Analysis of The Life Confessions of Joseph-Johnson Green
Joseph-Johnson Green was born in the state of Massachusetts during the slavery era in America. His parents were not married, and his mother was white while his father was a black man. However, he associates with his father due to his color even though he takes up his mother’s maiden name, Green. He narrates that he started stealing at an early age of twelve years, and this becomes a problematic habit of stopping because even as an adult, he is still a thief. Thus, his criminal activities lead to his persecution. He even serves in the American army during the Revolutionary war against the British but again steals a few shillings. The life confessions of Joseph-Johnson Green tell the story of how the issue of race played a role in shaping his life towards a life of crime from an early. Similar to the lives and life experiences of most black people in America during the eighteenth century, racism and discrimination were a massive part of their lives.
Joseph-Johnson Green is a burglar and thief who is about to be persecuted for his criminal ways, and thus, he shares his life experiences with the reader. Through this confession, the reader can understand how racism plays a part in shaping his life to become a criminal. Although Green’s mother is white, he is treated like a black man because of his father’s heritage. Green states that “When I was five years of age, my mother bound me as an apprentice to Mr. Seth Howard of said Bridgewater, to be instructed on Agriculture” (105). In addition to this, he experiences hardships like most people of color during this period, and he becomes a thief out of necessity rather than for fun. He narrates that he has lived a hard life by being subjected to poverty and slavery; he opts to become a thief to support himself from hunger and nakedness. One thing to note from the life confessions of Johnson Green is that he mostly steals from white masters who seem to be living better than black people. His criminal confessions highlight the societal issue of class and the disparity between the living standards between black and white people in society. Most of the houses he breaks into to steal are mostly owned by white people such as Justice Belknap, where he steals food. While the black people are subjected to poverty and servitude by their white counterparts, the white people who are their masters, seem to be living a comfortable life with surplus food and clothes. Thus, Green’s color factor in the life challenges he faces and how he becomes a burglar and thief.
From the life confessions of Green, slavery, and racial discrimination in society play significant roles in shaping his life of crime. From his life confession and his narration of his stealing escapades, the reader is made to understand how the issue of race factored in the hardships he faces. For starters, he is subjected to bondage and servitude even though he is half white. He is subjected to slavery due to his father’s heritage. In addition to this, he faces hardships in his life that arise from the color of his skin. He is kept in the woods naked and hungry, and thus he has to steal clothes from houses to satisfy his hunger and cover his nakedness. It is also important to note that he steals from the houses of white people showing the disparity in the living conditions between white people and black people in American society. While white people living in good homes with surplus food and clothes, black people are subjected to poverty and result in stealing from the houses of white people to avoid starvation and have decent clothing. Johnson Green’s confession gives the reader an insight into the hardship black people went through during their life of servitude before the abolishment of slavery.