Been a while since I read these early parts. Even though we've heard the rough picture in previous chapter, it's really cool to see a clear scale of what she's facing.
Even for someone like her father that led the City's south gate, literacy is still low and parchment's cost is so high that the thought of buying one is not just absurd but also idiotic.
It's something hard to really grasp in our world today where literacy is common place for most people
She's an adult inside. If she can't have any sympathy or empathy for the lower class' problem/condition, that means she read books for nothing. Literature should teach people how to have a big heart, not being a selfish person.
In general, literature is meant to be read and nothing else. I won't finish reading history about Ancient America and come out a better man, I'll just know a bit more about the topic