The Power of Literature

In the novel, The Invisible Hour, Hoffman demonstrates the power of literature through Joel’s condemnation of books and Mia’s belief that The Scarlet Letter saved her life. The first time Mia visits a library, she thinks she has experienced magic. She learns things about life by reading that she never would have learned if she had not been exposed to books. It is the knowledge, gleaned through books, that all heroines who are saved save themselves that gives Mia the courage to leave the Community.

When the novel Pride and Prejudice is found in the barn, Joel lectures the members of the Community about why he does not allow them to read books. He tells them: “There is a reason we have no books here. They will divide us. They’ll make us think the world outside can teach you more...