How does Myers represent xenophobia in the novel, including regarding Dr. Hale’s and Mr. Winston’s response to the medical studies?

Tobacco production and manufacturing contributed greatly to the economic success of North Carolina. How does Myers tackle that complicated reality alongside the damage tobacco does to people’s health?

Mitzy chooses not to expose Mr. Winston and Dr. Hale during the Gala, but decades later she acknowledges that she almost did. What is the effect of Myers passing over a large temporal gap before this revelation in the Epilogue?