Joshua Timeline and Summary

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• At the beginning of the play, Joshua tells us that his skin is black, but his soul is white. Or in other words, it sounds like he's totally bought into the idea that white people are superior to black people.
• There's a bit of trouble, though, when Betty tells Clive that Joshua was sassing her. Joshua claims that Betty misheard him. But Clive scolds him anyway, then gives him a wink when Betty isn't looking. The wink suggests that Clive is only scolding Joshua to make Betty feel better.
• After everyone hears about trouble happening in the nearby villages, Joshua secretly tells Clive that the black workers in the stable are conspiring with the local villagers. Clive thanks Joshua for his loyalty.
• As punishment, the black stable workers are whipped, and it's Joshua who has to do the whipping. The whole time, he tells everyone that the black people are not "his people" and that they are getting what they deserve.
• Joshua makes fun of Edward for playing with Victoria's doll.
• After an English raid on one of the nearby villages, Clive finds out that Joshua's parents were killed in a fire. He hears that Joshua was acting strangely and putting dirt on his head afterward; but Joshua declares that the people who died were not his parents because Clive is his true father. Clive thanks him again for his loyalty, but you've got to wonder when this kid is going to snap.
• At the end of Act 1, Joshua raises his rifle at Clive while Clive is giving a speech. It's the outburst we've been waiting for. But the stage goes dark before we know what has happened.