The Fun They Had: The Story In The Future 2155

The story under the title "The Fun They Had" was written by a highly prolific American writer, one of the three grand masters of science fiction - Isaac Asimov. The story begins with the description of two kids who found a real book.

It should be noted that all the events of the story take place in the future, in the year 2155, that's why a mere book from the past seems quite an interesting object for exploration. And Tommy (13) with Margie (11) read the book, thinking of those who used it many centuries ago.

Reading the story we come across the problem, tackled by the author. It is a low knowledge level of children, their uneagerness to study. To prove it we should mention the fact when the County Inspector slowed up Margie's mechanical teacher to an average ten-year level. The girl was 11, but couldn't or didn't want to cover her own age level, "she had been doing worse and worse". And how strong was her hatred towards school! She hoped her teacher wouldn't be back, that "large and black and ugly" teacher! "The part she hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers." - This sentence indicates at her being a usual girl with a usual nature, because it is the thing commonly disliked at schools.

So the idea of the story slowly comes out of all this - no matter how clever the mechanical teacher can be, machine can't replace human being and give that love and tenderness to kids.

To prove the idea, we should mention here the fact that when Margie went home after reading the book, her thoughts were about "the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather was a little boy". "Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had." Even the title of the story, which underlines the idea, repeated here to intensify its message.