12/1/15 how does shame influence the actions characters take in chapter 2?

I believe Shame influenced the actions on these main characters in chapter 2; Miss Caroline Fisher and Walter Cunningham. Miss Caroline and Walter Cunningham shame both entwined in chapter 2 as Miss Caroline is checking the students lunch when she comes across Walter Cunningham when she notices he has no lunch and then asks for his.

Walter Cunningham’s shame comes  from the fact he was a Cunningham who are known for not taking anything that they cannot repay they were extremely poor as The Cunningham’s are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest. Miss Caroline being new in Wycombe didn’t know the social status amongst the people.

Miss Caroline offers him money to buy lunch as he finally gives in to answer her question if he’s forgotten his lunch and mumbled ‘yeb’m in shame to the fact that he was lying and everyone knew this. Miss Caroline repeatedly insisted that Walter take the money embarrassing him and herself until the point when scout stepped in and explained Walter predicament; that’s when Miss Caroline felt shame and also embarrassment and took it out on scout by light patting down her hand with a ruler and told her to go stand in the corner; the pat was so light that it took a while for class and scout to realise that she had just got beaten and that’s when the whole class burst out in laughter over scout being beaten and at miss Caroline for the soft beating; she was so full of embarrassment and shame that scout saw her sink down into her chair and bury her head in her arms.