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The Fun They Had
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Fun They Had, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Technological Progress and Education
In “The Fun They Had,” Asimov constructs a futuristic world in the year 2155, in which traditional school has been replaced with a computerized homeschooling system. The story follows an 11-year-old girl named Margie who is mystified by the “very old book” about school that her friend Tommy found. With young and curious Margie as the story’s protagonist, Asimov allows questions of technological progress to be filtered through a lens of innocence. Although…
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Books and Preservation of the Past
Even though “The Fun They Had” takes place in a futuristic world where computerized technology is the basis of education and society, Asimov’s story also expresses the importance of the preservation of the past. The “very old book” that the children find is not simply a book, but a valuable historical document or archival object; the book is both a primary source and record of times gone by. Through the children’s fascination with…
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Gratitude and Wanting
The central arc of “The Fun They Had” focuses on Margie learning about the schools and education of the past, leading to her wishing for a school in which she could learn and have fun with other children. Through Margie’s longing to experience school the way her ancestors did many years ago, Asimov suggests that it’s natural for people to want what they don’t have, but that people should try to be grateful for all…
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