In Lord of the Flies, what was Ralph's reaction to the idea that there were no grown ups on the island?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is the narrative of a group of male adolescents who have been stranded on an island in the Pacific Ocean. It was published in 1954.  At the time, it was not much of what one would refer to as a success. However, over time, it achieved the recognition of making both the board's list and the reader's list of Modern Library 100 Best Novels. It has also been...

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is the narrative of a group of male adolescents who have been stranded on an island in the Pacific Ocean. It was published in 1954.  At the time, it was not much of what one would refer to as a success. However, over time, it achieved the recognition of making both the board's list and the reader's list of Modern Library 100 Best Novels. It has also been adapted into film three times.

The story begins with the introduction of Ralph and "the fat boy." They are making their way toward a beach through the heavy vegetation of a jungle. It becomes apparent that they are survivors of an airplane accident. As they interact, they begin to question if there are any other survivors from the planeload of young boys that were being evacuated.

As soon as Ralph realizes that the only adults on board the plane were sitting in areas that fairly ensured that they could not have survived the wreck of the plane, and it's subsequently being washed out to sea, he becomes giddy with the knowledge. He does a handstand right in the middle of the swept-away plane's trench. They are on an island, with no grown ups to rule over them. The possibilities far outweigh any drawbacks at that time.