The Darkness in Mankind Thomas Hobbes once described the life of man as “solitary, poor, evil, brutish, and short. The condition of man... is a condition of war of all against all." William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies is about a group of British boys stranded on an island. Through this book we witness the cruel and nefarious actions of older children towards younger children. Additionally, the reader sees how far some characters are willing to go in their quest for power. Through symbols of fire, the Lord of the Flies, and images of darkness, the reader sees the world through the eyes of preadolescent boys. The fire explosion saves Ralph from his misery. Running as fast as he can to escape the fire, Ralph “{sees} a shelter catch fire and the fire {beat} his right shoulder” (205). Ralph finds the answer to his prayers when an officer shows up saying “We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Is there a war or something?" (206). If it weren't for the officer, Ralph would have died due to the boys' cruel intentions...