Sexton and Cain compare and contrast

Pa Sexton and Granddaddy Cain are greatly alike in how they are described and the way they defend themselves and their family. Both are strong men with good values, but there

Granddaddy Cain and Pa Sexton are family men who action for their families. Both act out of honor, and do what they see as the way to do things. Both Cain and Sexton are old, poor farmers. Both are married, with kids, and are taking care of children who have a generation gap between them. When there families are ridiculed, both use intimidation to solve the problem (Cain with breaking the camera, and Sexton with bringing the gun to the school). Neither of them have a good education (Cain because he is black and Sexton because he worked on a farm all of his life). They are strong, tall, daunting figures, which hold themselves with pride. There are more examples of Cain’s strength, with ‘his hands had motors in them, and his feet had engines’. This is comparing him to machinery, which is strong, efficient, and reliable. With Pa all he gets is a ‘he was a strong 65 year old’, which is pretty straightforward.

However, both of them have differences. Sexton for example, is white, and probably owns the land he farms on. Cain is black and must rent from white people. Sexton, dislikes change deeply, and has probably never left his hometown. Cain on the other hand, has moved multiple times. ‘But next day loading up the truck, with rocks all in his jaw, madder than Granny in the first place’. He would move to a new town, despite himself, all to please his wife. Sexton is more violent than Cain, as he brought a gun into a school over his son being held back for two hours and owing a dollar. ‘I'll take care o' Professor Herbert myself! He ain't got no right to keep you in and let the other boys off jist because they've got th' money! I'm a poor man. A bullet will go in a professor same as it will any man.’ He feels like he is being judged for being poor, so his actions are kinda understandable.
 Cain’s breaking of the camera is an understandable move. Although both are tall, Cain is described as massive, with ‘motors for hands and engines for feet’ and ‘hands that were like trays’. Sexton seems to get angrier than Cain, who seems to be easygoing.

Cain and Sexton are both very similar. Both care for their families though maybe in the wrong way. Both take actions into their own hands when confronted with something they see as unjust. Although they go about what they do in different ways, I believe they could essentially be the same person.