The Enormous Radio by John Cheever Hannah Tull

The Enormous Radio by John Cheever Hannah Tull Synopsis: The story focuses on the lives of Jim and Irene Westcott, an couple living in an apartment building. When the Wescotts get a new radio, they discover that they can use it to listen in on the conversations of their neighbours.

Gathering Information:

Setting: About the Westcott’s: They’ve been married for 9 yrs and have 2 children, and often listen to the radio. They aren’t rich, but quite well off, as they have a maid and are able to eat out and go the to theatre. Irene also has furs. The apartment seems quite big as it has floors and multiple rooms on the first floor; kitchen, living room, dining room, and a basement where the maid sleeps. However, they are soon going to have to cut back on spending. I assume that the Walcott’s have an English tenant as she sings ‘Oranges and Lemons’ and another song that mentions ‘pence and farthings’ • Time frame: Phonograph was mentioned so could be 1800’s-early 1900’s • 1940’s- Offering to pay bills (gender hierarchy) , electrical sockets, but able to remember phonograph • A few days, less than 1 week • Sound: Mostly classical music • Country/Nationality: American; ‘Coffee’ and ‘Dollars’. • A tenant was singing ‘oranges and lemons’ an English song around the World Wars (Private Peaceful) • Living Area: ‘twelve floor’ Large apartment (Rear Window) Immaculate house: ‘physical ugliness of the large gumwood cabinet…she had [carefully] chosen [the apartments] furnishings and colours…’ •

Room Designs: My Fair Lady 1964

Character Designs: Mrs Walcott: ‘plain girl with soft brown hair and a wide, fine forehead’ Selfish, yet family orientated, intrusive or caring? Mr Walcott: ‘looked younger than he was…graying hair cut very short…he dressed in the kind of clothes his class had worn at Andover’ Manner: ‘earnest, vehement and intentionally naïve’ not intrusive or not caring? Note: The maid and the 2 children were not described however I would make the maid a little shorter that Mrs Walcott to emphasise the power hierarchy. Also for the children, I would make one a boy and the other a girl, to play on the fact that Mrs Walcott feels her life is without fault, when in fact she it is not.

Costume MRS W. Design: MAID MR W.

The Radio: The Radio ‘large gumwood cabinet’ was ‘stood amongst her intimate possessions like an aggressive intruder’ and had a number of ‘dials and switched’ Texture: