Minnie 1201

The Fun They Had​ by Isaac Asimov

Summary

In the year 2155, Margie, an 11 year old girl and her brother Tommy come across a
real book, and are fascinated by its obsoleteness. They learn about schools centuries ago
where there were physical copies of books and human teachers. For them, they are used to
learning from “mechanical teachers” or robots with screens for showing lessons and slots for
turning in homework. In their era, education is personalized for each student and taught at
home. Margie grieves and fantasizes how much fun she would have if she lived in an era
when there are schools.

Literary Device

Isaac Asimov’s astonishing short story ​The Fun They Had​ illuminates the nature of
education through an explorable use of symbolism. One notable symbolism is the mechanical
teachers, which can symbolize various truths about education in the present and in the future.
The mechanical teacher, as described in the story, is a large and black and ugly robot with a
big screen and a homework slot. They are programmed to customize the lessons based on
each student’s level and pace. The fact that they are programmed to do specific tasks sheds
light on the idea that in that era, education is seen as a fixed task to complete rather than a
flexible goal. As the repetitive and non sentient nature of robots only allow limited actions,
that makes their students subconsciously mimic them as well. Another strong example of
what mechanical teachers symbolize is “A man can’t know as much as a [mechanical]
teacher.” This line gives context about what society in the story values: quantity. As
mechanical teachers are built to contain as much knowledge as possible, the focus of teaching
lies in transferring as much knowledge as possible to students as well. Therefore, the focus on
the quality of teaching and supporting students’ development as a person is overshadowed.
That adds to the longingness Margie feels towards the end of the story. After all, we are just
humans and craving human interactions is inevitable.

Creative Response

d. Write an imaginary interview with the author or with a character in the story

At a random radio show in 2019… *(I=Interviewer, M=Margie)

I:​ Let’s get started with the first question. How’s life as a girl in 2155?

M:​ Well, a typical day for me starts off with me getting out of bed, oh, and in case you’re
wondering, it is still a difficult task regardless of what year you’re in. Then, I take a shower
and go eat breakfast just like any other. After that, I need to go to my school room, which is
next to my bedroom, to go learn with the mechanical teacher.

I:​ Hmm..I’m interested to know who the “mechanical teacher” is. What is he/she like?

M:​ He’s a nightmare. Really, he has this crooked robot body with a big ugly black screen. He
also has this homework slot for me to turn in homework, which needs to be written in punch
 Minnie 1201

code, by the way. The worst part is that I have to watch him all day because that is the only
place where I can learn from.

I:​ Wow, I can see why you are bored. But surely, teaching and dealing with homework aren’t
the only reasons mechanical teachers are built, right? There got to be good reasons as well.

M:​ Well, one good thing is that he automatically adjusts to my level and pace as a learner.
There’s an AI inside him that processes how well I’m doing in each class, and what I can do
to improve. One thing though, if he malfunctions, I will be doomed.

I:​ That’s the thing about automation. Even when we have smart robots that can contain all the
knowledge there is to know, they still need to be controlled by humans. But if it’s not the
quantity of knowledge that makes robots better teachers than humans, what else is there?

M: ​Well, I’ve never had a human teacher, but I don’t see much else that robots can do better
than us. Although my friends enjoy living inside the house all day and chatting with each
other online, I don’t think we can really develop real friendships that way. Don’t you think?
There’s something about human connection that is worth so much more than a one-way
communication with a screen.

I:​ I have to say I’m impressed with your point of view, Margie. I just wish kids in my time
can think like you.

M:​ Haha, thanks. That’s just what’s been on my mind since I’ve read a book about schools in
your time. I just wish I could go to a real one. I have to admit I do find them very…what do I
say….weird but interesting?

I:​ Well, schools this era, according to my 16 year old daughter, is just “a place full of
sleep-deprived people who are forced to learn stuff they don’t need in real life.” I don’t see
schools that negatively, but she is always complaining, whether it be a bad teacher, an
annoying classmate or the overwhelming workload. Despite that, she still procrastinates up
until the last minute.

M:​ That’s funny, my teacher sure wouldn’t let me learn something else if I don’t turn in the
previous chapter’s homework. Although, if schools are all that bad, why don’t they just focus
on the knowledge they need to teach, you know? Like take away all these unnecessary
problems by getting rid of, I don’t know, schools themselves?

I:​ You see, Margie. This is what we’re working on as a part of the education system. We
used to be very polarized; someone would say we need schools and some would say we don’t
at all. Our job is to find the balance, because education is not just about knowledge, it’s also
about building a community and developing life skills.

M:​ Woahh. That sounds complicated. God only knows what could happen in the future,
right? Spoiler alert: The world will be taken over by robots and we’ll become their slaves. I
mean, schools are great and learning can be done many ways, right?

I:​ Haha, ofcourse, Margie, ofcourse. Until next time, we’ll see what the future holds.

Reference
Asimov, I. (n.d.). ​The Fun They Had​.