Every human being is born into a race and culture. These are what separates one person from another. Is it possible to adapt to a place where you don't belong? Your culture and race don't make you who you are, but they play an important role in shaping you. They can limit our beliefs in ourselves and in the tasks we think are important to learn to do. With all these afflictions, it seems like we are on a one-way train. Our lives appear as if they are placed before us, just waiting for our shoes to fit the roles described in them. Natives have roles that are separate and different from those of foreigners, but how different are they? There are many Natives portrayed throughout the text, but they are generally overshadowed and overlooked as they are not the focus of the reader's attention. The first time slaves enter the world of readers they are portrayed as dead, not even human: “They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly anymore, nothing but black shadows of disease and hunger, lying confusedly in the greenish darkness.” (Conrad 14) This is a very descriptive and flowing way for Conrad to present the slaves. With such a short description, described through the eyes of the stranger Marlow, we can reach the level of acceptance between the two races. It's non-existent. The natives are nothing but black ghosts. Here we see the white man's ignorance at its best. The whites in this tale ignore the torture and despise the Africans. During much of Marlow's voyage this ignorance was also present on his ship. The ship contained both pilgrims and natives, these were ideal for running the steamboat and the natives on board were much mistreated. ......middle of paper ......working in the boiler room our destinies and roles in life must not be based on what our cultural tendencies are. There are many other things to look at, different opinions, personalities and backgrounds, which create the essence of a human being. So much so that simple black and white cannot capture or contain. So get out the crayons and with a little creativity transform your life into what you want it to be. Works Cited Page Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Whole wheat. United States: Dover Publications, 1990. Print. “Savage”. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 08 December 2010. .Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness.'" Massachusetts Review. WM Norton and Co. nd Web. 9 December.2010. .