As a child, Jane searches for an escape in books such as Gulliver's Travels. She draws parallels between John and a pharaoh or slave driver--parallels which women should not be able to draw as they are expected to simply accept their inferiority (Cervetti). These books and the knowledge they bring--wheather factual or imaginary--serve as Jane's refuge in a world which appears void of justice and love. Throughout the novel, literature serves as a sort of sanctuary not only for Jane but also for the women she is close to. According to Cervetti, "reading in this novel brings women together collectively in relations of entrustment" as can be seen in her relationships with Helen Burns, Miss Temple, and her cousins. Even her relationship with Bessie is rooted in traditions of oral storytelling. These intellectual societies among women are no doubt reflections of what Brontë shared with her literary sisters.
In contrast, the novel opens with a scene in which John Reed, rather than finding the value within his books, uses them as weapons as he hurls them at his young cousin. It is through novels and stories that women are able to find an escape from men like John Reed who cannot see the value in the texts in front of them. These novels and the intellect they inspire serve to light a fire within the women in this work making them more than the submissive dolls they are expected to be.
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