What role do Aunt Alexandra’s intentions and judgments about people “lower than the Finches” play in this part of the novel?

To an extent, Aunt Alexandra is a foil to Atticus. Her prejudices and southern beliefs run contrary to Atticus's very enlightened beliefs. I think Aunt Alexandra, like many white characters, is a product of her environment. Atticus,however, holds powerful meanings in the humble way he goes about saying and doing things. Certainly, by the end of the book, Aunt Alexandra's prejudices about social status are tempered by her brother's heroism and tragic loss of Tom Robinson.