In Rambler No. 4 Johnson writes, "They are the entertainment of minds unfurnished with ideas, and therefore easily susceptible of impressions; not fixed by principles, and therefore easily following the current of fancy; not informed by experience, and consequently open to every false suggestion and partial account" which means:

Johnson describes the ignorance of young readers and their readiness to learn new things. He believes that the uneducated minds are already unoccupied with ideas and information, this makes them easily teachable with little or no need to deal with already existing body of knowledge.

He identifies novelists as the possessors of weapons that are capable of training these uneducated minds.