A theme from chapter 5 of To Kill A Mockingbird is empathy. Miss Maudie encourages Scout to empathise with Arthur Radley during their discussion on the porch. Harper Lee describes Miss Maudie as someone who ‘loved everything on God’s earth’, and Miss Maudie then goes on to explain that Arthur Radley was a very polite and respectful young man, contradicting the thoughts of society. This coaxes Scout into the reconsideration of her thoughts towards Arthur.

“Miss Maudie hated her house: time spent indoors was time wasted.”

Could be perceived as a metaphor. She wants to be amongst other living things, feeling the beauty of, what she believes to be, God’s earth. This could have been amplified by her husband’s death.

In another sense, she wants to bring the community together, meaning she was fond of everyone in Maycomb, the Radleys and all. This sets up for later in the story, when perhaps the Radleys emerge from their decrepit home.

In Chapter Two of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, shame influences the actions of three key characters, but none more so than in the case of Walter Cunningham. When offered 25¢ by Miss Caroline, the teacher, he refuses to accept her generosity. Walter continues to refuse his teacher’s offer, offering up no explanation. His actions come from the shame of admitting his family’s financial situation to an outsider.