--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think today if we forbade our…" description: "\"I think today if we forbade our illiterate children to touch the wonderful things of our literature, perhaps they might steal them and find secret joy...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/john-steinbeck-71_books_i-think-today-if-we-forbade-our-illitera_238855.jpg" --- # I think today if we forbade our illiterate children to… ![“I think today if we forbade our illiterate children to touch the wonderful things of our literature, perhaps they might steal them and find secret joy.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/john-steinbeck-71_books_i-think-today-if-we-forbade-our-illitera_238855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/john-steinbeck-71_books_i-think-today-if-we-forbade-our-illitera_238855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae9/john-steinbeck-71_books_i-think-today-if-we-forbade-our-illitera_238855.jpg) > “I think today if we forbade our illiterate children to touch the wonderful things of our literature, perhaps they might steal them and find secret joy.” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Restricting access to literature may cause curiosity to turn into secret, illicit enjoyment. **In simple terms:** Keeping books away can spark hidden desire to read. Key Takeaway Allow open access to literature. Themes literature curiosity education Mood reflective thoughtful Type cultural educational When to use this quote - schools - libraries - home reading - restricted curricula Key Concepts censorship psychology of desire Questions to Reflect On - How does restriction affect love for reading? - What drives secret joy in forbidden books? A Different Perspective Even with access, not all will engage meaningfully. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Wonderful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-things/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Schoolchildren all over America are told to write to authors-often to authors whom they have never before heard of, whose work they are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-aiken/schoolchildren-all-over-america-are-told-to-write-to-authors-often-to/) [Conrad Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-aiken/) > [I mean, there needs to be a wholesale effort against racial profiling, which is illiterate children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-mean-there-needs-to-be-a-wholesale-effort-against-racial-profiling/) [George W. 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