcotts’ deep hypocrisy. This gradual revelation illustrates how self-deception is often used to reinforce a sense of unearned superiority. Moreover, the story also demonstrates that self-delusion is, ultimately, an untenable way to maintain self-worth: eventually, the fantasy of superiority will butt up against reality, and will shatter.