The Fun They Had- CLASS-IX- An analytical description in English

 THE FUN THEY HAD

-Isaac Asimov

ABOUT THE STORY:-

"The fun they had" is a short story published in 1951. This story describes how science might impact the society in future. At the same time, it reflects on the potential drawbacks of technology in the field of education. It explains importance of human connection in the learning process. The two characters Margie and Tommy are two school students who experience no fun in their virtual class room and long for the traditional school.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

MARGIE even wrote about it that night in her diary.

On the page headed 17 May 2157, she wrote, “Today

Tommy found a real book!”

It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once

said that when he was a little boy his grandfather

told him that there was a time when all stories

were printed on paper.

Real book- the physical book which has paper pages

EXPLANATION:-

The story begins with Margie, a girl at her 11 writing about an old book in her diary on the night of 17^th. May 2157. Hence, it is a story set in the future. Maggie being the central character of the story writes an entry to her diary that her brother Tommy found a rear book. The explanation mark at the end of the sentence “Tommy found a real book” indicates strange feeling the girl experiencing as it was the age of computer. Perhaps real books do not exist in 2157.

Margie says that the book Tommy found was very old. She also reminds that, during her great grandfather’s time books were available. Hence, it is obvious that, these books were definitely acted as source of knowledge for pupils during the ancient period. Margie finds that, in ancient education system study materials were printed on paper. It seems her a strange thing.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

They turned the pages, which were yellow and

crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words

that stood still instead of moving the way they were

supposed to — on a screen, you know. And then

when they turned back to the page before, it had

the same words on it that it had had when they

read it the first time.

Crinkly- full of wrinkles

EXPLANATION:-

Margie with her brother experiences that, the pages of the book were yellow having many folds. It indicates that the book was too old. It was funny for them to read the old book as the words stood still. Now, they compare the old book with their tele-books and experience funny moments. The e-books they use to read keep on moving as screen moves. Thus, the old printed book with its still words turns to a funny object for them.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

“Gee,” said Tommy, “what a waste. When you’re

through with the book, you just throw it away, I

guess. Our television screen must have had a million

books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t

throw it away.”

Gee- a mild expression of surprise

EXPLANATION:-

After comparing the old book with tele-book, Tommy dislikes it. He considers the old printed book as a waste as after going through it, you do not find anything necessary to keep it any more. Thus, you are to throw it away after going through the story. On the other hand, as the e-books contain unlimited materials, they feel it more valuable than the old book. So, there is no question of throwing the screen away.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

“Same with mine,” said Margie. She was eleven

and hadn’t seen as many tele-books as Tommy had.

He was thirteen.

She said, “Where did you find it?”

“In my house.” He pointed without looking,

because he was busy reading. “In the attic.”

“What’s it about?”

“School.”

Attic- space just below the roof

EXPLANATION:-

Margie shares same experience with Tommy. In fact, she agrees with Tommy. Here, the writer clarifies that as Margie was a girl of eleven years she has not gone through as many e-books Tommy had. This suggests that, Tommy is older than Margie. Tommy is a boy of thirteen. Now, Margie asks Tommy that where did he find the old book. Here, Tommy replies to Margie that, he found the book below the roof of the house. He seems to be busy reading the book and hence without looking to Margie, he points the place where the book was. Margie asks about the content of the book and Tommy replied that it was about the old traditional school.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write

about school? I hate school.”

Margie always hated school, but now she hated

it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been

giving her test after test in geography and she had

been doing worse and worse until her mother had

shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County

Inspector.

Scornful- expressing disrespect

Hate- dislike

Worse- less well

Country inspector- a licenced professional

EXPLANATION:-

Margie thinks school worthless. She dislikes the concept “school”. She does not understand what has been written in the entire book regarding school. In fact, she hates school. There is a specific reason behind her dialkenes to school. As she was reading in a virtual class room, the mechanical teacher was giving her so many tests in Geography. On the other hand, Margie performed very bad and hence she disliked school. On the basis of bad performance of Margie, her mother considered the case and called a fault finder to check it.   

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

He was a round little man with a red face and a

whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled

at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the

teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know

how to put it together again, but he knew how all

right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again,

large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which

all the lessons were shown and the questions were

asked. That wasn’t so bad. The part Margie hated most

was the slot where she had to put homework

and test papers. She always had to write them out

in a punch code they made her learn when she was

six years old, and the mechanical teacher calculated

the marks in no time.

Apart- separated by distance

Slot- a narrow opening

Punch code- a way of representing information using holes

EXPLANATION:-

The fault finder or the country inspector was a supervisor. He was an ordinary person. He had a red face. He had all the accessories in a bag which he required to repair a system. According to the writer of the story he had tools with dials and wires in a big box. He observed the mechanical teacher carefully. As he dissembled the system, Margie suspects the round little man. She thinks that the inspector will fail to reassemble the system again properly. On the other hand, as the man was a professional one, he repaired it soon.

Here, the little girl describes the computer system. it seems black, big and ugly in its appearance. She says that the large black screen of the system asked so many questions and Margie had to submit her homework and test papers to it which she hated all the time.  Margie used punch code, a special language which she learned at the age of six years and the mechanical teacher calculated her marks very quickly.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

The Inspector had smiled after he was finished and

patted Margie’s head. He said to her mother, “It’s

not the little girl’s fault, Mrs Jones. I think the

geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those

things happen sometimes. I’ve slowed it up to an

average ten-year level. Actually, the overall pattern

of her progress is quite satisfactory.” And he patted

Margie’s head again.

Patted- touch quickly and gently

Geared-level became higher

EXPLANATION:-

When the country inspector repaired the system successfully, he smiled at Margie and said to her mother that the geography sector was geared to a high level for which she had been performing worse. The country inspector clarifies that such type of error happens sometimes. The inspector slows it down for Margie. Finally, he praises Margie and declares that her progress is quite satisfactory. He patted Margie’s head again.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping

they would take the teacher away altogether. They

had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a

month because the history sector had blanked out

completely.

So, she said to Tommy, “Why would anyone write

about school?”

disappointed-displeased

blanked out- erased

EXPLANATION:-

Margie feels disappointment when the country inspector repaired the system in no time. The man had once taken Tommy’s mechanical teacher for nearly a month as the history sector contained no study materials. He had to store the study materials in it, So, Margie had been hoping that the country inspector would also take her mechanical teacher away but it was in vain.

Now, she asks Tommy that why would anyone write about school.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes.

“Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is

the old kind of school that they had hundreds and

hundreds of years ago.” He added loftily,

pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”

Superior eye- showing high opinion of oneself

Stupid- silly

Loftily- in a way that shows you think you are better than other

Century- a period of hundred years

EXPLANATION:-

Tommy looks at Margie with superior attitude. Here, Tommy believes himself intellectually more superior on the topic. He thinks Margie as silly because she had no idea on the traditional school system. The word stupid he uses for Margie highlights it.  In a superior way he says that centuries ago the old traditional schools were available.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

Margie was hurt. “Well, I don’t know what

kind of school they had all that time ago.” She read

the book over his shoulder for a while, then said,

“Anyway, they had a teacher.”

“Sure, they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular

teacher. It was a man.”

“A man? How could a man be a teacher?”

“Well, he just told the boys and girls things and

gave them homework and asked them questions.”

Hurt- cause pain

Regular teacher- a teacher who is employed to be paid

EXPLANATION:-

As Tommy explained Margie about school in a superior way it hurts her and previously the word Tommy used “Stupid” wounded Margie’s pride and made her feel inferior. She acknowledges her lack of knowledge about historical schools. However, she thinks that everyone should know about these historical schools. Thus, she reads the book over Tommy’s shoulder for a while. It shows her interest to know more about the historical schools. Finally, she comments that the old schools had teachers.

Here Tommy clarifies that, the teachers in the old schools were not mechanical teachers as they have at their home. He says Margie that the teachers in historical schools were humans who had ample knowledge on education. Now, Margie expresses her disbelief at the idea of human teachers. It also indicates that Margie was unaware about the old educational system. On the other hand, Tommy explains Margie about the role of human teacher that the teachers imparted knowledge to students, assigned home works and engaged them through questioning.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

“A man isn’t smart enough.”

“Sure, he is. My father knows as much as my

teacher.”

“He knows almost as much, I betcha.”

Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said,

“I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to

teach me.”

 Smart- intelligent

Almost-very neatly

Dispute- argue

EXPLANATION:-

But Margie expresses her doubt about the intelligence of human teachers compared to mechanical teachers. It reflects her trusts on the knowledge and efficiency of the mechanical teachers. But, on the other hand Tommy says that human also possessed higher knowledge. Here, he argues that his father possesses knowledge comparable to their mechanical teachers. He says Margie not to underestimate the knowledge level of human being. Margie did not want to discuss more on the topic and she said that she does not want a strange man to come to her home to teach her. Here, Margie expresses her discomfort with the idea of human teacher.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know

much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the

house. They had a special building and all the

kids went there.”

“And all the kids learned the same thing?”

“Sure, if they were the same age.”

Scream- make a loud sound

Kids- children

EXPLANATION:-

Again, Tommy finds Margie lack of understanding. He perceives her uninformed about the historical school. He explains that, in the traditional education system, schools were separate building and all the students gathered there to receive education from human teachers. Margie questions Tommy that whether every student learned the same thing and Tommy confirms that students of same age typically learned the same thing.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to

fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that

each kid has to be taught differently.”

“Just the same they didn’t do it that way then.

If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly.

She wanted to read about those funny schools.

They weren’t even half finished when Margie’s

mother called, “Margie! School!”

Margie looked up. “Not yet, Mamma.”

“Now!” said Mrs Jones. “And it’s probably time

for Tommy, too.”

Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some

more with you after school?”

Funny- amusement

Looked up-appealed

Probably- something very likely

EXPLANATION:-

Again, Margie counters Tommy’s assertion and says that her mother believed in personalised education system. Her mother believes that, a teacher has to accommodate each student according to the knowledge level he/she possesses. On the other hand, Tommy says that the human teachers taught the students just like the mechanical teachers do. He clarifies Margie that the human teachers could understand level of knowledge the students possessed and taught them properly. Finally, he irritates at Margie and said not to go through the book if she does not like it. But Margie seems to be curious to know about the traditional school. Her reply “I didn’t say I didn’t like” indicates her interest to read it. She had interest to go through the funny book. She wanted to know more about the old school.

Both the characters go through the book for a while and their mother called them as it was time for school. The writer of the story says that they were even half finished. Margie had no interest to go to her school as she was going through the book but her mother demanded both of them to go to their school as it was scheduled time. Now Margie asks Tommy if she can read the book with him after their lessons. It shows Margie’s eagerness to know more about the old school.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

“May be,” he said nonchalantly. He walked away

whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath

his arm.

Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right

next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher

was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the

same time every day except Saturday and Sunday,

 because her mother said little girls learned better

if they learned at regular hours.

 Nonchalantly- in an unconcerned manner

Tucked beneath in arm- put in arm to hide

Beneath- below

EXPLANATION:-

Tommy’s response seems to be indifferent. He tries to ignore her. Showing no interest, he agrees with Margie. Now Tommy moves toward his school. Here, his whistling indicates his carefree attitude while still he had the book under his arm. Margie goes to her virtual class room where the mechanical teacher was waiting for her. It was a room next to her bed room. Except Saturday and Sunday Margie studied all the days. It indicates that Margie’s mother was very particular. She says Margie that she would learn better if she would continue to learn every day at a particular time.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

The screen was lit up, and it said: “Today’s

arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper

fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the

proper slot.”

Lit up- become bright

Insert- place

Slot- a narrow passage

EXPLANATION:-

The screen was active to deliver lessons. The mechanical teacher was going to teach on addition of proper fractions. But, before beginning the lesson it asked Margie to submit her home works of the previous day in the slot of the system.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

Margie did so with a sigh. She was 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. They

learned the same things, so they could help one

another with the homework and talk about it.

And the teachers were people…

 Sigh- a long audible breath

Neighbourhood- community within a town

Schoolyard- outside area next to school

EXPLANATION:-

Margie experiences discontent to submit her homework at a regular basis. She feels boring at this work every day. No fun she experiences in her virtual class. She thinks the past. It indicates her longing for a different type of experience. In fact, she thinks about the atmosphere of traditional school where students from neighbourhood gathered, socialized and learned together. At home, she feels solitary experience with her mechanical teacher. She thinks that, as students studied together, they could support each other.

ORIGINAL TEXT:-

The mechanical teacher was flashing on the

screen: “When we add fractions ½ and ¼...”

Margie was thinking about how the kids must

have loved it in the old days. She was thinking

about the fun they had.

Flashing- shining in intermittent way

Fraction- a mathematical operation

EXPLANATION:-

When Margie inserts her papers, the mechanical teacher continued its lesson on fraction. On the other hand, Margie was thinking about the old school. She was thinking about the fun the kids of the old school had. She thinks the enjoyment experienced by the students of traditional school and no more she concentrated herself on learning fraction.

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- M. B. Prasad.

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