Absorbing Quote by Mark Twain
![“Suppose . . . burglars had made entry into this . . . [library]. Picture them seated here on this floor, pouring the light of their dark-lanterns over some books they found, and thus absorbing moral truths and getting moral uplift. The whole course of their lives would have been changed. As it…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/917/mark-twain-22_absorbing_suppose-burglars-had-made-entry-into-thi_281932.jpg)
“Suppose . . . burglars had made entry into this . . . [library]. Picture them seated here on this floor, pouring the light of their dark-lanterns over some books they found, and thus absorbing moral truths and getting moral uplift. The whole course of their lives would have been changed. As it was, they kept straight on in their immoral way and were sent to jail. For all I know, they may next be sent to Congress.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Library of Babel, 1882
Imagines burglars transformed by literature, suggesting exposure to ideas can redirect immoral lives toward virtue.
In simple terms: Books could reform criminals.
Key Takeaway
Expose people to literature for moral change.
Themes
education
redemption
literature
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- prison rehabilitation
- education programs
- library outreach
- community reading groups
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
transformative reading
social reform
Questions to Reflect On
- Can reading alone change deeply entrenched behavior?
- What other interventions complement literary exposure?
A Different Perspective
Not all individuals respond to reading; structural factors also matter.
![“[it is] a high class kind of subversion, very high class. We're not second story burglars. We go right in the front door.” quote by Mike Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/51e/mike-gorman-263386_burglars_it-is-a-high-class-kind-of-subversion-ve_216253.jpg)
![“It's hard to pick. I mean, I think the one that is most emblematic of the collaboration that occurred is "We Know The Way." That's the first song we wrote for the movie [Moana]. We actually got it written that weekend in New Zealand, so we're all in New Zealand, we're all absorbing this culture…” quote by Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ae/lin-manuel-miranda-2352_absorbing_it-s-hard-to-pick-i-mean-i-think-the-one_119053.jpg)
![“I know "accessibility" is a term that's kind of thrown around wantonly today, especially with talking about visual media. But I think that the strength of comics [is how they] really allow you to transcend those last barriers between a reader absorbing the information of an experience, and a…” quote by Nate Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d87/nate-powell-42191_able_i-know-accessibility-is-a-term-that-s-ki_173002.jpg)
