Margie is a character from the short story “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov. She is an eleven-year-old girl who lives in the future, where children are taught by mechanical teachers. Let’s dive into the details about Margie’s personality, her life, and her feelings.
Appearance
Margie is described as a typical eleven-year-old girl in the story. There isn’t much detail about her physical appearance, but we can imagine her as a curious and bright young girl.
Personality
Margie has a strong personality that shines through in various ways:
- Curious: Margie is very curious about the past. When she finds an old book about schools from centuries ago, she wants to know more about how children learned back then.
- Intelligent: Margie is smart and eager to learn. Despite her dislike for her mechanical teacher, she still completes her lessons.
- Imaginative: She imagines how wonderful it must have been to attend a real school with human teachers and classmates.
- Emotional: Margie has strong feelings about her education and often feels frustrated with her mechanical teacher.
Life in the Future
Margie’s life is quite different from what we know today:
- Mechanical Teacher: Margie’s teacher is a robot. It gives her lessons, corrects her homework, and even gives her tests.
- Homeschooling: She doesn’t go to a school building. Instead, she learns at home in a special room where the mechanical teacher is set up.
- Technology: The future world Margie lives in is full of advanced technology. Books are digital, and learning is done through screens.
Feelings About School
Margie has mixed feelings about her education:
- Dislike for the Mechanical Teacher: Margie doesn’t like her mechanical teacher. She finds it boring and strict. The teacher sometimes malfunctions, which makes her even more frustrated.
- Fascination with Old Schools: When Margie reads about old schools with human teachers, she feels excited and curious. She thinks it must have been fun to study with other children and have a human teacher who could answer questions and explain things in a friendly way.
Relationships
Margie’s interactions with others show a lot about her character:
- Tommy: Margie’s friend Tommy is a bit older than her. He is the one who finds the old book about schools. Margie looks up to Tommy and is very interested in what he has to say about the past.
- Mother: Margie’s mother is concerned about her education. She makes sure Margie attends her lessons and tries to keep the mechanical teacher working properly.
Interests
Margie has a few interests that stand out:
- Reading: Margie enjoys reading, especially the old book Tommy finds. This book opens up a whole new world for her.
- Daydreaming: She loves to daydream about what it would be like to go to a real school, playing with friends, and learning from a human teacher.
Conclusion
Margie is a curious and imaginative girl who dreams of a different way of learning. Her character shows us the importance of human connection in education and how technology, though advanced, can sometimes fall short of making learning enjoyable.
Margie’s story makes us think about the future of education and how we can balance technology with the human touch.