In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the main character, Marlow, ponders the question of what makes people good or evil? Do their experiences shape them or do their genes determine it? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Just before Marlow leaves on his journey, he must be seen by a doctor. At the company office, the doctor measures the circumference of his head, expressing remorse for not seeing people return from the trip and explaining that when people undertake this journey, they change; their brain changes – their way of thinking. Marlow then begins his journey to Africa. After a long journey, Marlow arrives at the company office and experiences his first real exposure to Africa. As he walks through the jungle with a local, he sees men chained and even people dying. This is obviously a shocking sight for Marlow, but what was an even more significant observation by Marlow was that the white man he was with was not in phase. The reader is then forced to examine how life in Africa affects the men who live there. They become desensitized and care little for human life. Nor is it the case of just one bad man. As he continues his journey through Africa, he encounters more natives, violence and evil. One of the most notable characters influenced by jungle effects is Kurtz. When Kurtz first went to the jungle, his goal was to bring humanity and civilization to the natives, but at the end of his life, he wanted to exterminate them. It is obvious that the jungle changes the people who experience it, but to what extent? Like Kurtz, many other travelers went to Africa with the aim of civilizing the natives. In their eyes, they were helping humanity and acting as good Samaritans. However, through Conrad's story, Marlow and the audience are forced to question whether the white men with guns or the natives with sticks are truly civilized people. One of the first things Marlow sees in the jungle before even getting off the ship is white men aimlessly firing cannonballs onto a beach in an attempt to fight off supposed attacks by the natives. Furthermore, one of the most obvious characteristics of a civilized man is his view of murder and death. Marlow witnessed several occasions in which white men were not bothered by death and had no problem with murder. On the other hand, the natives always seem to be the first victims of conflict and violence without ever being the instigators. Marlow recognizes throughout that Europeans have a sense of savagery and evil that the natives simply do not possess, calling into question the true nature of humans. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayMarlow recognizes that the experiences people face and the way they are born affects their character. And although the text may answer some questions, when reading it, the audience gains more questions than answers. Critic Roland Barthes said: “Literature is the question without the answer” and Conrad validates this statement through his novel Heart of Darkness..