Introduction:- The Fun They Had Notes | Study English Class 9 - Class 9

Isaac Asimov – A Short Biography 

• Scholar Isaac Asimov was one of the 20th century’s most prolific writers, writing in many genres. He was known for sci-fi works like Foundation and me, Robot.
  
  Issac Asimov, Author and Biochemist
• Born on January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi, Russia, Isaac Asimov immigrated with his family to the United States and became a biochemistry professor while pursuing writing. 
• He published his first novel, Pebble in the Sky, in 1950. An immensely prolific author who penned nearly 500 books, he published influential sci-fi works like I, Robot, and the Foundation trilogy, as well as books in a variety of other genres. 
• Asimov died in New York City on April 6, 1992.
• 'The Fun They had' is one of the most popular fictional works written by him.

 Introduction

• This story is set in the future when books and schools as we have now perhaps will not exist. 
• Two students of that period about 150 years advance from today, find a printed book. They are surprised very much.
• They talk about the schools and books of the old period.
• They compare those schools with those of their own, which are situated in their homes and have mechanical teachers to teach them. 
• They find their own schools dull and boring. 
• They think that it was great fun to study in the schools of old times when all the kids in the area went there to learn the same thing from a man teacher.

Literary Analysis of 'The Fun They Had'

• "The Fun They Had" is a short story that falls in the category of science fiction and the future year 2157 as its background setting.
  It takes us into a world where computers will play a major role in educating children. Schools that use paper books and that encourage mutual interaction between teachers and students will cease to exist.
• The story “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov is about the year 2157 when every child has his own machine teacher and schools like today do not exist anymore.
• Asimov wrote this story in 1951 for a syndicated newspaper page. Later “The Fun They Had” was published in “Fantasy and Science Fiction” magazine.
• In the year 2157, the thirteen-year-old Tommy finds an old book. He and Margie, who is eleven, find it strange that the words on paper do not move after having been read. 
• Nowadays, they only read stories on the computer screen. The book is about school centuries ago. Margie is very surprised that in the past pupils had a person as a teacher and that all children of the same age learned the same thing and went to a schoolhouse with other children. 
• Margie wants to read more of the book, but first, she has to learn with her machine teacher whose level is too advanced for her, and she thinks the school in those days was much better than today. 
• Ultimately the theme is to understand the importance of the present time lively school atmosphere in which we keep on finding faults over nothing.

Theme 

The main theme in the short story ‘The Fun They Had’ is that of education. More specifically, the narrative deals with the future of education, which will become increasingly Computerized and estranged from social interactions. 

Word - Meanings

• Exist = To be in being = अस्तित्व में होना 
• Virtual = Real = वास्तविक
• Imagine = Suppose/think = कल्पना करना
• Crinkly = With many folds = सलवटों वाला
• Awfully = Terribly = भयानक ढग से 
• Waste = Useless = व्यर्थ 
• Guess = Assume = अनुमान
• Million = Ten lakh  = दस लाख
• Telebooks = Books on telivision screen = टेलीविज़न के पर्दे पर आने वाली पुस्तकें 
• Attic = A space just below the roof used as a store = अटारी
• Scornful = Contemptuous = घृणा का भाव होना
• Geography = Study about the earth and its objects = भूगोल 
• Worse = Not better = ख़राब 
• Slot = A given space = दराज
• Punch code = A number with some hole = छिद्र संख्या 
• Fault = Problem = दोष 
• Geared = Adjusted the speed = स्पीड सही करना 
• Pattern = Design/system = ढांचा 
• Disappointed = Unhappy = निराश 
• Sector = Part = भाग 
• Blanked out = Got plain without any writing = साफ हो गया 
• Stupid = Fool = मूर्ख
• Loftily = In a superior way = विशिष्ट अंदाज में 
• Regular = Normal (here)  = सामान्य
• Betcha = To make a bet = शर्त लगाना 
• Dispute =Disagree with = असहमति 
• Screamed =Cried loudly = जोर से चिल्लाया 
• Kids = Small children = छोटे बच्चे 
• Adjusted = To make set = समायोजित करना
• Funny = Interesting (here) = रोचक
• Probably = Possibly = संभवतया
• Nonchalantly = Not showing much interest = अनिच्छा पूर्वक
• Tucked = To fold/put = दबाना 
• Beneath = Under = के  नीचे
• Except = Excluding = के सिवाय
• Lit up = Lighted = प्रकाशित होना
• Arithmetic = A subject that provides the study of numbers = अंकगणित 
• Insert = Put = डालना
• Flashing = Shining = चमकना