Attempt to implement Java MVC pattern

this is a simple attempt about implementing MVC pattern in Java. I was wondering if I'm in the right way because I need this for a Java college exam. This is a quick code that shows what I understood about the MVC way of work. Thanks to anyone who would comment this code.

1. Is there a better way of determine data type other than instanceof or an enum+switch construct?

package exampleofuse;

import java.awt.Color;

import java.util.Scanner;

import javax.swing.JOptionPane;

public class MVC {

    /*
     * Proof of concept for MVC pattern: theView, theModel and theController are meant to be different classes
     * */

    /*
     * A wiew which main porpuse is to provide a dynamic visualization for
     * data.
     * data consist into a string for this example, so in the example I use JOptionPane
     * 
     * NB:May be a JFrame with different JPanels created depending on data type
     * */
    public class theView
    {
        private final String aMessage = "The message in the view before the Content\n";     
        private final String errMsg = "Content not Supported";
        JOptionPane theOPane;

        public void showData(Object data)//data may be of different kinds, may be used an Enum class 
        {
            if(data instanceof String)
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, aMessage+data);
            else
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, aMessage+errMsg);
        }
    }
    /*
     * A Model that performs operations onto data received.
     * In this case data is a String, and the operation is toUpperCase
     * */
    public class theModel
    {
        private final String errMsg = "Content not Supported";

        public Object performOperation(Object data)//data may be of different kinds, may be used an Enum class 
        {
            if(data instanceof String)
                return ((String) data).toUpperCase();
            return errMsg;
        }
    }

    /*
     * The Controller uses theModel to pass data to be visualized by theView
     * */
    public class theController
    {
        /*
         * Best name choice EVER 
         * */
        private theModel theModel;
        private theView theView;
        private Scanner in;

        private final String prompt="Insert the String(Possibly lowercase)\n>>>";//but never trust user input right?

        public theController()
        {
            this.theModel = new theModel();
            this.theView = new theView();
            this.in = new Scanner(System.in);
        }

        public void startController()
        {
            System.out.print(prompt);//This syso may be in the view as a log, but this is an example
            theView.showData(theModel.performOperation(in.nextLine()));
        }
        public void startBrokenController()
        {
            theView.showData(new Color(5));//random object
        }
        public void startBrokenController1()
        {
            theView.showData(theModel.performOperation(new Color(5)));
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        MVC theMVCenclosingtype = new MVC();
        theController theController = theMVCenclosingtype.new theController();
        theController.startController();
        theController.startBrokenController();
        theController.startBrokenController1();
    }
}