<the> few exceptional people

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

Green Goblin tells Spider-Man:
-- There are 8 million people in this city, and those teeming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional people onto their shoulders. You and me, we're exceptional.
Spider-Man, movie

I think that by "the few exceptional people" here refers to the two specific people -- himself and Spider-Man.

If he'd said "few exceptional people" instead, without the article, it would be about unspecified few people, and in this case, in the next sentence ("You and me, we're exceptional.") he would reckon himself and Spider-Man among the category of "few exceptional people". Am I correct?
Thank you.

 

[SoothingDave]

He is saying that there is a very limited number of exceptional people and that the two of them are two of them.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I take it to mean '... lifting the few exceptional people, e.g. you and me, onto their shoulders'.

I think 'the few' must be more than two.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

He is saying that there is a very limited number of exceptional people and that the two of them are two of them.

Yes, I understand that, but I asked particulary about the difference between two options: with the article (as it is in the original), and the hypothetical option without the article...

x-posted with Matthew Wai

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

I take it to mean '... lifting the few exceptional people, e.g. you and me, onto their shoulders'.

I think 'the few' must be more than two.

If so, why to use the article before "few"?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think Green Goblin had a few exceptional people in mind, and 'the few exceptional people' referred to these few people, among whom were Green Goblin and Spider-Man.

 

[SoothingDave]

If it says "lifting few exceptional people" it means only a small number of the exceptional people (out of a larger group of exceptionals).

Since it says "lifting the few exceptional people" it is stating that there is a specific group of exceptional people, but that their numbers are small.

 

[GoesStation]

If he'd said "few exceptional people" instead, without the article, it would be about unspecified few people, and in this case, in the next sentence ("You and me, we're exceptional.") he would reckon himself and Spider-Man among the category of "few exceptional people". Am I correct?
Thank you.

No. ...For the sole purpose of lifting few exceptional people is ungrammatical. An article is required; had he said a few, he'd mean "a small number". By choosing the few, he emphasizes that he's talking about a select group.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

No. ...For the sole purpose of lifting few exceptional people is ungrammatical. An article is required; had he said a few, he'd mean "a small number". By choosing the few, he emphasizes that he's talking about a select group.

Sorry, what's ungrammatical in it? "People" is a plural noun and doesn't require a determiner before itself. E.g.:

It was embarrassing how few people attended the party.

CALD

 

[Matthew Wai]

How about 'It is not worthwhile to spend much money for the sole purpose of helping few people'?

 

[GoesStation]

How about 'It is not worthwhile to spend much money for the sole purpose of helping few people'?

It doesn't work; you need an indefinite article. You can, however, write ​Few people are helped by random spending.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

It doesn't work; you need an indefinite article. You can, however, write ​Few people are helped by random spending.

Sorry do I correctly understand you disagree with the others? Because I have a feeling that the other members see nothing wrong grammatically with "the sole purpose of lifting few exceptional people onto their shoulders" in the original (except it would change the meaning a little)?

 

[Matthew Wai]

If it says "lifting few exceptional people" it means only a small number of the exceptional people (out of a larger group of exceptionals).

If I understand it correctly, 'few exceptional people' means 'few of the exceptional people'.

 

[GoesStation]

Sorry do I correctly understand you disagree with the others? Because I have a feeling that the other members see nothing wrong grammatically with "the sole purpose of lifting few exceptional people onto their shoulders" in the original (except it would change the meaning a little)?

You might want to re-read the previous posts in this thread. The sentence you quote is incorrect. I think all the native Anglophones who have posted agree.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

You might want to re-read the previous posts in this thread. The sentence you quote is incorrect. I think all the native Anglophones who have posted agree.

For example:

If it says "lifting few exceptional people" it means only a small number of the exceptional people (out of a larger group of exceptionals).

few people - not many.

'Few' always has the negative idea. 'A few' doesn't.

Or posts #15-16
What's unclear to me is what's wrong with "helping/lifting few exceptional people".
Google gives for "helping few people" 75 results, for "helping the few people" only 27.
I mean, if I don't think of any particular people, why can't I say just "few people"?...

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

That's irrelevant. We have been discussing the acceptability of few/a few/the few in specific sentences.

In this sentence in post #12:
'It is not worthwhile to spend much money for the sole purpose of helping few people.'
... why is "few people" incorrect tell please:-?