The Fun They Had

About the Author

Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920. He was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. Asimov was a prolific writer, and wrote or edited more than 500 books. He also wrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.

Central Idea

'The Fun They Had' takes place in the world of the future where computers dominate everything. Moreover, it also shows the concept of schools and classrooms. It's the year 2157, and Margie is writing in her diary about how Tommy found a book. This book was of Tommy's grandfather when he was a little kid.

1.0Future of Education

It is the year 2157. Margie makes a diary entry which reveals that Tommy has come across a book printed on paper. The pages of the book have turned yellow and wrinkled which proves that it existed centuries ago. The book is peculiar in the sense that it had the same words on it that it had when they read it the first time. They were not moving like that on a computer/television screen.

Tommy calls it waste because once the book is read, it is of no use. Their television screen has had a million books on it and one cannot throw it away. Margie is of the same opinion but she is curious to know what the book is about. Tommy tells her that it is about school. She hated school, but now she hated it more than ever because her mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse. Her mother sends for the County Inspector who is a round little man. He takes the television teacher apart and sets it right within an hour which only increases Margie's disappointment. He tells her mother that it was not Margie's fault but the geography sector of the mechanical teacher was geared a little too quick and he has slowed that to an average ten-year level. He assures Margie and her mother that there will be no problem henceforth.

2.0Old School System

Margie is curious to know about the school that existed in the past. Tommy tells her that it is not their kind of school. That is the old kind of school that they had centuries ago. The students had a human teacher who taught them and gave them homework and also asked them questions. Margie argues that a man cannot be smart enough. Tommy further tells her that the teachers didn't live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there. The kids of the same age learned the same thing. Now it is Margie's school time. She goes into the schoolroom which is right next to her bedroom and the mechanical teacher is on and waiting for her. She puts her homework in the slot with a sigh.

She is still thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. Those schools were far better than the schools of today because they offered great fun to the students.

Recall

• Margie and Tommy are students of future school.
• Tommy finds an old book about school in the attic. They turn yellow, crinkly pages of the book and are surprised to see still words in the book.
• They thought the old book to be wastage of resources, as it was to be thrown after use.
• Margie hated school as her teacher gave her test and she performed badly.
• She hated the slot for putting homework and test papers.
• Margie's mother called County Inspector who came with all his equipment and repaired it in an hour.
• County Inspector told her mother that Margie's bad performance was due to the faulty setting of her teacher.
• Tommy explained that centuries ago the schools were not like theirs. They had a man as a teacher who taught students different subjects and gave homework also.
• Margie couldn't believe a man to be smart enough to have knowledge about different subjects.
• Now Margie was interested in reading more about the old funny schools.
• Margie thought about the old schools where kids had a lot of fun studying together and playing.
• The computer screen of her teacher was flashing new chapter in arithmetic on the addition of proper fractions. But Margie was lost in the thoughts of the old school.