CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature- Literature Lesson 1- The Fun They had by Issac Assimov

1. CLASS 9- LESSON
1- THE FUN THEY
HAD
BY I S S A C A S I M O V

2. ISSAC ASIMOV
• One of the greatest writer of 20th century.
• He is known for science fiction stories.
• He was born on 2nd January, 1920 in Russia. He migrated to America with his parents at
the age of 3.
• He earned a doctorate degree.
• He worked as a professor at the Boston University.
• He died at the age of 72 on April 6, 1992.

3. HIS WORKS
• Asimov started writing at the age of 11 when his father bought him a typewriter.
• His works are:
Foundation
Asimov’s Chronology of Science and Discovery
Many short stories like The Last Question, Nightfall
Many history books like The Roman Empire

4. THE TITLE AND THE THEME
• The title of the story “The Fun They Had” has been derived from the closing words of
the story.
• The theme of the story is about the effects of extreme use of machines and
mechanisation and automation in the education system.
• The author brings a contrast between the schools of today and the schools of 22nd
century.
• The story happens in the year 2157. It is just an imagination and futuristic thoughts of
the author.

5. THE PROBLEM WE ARE FACING NOW
Can anyone tell me the problem we are facing now and how schools are going to be
conducted in the future?
Do you really like this type of schooling?
What do you think about computerisation?

6. CHARACTERS
• Margie- an eleven-year-old girl
• Tommy- a young boy of thirteen years
• Margie’s mother
• County Inspector- a person who comes and checks the mechanical teacher

7. ABOUT MARGIE
• Margie is a typical young girl who doesn’t like school, which is actually a personalised
television and a mechanical teacher. She studies in the comfort of her home. She has
to insert her homework in a slot provided and the mechanical teacher would check the
answers and give the results. Margie doesn’t like the school because she is confined to
the room and there is no one to interact along.
• When she and Tommy find a real book that belonged to Tommy’s grandfather and
they get excited.
• They both read the book and Margie concludes that the old type of school that we
actually follow now is pretty exciting.

8. ABOUT TOMMY
• Tommy is a young boy of thirteen years. He plays a very important role in the story. He
and Margie are friends and neighbours. He is the one who finds the book about the
schools from yesteryears, where students used to go to school and everyone sit
together, learn together, do homework together and play together. It is his
grandfather’s book.
• Tommy is a curious kid.
• He doesn’t like the idea of real books with papers printed on them as he feels that they
are waste as one can throw them once it is used.
• The author has used Tommy as a symbol of contrast between the schools of the 20th
century and the schools of 22nd century.

9. GLOSSARY
• Crinkly- folded and crumpled
• Awful- unpleasant
• Attic- a place just below the roof used as a storeroom

10. GLOSSARY
• Scornful- feeling or expressing a dislike.
• Slot- a space or portion to insert something
• Geared- adjusted to a particular standard or level
• Blanked out- forget or stop thinking
• Loftily- something done in an arrogant manner
• Dispute- disagree, quarrel, debate
• Nonchalantly- careless, not showing interest, taking anything casually