The Fun They Had Summary

Author: Isaac Asimov

Type: A science fiction story

Subject: The story begins with two children named, Margie and Tommy.It takes place in the world of the future where computers dominate everything.Moreover, it also shows how the concept of schools and classrooms has transformed completely.It’s the year 2157, and Margie is writing in her diary about how Tommy found a book.

Characters: Tommy, Mrs. Jones and the County Inspector.

Summary

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.

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 neighborhood 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.