Structure

“The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov is a very brief short story, structured around the character of a young little girl who lives in the future. Like all short stories, it presents a single event – the time when the character sees a printed book for the first time.

Given that the short story was intended to be read as children’s fiction, the narrative plot makes its structure very simple. “The Fun They Had” does not include all the plot elements; it lacks a climax and it merely presents the character’s reactions to finding a printed book and discovering more about school systems centuries before.

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Title

The title of the short story –“The Fun They Had” – indicates the narrative is going to be about some past events.

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Beginning

The beginning of the short story, which includes the plot exposition, introduces the readers to some of the characters and the time setting,...

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Middle

The middle of the short story, which usually comprises the rising action and the climax, represents the main part of the narrative, building up to a high tension moment. However, in this case, the middle of the short story simply presents the way the two children – Tommy and Margie – react to the discovery of the book and its topic, school:

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Ending

The ending of the short story is comprised of the falling action and the resolution.

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