I wouldn't throw it away

[user_gary]

Margie even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed May 17, 2157, she wrote, "Today, Tommy found a real book!"
It was a very old book. Margie's grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.
They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to--on a screen, you know. And then, when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time.
"Gee," said Tommy, "what a waste. When you're through with the book, you just throw it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it's good for plenty more. I wouldn't throw it away."
"Same with mine," said Margie. She was eleven and hadn't seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen. She said, "Where did you find it?"
"In my house." He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. "In the attic."

[Source : http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/language/FunHad.doc ]

Could you tell me, what is the author intention, behind using the violet coloured paragraph in between the red ones?

[Anglika]

To further the narrative.

[user_gary]

Thank you Anglika.

I understood everything except this (She was eleven and hadn't seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen)
My confusion is that why the author inserted the above sentence which has no link with the preceding text and following text.

Please help me.


[I know meaning of the sentence]

[Jason72]

user_gary hi!

What do you think when you say that it has no link?
It is connected. It is something called retrospective narration, a ''look back'' to events that happened before given situation. When the author finish his retrospective narration, the story goes on.

Is it clear now? Or maybe I didn't understand your problem?

[user_gary]

Thank you Jason.
Look at this sentence :
She hadn't seen as many telebooks as Tommy had.


I understood perfectly this sentence semantically. But my problem, Is this sentence connected with the preceding and following text?

e.g. The story might go like this (She hadn't seen telebooks as many as Tommy had, so she don't know much about the real book.)

Or
the author wrote the above sentence just as the `extra information'

I think you won't understand my problem because I don't how to express it clearly. But please try to explain as far as you understand.

[Jason72]

I don't get it. What's making you troubles?
You understand the sentence perfectly, but it's not clear to you why did the author put it there?

[user_gary]

Originally Posted by Jason72

I
You understand the sentence perfectly, but it's not clear to you why did the author put it there?

Yes. You understood my problem.

[Jason72]

The author wanted to expand the plot. He enriched his text by putting some things that happened earlier into the it. That way you have more clear perspective of characters.

Does this help?

[user_gary]

Originally Posted by Jason72

The author wanted to expand the plot. He enriched his text by putting some things that happened earlier into the it. That way you have more clear perspective of characters.

Does this help?

Yes. Thank you Jason72