LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in NW, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Class Identity and Social Mobility
Geography and Human Connection
Sex and Relationships
Altruism
Summary
Analysis
Leah sees Shar near her home and thinks Shar looks so thin that she might have lied about having three children. It’s been three weeks since Leah gave Shar the money. She calls Shar a thief, and Shar slips away.
Leah suspected from the beginning that Shar might not have been being completely honest about why she needed money, but initially she gave her the benefit of the doubt. Now, she calls Shar a thief. This suggests that judgment of people like Michel and Pauline has started to shape Leah’s ability to have compassion and empathy for someone like Shar.