Using the definite article at the beginning of stories

Consider this sentence, which is the first line of 'The Catbird Seat 'by James Thurber.

Mr Martin bought the pack of Camels on Monday night. Why 'the pack'? It would be perfectly normal to say 'a pack of Camels' (a brand of cigarette), especially as the reader has not been told anything about it before. The answer is that the writer is indicating in this way that the reader will shortly be told more about the pack.

Here is another example, from the beginning of' The Lord of the Flies' by William Golding: The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock

and began to pick his way towards the lagoon. The boy and the lagoon have not previously been mentioned. It is only later that the reader learns more about the boy, where he is, and why he is there. This is a stylistic device which you probably will not need to use, but you will need to understand it. Titles of stories and novels are similar: 'The Catbird Seat', 'The Man Who Knew How', 'The Letter', 'The Enemy', and so on.

 

13. Stressed 'the' meaning 'best'

People sometimes stress the definite article to indicate that something is the best, most fashionable, or only thing of a particular kind. For example, someone might say 'It's the place to go' (with thepronounced /ði:/) when referring to a discotheque or club which is very good or fashionable.

Billiards is the game.

The foregoing scenario in no way pretends to present the answer to our transportation problems.

CHAPTER 6: ARTICLE USE WITH CERTAIN GROUPS OF WORDS