CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

QUESTIONS:

1.​ What is the conflict between the teacher and the student?
2.​ How do the parents' beliefs about child-rearing affect the boy’s behavior?
3.​ Why does the teacher feel trapped in his job?
4.​ What role does power play in the student-teacher relationship?
5.​ Why does the teacher decide not to report the boy’s behavior to his parents?
6.​ Why does the teacher lose his temper with the boy?
7.​ How does the boy react to being hit by the teacher?
8.​ How do the boy’s parents perceive him?
9.​ What parenting philosophy do the parents follow?
10.​Why does the teacher feel frustrated with the parents?
11.​What is the teacher’s main motivation for tolerating the boy’s behavior?
12.​How does the boy manipulate the teacher?
13.​What role does the toy train play in the story?
14.​Why does the teacher feel desperate when the train stops working?
15.​How does the teacher try to keep the boy engaged in lessons?
16.​How does the boy tire out the teacher?
17.​What decision does the teacher make when the parents arrive?
18.​What excuse does the teacher give the parents about the lesson?
19.​What does the ending suggest about the teacher’s future with the boy?

Contextualization & Comparisons to Argentina

●​ Education & Discipline:

●​ Economic Pressures on Teachers:
●​ Parental Overprotection & Privilege:
●​ Generational Changes in Authority:
 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Questions and Answers

What is the conflict between the teacher and the student?

○​ The teacher is frustrated with the student’s inability or unwillingness to

correctly answer a math problem. The student, in turn, manipulates the
teacher, using the threat of reporting physical punishment to his parents as
leverage.

How do the parents' beliefs about child-rearing affect the boy’s behavior?

○​ The parents believe in a permissive, psychological approach to parenting,

avoiding discipline. This results in a spoiled, manipulative child who lacks
respect for authority.

Why does the teacher feel trapped in his job?

○​ He has to pretend to agree with the parents' theories, despite believing that
the child needs discipline. He also depends on the salary, making it hard to
leave the situation.

What role does power play in the student-teacher relationship?

○​ The boy, despite being a child, holds power over the teacher by threatening to
report him. The teacher, in contrast, fears consequences and ultimately
submits to the boy’s whims.

Why does the teacher decide not to report the boy’s behavior to his parents?

○​ The boy silently pleads for mercy, and the teacher, seeing his desperation,
chooses to protect him rather than expose his misbehavior.

Why does the teacher lose his temper with the boy?

●​ He gets frustrated with the boy’s deliberate mistake and his mischievous smile,
leading him to slap the child.

How does the boy react to being hit by the teacher?

●​ He bursts into tears and immediately threatens to tell his parents.

What parenting philosophy do the parents follow?

 ○​ They believe in avoiding strict discipline, letting the child grow freely without
constraints.

Why does the teacher feel frustrated with the parents?

○​ They lecture him daily on child psychology, expecting him to handle the boy
with extreme care, though he believes discipline is necessary.

What is the teacher’s main motivation for tolerating the boy’s behavior?

○​ He depends on the salary and cannot afford to lose the job.

How does the boy manipulate the teacher?

○​ He threatens to report him, refuses to study, and forces the teacher to play
games instead of doing lessons.

What role does the toy train play in the story?

○​ It symbolizes the boy’s control over the teacher, as he forces him to

participate in his game.

Why does the teacher feel desperate when the train stops working?

●​ He knows nothing about mechanics, and the boy demands that he fix it, putting him
in an impossible situation.

How does the teacher try to keep the boy engaged in lessons?

●​ He attempts to tell stories to maintain the child’s attention but struggles with
exhaustion.

How does the boy tire out the teacher?

●​ He makes him chase him around the garden until the teacher is completely
exhausted.

What decision does the teacher make when the parents arrive?

●​ Initially, he plans to confess about hitting the boy, but when he sees the boy silently
pleading, he decides to cover for him.

What excuse does the teacher give the parents about the lesson?

●​ He says they finished early and were simply playing to keep the child’s spirits up.

What does the ending suggest about the teacher’s future with the boy?
 ●​ The teacher realizes he is trapped in an ongoing cycle where the boy has control
over him.

Contextualization & Comparisons to Argentina

1.​ Education & Discipline:

○​ In Argentina, debates around discipline in schools mirror the themes in the
story. Historically, corporal punishment was common, but modern pedagogical
methods emphasize psychology and positive reinforcement—similar to the
parents in the story. However, critics argue that excessive leniency can lead
to a lack of respect for teachers, just as seen with the boy's behavior.
2.​ Economic Pressures on Teachers:
○​ The teacher tolerates humiliation because he needs the job. This reflects the
struggles of many Argentine teachers, especially in times of economic crisis,
when salaries are low and job security is uncertain. Many continue teaching
under difficult conditions due to financial necessity.
3.​ Parental Overprotection & Privilege:
○​ The parents’ wealth allows them to spoil their child, making him unaware of
consequences. In Argentina, private school students from affluent families
sometimes receive preferential treatment, mirroring the way the boy
manipulates his situation.
4.​ Generational Changes in Authority:
○​ In Argentina’s past, teachers were seen as figures of authority, and their word
was respected. Today, as in the story, children (and their parents) often
challenge teachers, shifting the power dynamic.
 THE FUN THEY HAD

QUESTIONS:

1.​ What does Tommy find that surprises Margie?

2.​ Why is Margie surprised by the book?
3.​ What is Margie’s opinion of school?
4.​ Why does Margie’s mother call the County Inspector?
5.​ What does the County Inspector do to Margie’s teacher?
6.​ Why is Margie disappointed after the Inspector leaves?
7.​ What does Tommy tell Margie about the schools in the past?
8.​ How does Margie react to the idea of human teachers?
9.​ Why does Margie find old schools fascinating?
10.​How does Tommy react to Margie’s curiosity?
11.​What is the main difference between Margie’s education and traditional
schools?
12.​What does Margie’s mother believe about education?
13.​What does Margie think about as she starts her lesson?
14.​How does the story reflect concerns about technology in education?
15.​What is the central theme of the story?

Contextualization & Comparisons to Argentina

1.​ Technology and Education

2.​ Economic Inequality in Education
3.​ The Role of Teachers
4.​ Nostalgia for Traditional Schooling
5.​ The Future of Education
 THE FUN THEY HAD

Questions and Answers

11.​What does Tommy find that surprises Margie?

○​ He finds an old printed book in his attic.
12.​Why is Margie surprised by the book?
○​ She is used to telebooks and finds it strange that words on paper don’t
change like they do on a screen.
13.​What is Margie’s opinion of school?
○​ She hates it, especially the mechanical teacher that gives her constant tests.
14.​Why does Margie’s mother call the County Inspector?
○​ Margie is struggling with geography, and the mechanical teacher seems to be
malfunctioning.
15.​What does the County Inspector do to Margie’s teacher?
○​ He adjusts the geography settings to match Margie’s learning level.
16.​Why is Margie disappointed after the Inspector leaves?
○​ She hoped that the teacher would be taken away permanently, like Tommy’s
history teacher once was.
17.​What does Tommy tell Margie about the schools in the past?
○​ He explains that schools used to be buildings where children learned together
with human teachers.
18.​How does Margie react to the idea of human teachers?
○​ She is skeptical and thinks humans can’t be as smart as mechanical
teachers.
19.​Why does Margie find old schools fascinating?
○​ She imagines the fun children had learning together, playing, and helping
each other.
20.​How does Tommy react to Margie’s curiosity?
●​ He acts superior, as if he already knows everything about old schools.
12.​What is the main difference between Margie’s education and traditional
schools?
●​ Margie learns alone with a machine, while traditional schools had social interactions
and group learning.
13.​What does Margie’s mother believe about education?
●​ She insists that learning should happen at regular times for better discipline.
14.​What does Margie think about as she starts her lesson?
●​ She wonders how much more enjoyable learning must have been in the past.
15.​How does the story reflect concerns about technology in education?
●​ It suggests that while technology can improve efficiency, it might also make learning
lonely and rigid.
16.​What is the central theme of the story?
●​ The importance of social interaction in education and the potential drawbacks of an
overly mechanized system.
Contextualization & Comparisons to Argentina

6.​ Technology and Education

○​ In Argentina, digital education tools have become widespread, especially after
the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Margie’s mechanical teacher, platforms like Mi
Escuela Virtual or Aprender Conectados provide online learning. However,
many students struggle with isolation and lack of personal interaction—similar
to Margie’s experience.
7.​ Economic Inequality in Education
○​ The story highlights the divide between past and future education systems. In
Argentina, economic disparities create a divide between public and private
education. Wealthier students have access to advanced technology, while
poorer students often lack internet access or computers, mirroring the
inequalities of Margie’s world.
8.​ The Role of Teachers
○​ Margie initially doubts that human teachers can be effective, just as some
people today believe AI and online programs can replace teachers. However,
in Argentina, especially in rural areas, the role of a teacher is crucial—not just
for academics, but for emotional and social support.
9.​ Nostalgia for Traditional Schooling
○​ Just as Margie envies past schools, many Argentinians nostalgically recall a
time when education was more social and engaging. Older generations
remember a time when schools were community hubs, fostering
solidarity—something often missing in today’s digital classrooms.
10.​The Future of Education
○​ Asimov’s vision of individual, machine-driven learning is becoming a reality in
Argentina, with virtual schools and AI-driven platforms. The challenge, like in
the story, is ensuring that education remains engaging, inclusive, and
human-centered.