How was the burning down of Miss Maudie's house a symbol in the story?

Miss Maudie
reacts with equanimity when her house burns down. This surprises Jem and , who think she should
be upset. Instead, Miss Maudie grins and says:

Always
wanted a smaller house, . Gives me more yard. Just think, Ill have more room for my azaleas
now!

You aint grievin€˜, Miss Maudie? I asked, surprised.said her house was
nearly all she had.

Grieving, child? Why, I hated that old cow barn.
Thought of settin fire to it a hundred times myself, except theyd lock me up.

Miss Maudie's lack of concern over her house reveals her values,
which are different from those of most white people in Maycomb. Her house symbolizes the past
that weighs her down. She is more than willing to shed this past and move forward into the
future. While most Maycomb residents cling to the glories of their ancestors, she finds the
"stuff" of the past an encumbrance. It is liberating for her to be free of the house.
She doesn't need it.

Miss Maudie is more concerned with what is inside people
than with external objects like houses, which makes her, like Atticus, capable of judging Tom
Robinson by his character and not the color of his skin.