A Fortunate Change of Events

As the man and his son walk through the desolate land, it seems that they are running out of time. He was beginning to think that they weren't going to make it, and with good arguments. They hadn't eaten in days, they had no clothes and barely enough supplies to make a fire and there were cannibals hunting for their flesh. The man was desperately,” beginning to think that death was finally upon them and that they should find some place to hide where they would not be found."(p.129). When he was finally going to give up, there was a sudden turn of events hidden behind a buried door. Despite the kid’s fear, the man gets into an underground bunker were he literally finds “everything."(p.139). The man and the kid can't believe their eyes at the miracle they were seeing. "Crate upon crate of canned goods. Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef."(p.138). The author keeps describing the amount of goods that seem unreal even to the readers. 
As they begin to sort out through all this amazing stuff, it's surprising to see that the kid feels guilty. This place was set by someone who thought they might need it some day, but they had obviously died before they got to use it. He's not sure whether it’s okay to take it, and he thanks them with the moving words:
"Dear people, thank you for all this food and stuff. We know that you saved it for yourself and if you were here we wouldn't eat it no matter how hungry we were and we're sorry that you didn't get to eat it and we hope that you're safe in heaven with God."(p.146)
It's amazing to see how the kid feels about his moral values. Despite the fact that he had been close to death, he wouldn't have eaten if it had been someone else's. It seems like he doesn't want to turn into a bad guy, and his moral strength is stronger than his impulse. This feeling is almost absurd, considering the harsh conditions he has had to endure along with his father. However, this is what marks the difference between them and the cannibals. The child must understand at some level that they are the ones who keep civilization alive, protecting it from the savage ways of the bad guys, and preserving the morals of kindness, respect and perseverance. This fortunate encounter was a way to prove that they are still the guardians of civilization. They are still the ones who carry the fire.