The Fun They Had.
Introduction
This fascinating story, written by the master of science fiction, Isaac Asimov, takes us on a journey over 150 years into the future. It forces us to question the value of our own classrooms and textbooks by showing us a world where learning is completely computerized and isolated.
Background and Context
Genre and Setting
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Genre: The story is a piece of science fiction set in the future, where computers will play a major role in education.
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Date: The entire story is centered around a diary entry made by the protagonist, Margie, on 17 May 2157. This date confirms that the events described—the lack of physical books and the existence of robot teachers—are a reality of that futuristic era.
Key Futuristic Concepts
The future schooling system is defined by technology:
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Mechanical Teacher: This is the robotic teacher that teaches students individually,. It is large, black, and ugly, with a big screen.
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Virtual Classroom: Learning takes place through computer software or the Internet, in a setting that is not a real classroom. For Margie, this space is simply the room right next to her bedroom.
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Telebooks: These are digital books displayed on the computer screen, as opposed to books printed on paper. The words move on the screen.
The Protagonists
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Margie: An eleven-year-old girl who intensely hates school. She attends her school every day at regular hours, except Saturday and Sunday.
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Tommy: A thirteen-year-old boy, slightly older and more knowledgeable about the world, who discovers the ‘real book’.
Themes of the Story
The central themes of “The Fun They Had” emerge from the stark contrast between the traditional 20th-century school and the high-tech, individualized education system of 2157.
The Obsolescence of Traditional Learning
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Physical Books vs. Digital Content: The discovery of the old book highlights how foreign the concept of paper books is to the children of the future. The words “stood still” instead of moving, which the children find “awfully funny”.
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Wastefulness of Paper: Tommy views the physical book as a “waste” because, once read, you throw it away. He compares this unfavourably to their television screen, which holds “a million books” and is reusable.
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End of Shared Knowledge: For Margie, the idea that all kids learned the same thing seems inefficient, contrasting with her belief that teachers must be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl.
Isolation and the Loss of Community
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The primary theme is the solitary nature of education in 2157.
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Margie’s schoolroom is right next to her bedroom, and her teacher is a mechanical device adjusted only for her mind.
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This setup removes the joy of communal learning—the “fun they had”. Margie realizes the excitement of children laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together, and helping one another with homework is completely missing from her life.
Human Element in Education
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Margie finds the concept of a “man” as a teacher strange and even inferior, asserting that a man “isn’t smart enough”,.
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She cannot fathom the idea of a “strange man in my house to teach me”, underscoring the shift from human interaction to mechanized instruction.
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The story suggests that the best part of the old school wasn’t just the subjects, but the fact that the teachers were people.
Explanation
The Discovery of the “Real Book”
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Margie records in her diary on 17 May 2157 that her friend Tommy found a real book.
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The book was found in Tommy’s attic,. It was a very old book, dating back to her grandfather’s grandfather’s time.
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Margie and Tommy found the pages strange because they were yellow and crinkly. They laughed because the words stood still instead of moving like those on their telebooks.
The Topic and the Waste
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Tommy tells Margie the book is “about school”.
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Margie reacts with scorn, saying she hates school more than ever.
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Tommy calls the paper book a “waste” because it must be thrown away after reading, unlike the electronic books on their massive television screen.
The Mechanical Teacher Malfunctions
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Margie’s intense hatred for school stemmed from her mechanical teacher. It had been giving her test after test in geography, and she was doing worse and worse.
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Her mother, Mrs. Jones, worried, and sent for the County Inspector.
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The Inspector was a round little man with a red face and a box of tools, dials, and wires. Margie secretly hoped he wouldn’t know how to put the teacher back together, as Tommy’s teacher once had to be taken away for a month because the history sector blanked out completely.
The Adjustment
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The Inspector fixed the teacher quickly. He explained that Margie’s poor performance was not her fault, but that the geography sector was geared a little too quick (adjusted to a difficult level).
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He slowed the machine up to an average ten-year level and confirmed that Margie’s overall pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory. He smiled and patted her head.
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The part Margie hated most wasn’t the screen, but the slot where she had to put homework and test papers, which she had to write in a punch code she learned at six.
The “Funny Schools” of the Past
- Tommy explains the book describes the “old kind of school” that existed “centuries ago”.
- Margie was confused by the idea of a man being a teacher, arguing a man isn’t “smart enough”. Tommy insists that the teacher was as smart as his father.
- Margie said she wouldn’t want a strange man in her house to teach me. Tommy screamed with laughter, explaining that the teachers didn’t live in the house; they taught in a special building where all the kids of the same age went.
Margie’s Nostalgia and the End of the Day
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Margie began to feel interested in these “funny schools”.
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Mrs. Jones called Margie to her schoolroom, which was right next to her bedroom. The mechanical teacher was already waiting for her, always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother believed in regular hours,,.
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As the screen flashed up the arithmetic lesson, Margie sighed. She was thinking about the old schools where all the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard.
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She kept thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days and was thinking about the fun they had.
Social Perspective of the Story
Dehumanization of Learning
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The constant presence of the large and black and ugly mechanical teacher and the requirement for homework to be submitted in a punch code illustrate a learning process stripped of joy and personality.
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The mechanical teacher, though customized for Margie’s specific needs, lacks the emotional and intellectual connection provided by a human teacher.
The Regimentation of Life
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The future society is highly regulated, exemplified by Margie having regular days and hours for school (always the same time every day) because her mother believes in the efficiency of regular hours,.
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Even the solution to Margie’s failure is purely technical (adjusting the geography sector to a slower level), highlighting the reliance on mechanism rather than motivational teaching.
The Value of Peer Interaction
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The story is a strong defense of the social component of education. The core of the “fun they had” lies in the shared experience: sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together, and learning the same things so they could help one another.
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The future system’s focus on individualized teaching eliminates this crucial peer support and communal enjoyment.
Lessons We Learn from the Story
“The Fun They Had” serves as a subtle warning and a powerful validation of our current educational system.
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The Importance of Community: We learn that the most valuable part of school is not just the information you receive, but the social interaction, teamwork, and friendship shared among peers,.
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Technology is a Tool, Not a Replacement: While technology (like telebooks) offers incredible access to “a million books”, the story warns that relying solely on machines risks creating an emotionally sterile and isolating learning environment. The human element, represented by the “man” as a teacher, provides mentorship and inspiration that a robot cannot.
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Appreciate the Present: Margie, who intensely hates her isolated school, ends up romanticizing the past. This teaches us to appreciate the traditional school environment we have today—the fun of recess, the support of classmates, and the interaction with human teachers.
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Curiosity Drives Learning: Margie initially expresses scorn for school, but her curiosity about the “real book” and the old buildings drives her to read and learn. This highlights that engagement and natural curiosity are necessary for genuine learning.
Conclusion
Isaac Asimov’s “The Fun They Had” is a highly relevant piece of science fiction that uses the futuristic setting of 2157 to examine the purpose and function of education. By contrasting Margie’s isolated, mechanical schoolroom with the vibrant, noisy classrooms of the past, the story emphasizes that education is a sociological experience as much as an intellectual one.
Ultimately, the story is a cautionary tale: while technological advancement can customize learning, it must never replace the human connection and collective joy that truly make learning worthwhile. Margie’s final thoughts about “the fun they had” underscore the irreplaceable value of shared human experience.