The Fun They Had

The Fun They Had

                              by Isaac Asimov

Analysis:

·       The story ‘The Fun They Had’ is written by Isaac Asimov, a noted science fiction writer.

·        The story is a science fiction with background setting of 2157. It is a comparative study of schools in present era and the schools of future. It is written in form of a diary by a young girl, Margie.

·        It is a beautiful and interesting introspection of the present day education system and school behaviour.

·        The theme of the story is the future of education.

      In the chapter the real schools are considered to be far better than the schools of future because they offer great fun to the students, better, pleasant and conducive atmosphere for learning. 

Summary  /  Synopsis

§  The story takes us to year 2157 in future. Tommy, 13 years old, found a book from attic and showed it to his sister, Margie who is 11 years old.

§  It was a book printed on paper. The pages of the book had turned yellow and wrinkled as it belonged to Margie’s grand father’s grandfather.

§   The book was peculiar in the sense that words on it were not moving like they move on their mechanical teacher’s screen.

§  Tommy called it a ‘waste’ because once the book is read, it is of no use. Their television screen had a million e-books on it and one cannot throw them away.

§  They both wanted to know what the book was about. When Tommy told that it was about the school, Margie found it strange as she hated the school.

§   Now she hated it more than ever because her mechanical teacher had been giving her tests after tests in geography and she had been doing worse and worse.

§  Her mother sent for the County Inspector who was a round little man. He took the television teacher apart and set it right within an hour to Margie’s disappointment.

§  He told 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. 

§  Margie was curious to know about the school in the past. Tommy told, it was the old kind of school where the students had a human teacher who taught them and gave home work.

§  Margie argued that a man cannot be smart enough. Tommy further told that the teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building named school and the students went there.

§  Now, it is Margie’s school time. She went into the school room which is right next to her bedroom. The mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. The teacher is on same time every day except for Saturday and Sunday. Her mother thinks that the young children learn better if they learn at regular hours.

§  First, she put her homework in the slot with a sigh and mechanical teacher checked it in no time. 

§   She was 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, studying together and helping one another with learning and doing homework and going home together at the end of the day. Those schools were far better than the schools of her time because they offered great fun to the students.

Mechanical Teacher

The Mechanical teacher is a machine programmed to teach according to the grade and level of a particular child. It is a big, black and ugly television screen (according to Margie). It has a slot to insert homework and tests which is written in punch code and mechanical teacher calculates the marks and grades in few moments. The machine may be a computer or television screen as well as may look like a robot according to one’s choice.

Tele book

The Tele book or e-book is a digital book. It is written in electronic form. It stores all the chapters or information required for a specific subject or grade. It is displayed on the screen of mechanical teacher and read by scrolling up, down or sideways.

Electronic book or tele book may contain many books together according to the requirement.

The words of e - book keep moving on screen while someone reads the book.

Message

The message of the story is that the real education is about providing adequate and right environment for learning. He conveys that the learning process must be a fun and should take place in healthy and congenial environment

 The writer warns against the future education system which may become completely digital or computerised with zero social interactions, and thus, may prove fatal to the healthy education system.

Title

 The title ‘Fun They Had’ is apt and significant as it also conveys the message that learning process must be a fun and should take place in healthy and congenial environment. the students of present era in real schools where human teachers teach and offer healthy atmosphere for learning and inclusion of interesting activities, real life skills and arts provide fun to the students along with learning.

Important Question answers

Q1. How does Tommy describe old kind of school? How does he describe old kind of teachers?

Ans. Tommy describes old kind of school as a special building named school where all the children go there and study together. The students of same age used to sit together in a room and learn same subjects or things.

In the school the children were taught by a real teacher who was human. He used to teach children, ask questions and give them home work. The teacher also went to school to teach.

Q2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think old kind of school must be a fun?

Ans. Margie hated school as she hated to do home work. She also found her mechanical teacher to be ugly. She hated it even more when geography sector was geared up too quick and she was doing worse in tests after tests which were given by her mechanical teacher. 

Margie thought that old kind of school must be a fun as all the children went there laughing and shouting together and studied together. The students of same age used to sit together in a room and learn same subjects whereas Margie had to sit alone in her room and study all by herself. There was no one with her to help and discuss with. She felt it would be fun to discuss and study with the children of her age.

Video on the fun thay had 
https://youtu.be/G7A9Bg_7Xig

Q3. Describe the characteristics of the old School? How did it influence Margie?

Ans. Old kind of school was a building specifically built and designed for education purpose where all the children go and study together. The students of same age used to sit together in a class room and learn same subjects, topics and things. They were taught by a real teacher who was human who used to teach, ask questions and give them home work. Yes, Margie was influenced greatly. Being lonely in her school room she was thinking of old school and wished to study there and have fun the way the children of old school had.

Q4. Will future schools be completely devoid of humans and human values? Give reasoned answer.

Ans. I don’t think so that future schools will be devoid of human touch and human values as technology also needs to be programmed, maintained and corrected by humans and in want of human values education will lose its meaning. Provision of education in a secluded room fails to impart social values, collaboration and adjustments and tolerance.