Main Idea
l Inthis text, the author challenges the modern idea that fun is there for theasking and that fun overshadows everything.
l Theauthor argues, instead, that fun is hard to have and that fun is a rare jewel.
Part 1 (Paragraphs1-5) introduces the thesis of the essay: Fun is hard to have. Fun is a rarejewel.
Part 2 (Paragraphs6-11) points out a prevalent misconception, and consequences thereof, thateverything is supposed to be fun.
Part 3 (Paragraphs12-15) is the concluding part of the essay where the author suggests that weought to treat fun reverently.
Fun, Oh Boy. Fun. You Could Die from it
Suzanne BrittJordan
1 Fun ishard to have.
2 Funis a rare jewel.
3 Somewhere along the line people got the modernidea that fun was there for the asking, that people deserved fun, that if wedidn’t have a little fun every day we would turn into (sakes alive!) puritans.
4 “Wasit fun?” became the question that overshadowedall other questions: good questions like: Was it moral? Was it kind? Was ithonest? Was it beneficial? Was it generous? Was it necessary? And (my favorite)was it selfless?
5 When the pleasures got to be the mainthing, the fun fetish was sure to follow. Everything was supposed to be fun. Ifit wasn’t fun, then by Jove, we were going to make it fun, or else.
6 Think of all the things that got thereputation of being fun. Family outings were supposed to be fun. Sex wassupposed to be fun. Education was supposed to be fun. Work was supposed to befun. Walt Disney was supposed to be fun. Church was supposed to be fun. Staying fit was supposed to be fun.
7 Just to make sure that everybodyknew how much fun we were having, we put happy faces on flunking test papers, dirty bumpers, sticky refrigerator doors,bathroom mirrors.
8 If a kid, looking at his very happyparents traipsing through that very happy DisneyWorld, said, “This ain’t fun, ma,” his ma’s heart sank. She wondered where she had gone wrong.Everybody told her what fun family outings to Disney World would be. Golly gee,what was the matter?
9 Fun got to be such a big thing thateverybody started to look for more and more thrilling ways to supply it. Oneway was to step up the level of danger or licentiousness or alcohol or drug consumptionso that you could be sure that, no matter what, you would manage to have alittle fun.
10 Television commercials brought a lotof fun and fun-loving folks into the picture. Everything that people in thosecommercials did looked like fun: taking Polaroid snapshots, swilling beer,buying insurance, mopping the floor, bowling, taking aspirin. We all wished,I’m sure, that we could have half as much fun as those rough-and-ready guysaround the locker room, flicking each other with towels and pouring champagne.The more commercials people watched, the more they wondered when the fun wouldstart in their own lives. It was pretty depressing.
11 Big occasions were supposed tobe fun. Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter were obviously supposed to be fun. Yourwedding day was supposed to be fun. Yourwedding night was supposed to be a whole lot of fun. Your honeymoon wassupposed to be the epitome of fundom. And so weended up going through every Big Event we ever celebrated, waiting for the funto start.
12 It occurred to me, while I wassitting around waiting for the fun to start, that not much is, and that Ishould tell you just in case you’re worried about your fun capacity.
13 I don’t mean to put a damper on things. I just mean we ought to treat fun reverently.It is a mystery. It cannot be caughtlike a virus. It cannot be trapped like an animal. The god of mirth is paying us back for allthose years of thinking fun was everywhere by refusing to come to our party.I don’t want to blaspheme fun anymore. When funcomes in on little dancing feet, you probably won’t be expecting it. In fact, Ibet it comes when you’re doing your duty, your job, or your work. It may evencome on a Tuesday.
14 I remember one day, long ago, onwhich I had an especially good time. PamDavis and I walked to the College Village drug store oneSaturday morning to buy some candy. We were about 12 years old (fun ages). Shegot her Bit-O-Honey. I got my malted milk balls, chocolate stars, Chunkys, and a small bag of M & M’s. We started back to her house. I was going tospend the night. We had the whole day to look forward to. We had plenty ofcandy. It was a long way to Pam’s housebut every time we got weary Pam would put her hand over her eyes, scan the horizon like a sailor and say, “Oughta reachhome by nightfall,” at which point the two of us would laugh until we thoughtwe couldn’t stand it another minute. Then after we got calm, she’d say itagain. You should have been there. It wasthe kind of day and friendship and occasion that made me deeply regretful thatI had to grow up.
15 It was fun.
1) Whatis the thesis statement of the essay? (paragraph 1-2)
2) In Paragraph4, a series of questions has been raised. What’s the effect of it? (Paragraph4)
3) Whatare some of the things that do not provide fun according to Jordan ? (Paragraph7)
4) What relationshipdoes the use of drugs and alcohol have to our difficulties in having fun today?(Paragraph 9)
5) Whatis the relationship between big occasions and the experience of fun? (Paragraph11)
6) Howdoes Jordan develop Paragraph 13? (Paragraph 13)
7) Whatdoes “It may even come on a Tuesday” mean? (Paragraph 13)
8) Whydoes Jordan use an anecdote to conclude her essay? (Paragraph 14)
Class Activity:
Group discussion: An imaginary event is presented in Paragraph 8 and a real one in Paragraph14. What’s the function of the narration of these two events?
Tip:
In the imaginary event, the elaborate preparation of the parents was wasted and the child failed to havethe expected fun, whereas in the real event, the simple childish behavior gavethe children satisfaction and joy. With a comparison of these events, theauthor suggests that what is supposed to be fun may not enable one to have agood time. The simple joy of life is the real fun people are seeking.
