![]() ![]() According to Merriam-Webster, "The practice of using preserved fish to confuse hunting dogs led to the use of the term red herring for anything that diverts attention from the issue at hand. One of the essential uses of the red herring fallacy in literature is to lead the reader to believe that a particular character is a suspect in a crime. Preserved herring not only have a reddish color to them, they also have a strong smell - a smell that was ideal for use as a method of throwing hunting dogs off their trail. The Merriam-Webster dictionary notes that the term red herring, unsurprisingly, stems from the art of distraction. The red herring fallacy is therefore sometimes described as a fallacy of misdirection or distraction. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing ''What about Red Herring, ma'am'' ''I'm not sure. Another example comes from British novelist Jasper Fforde. The perpetrator of the crime, perhaps the murderer, lays out false leads (red herrings) to throw the police off their tracks. Your problems will seem pretty insignificant then." Examples of Red Herrings in Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. Here, red herrings are used to distract and mislead. Mother: "Just think of all the starving children in Africa, honey. ![]() Here's another example of the logical fallacy (and bad parenting) on display, provided by Texas State University's philosophy department:ĭaughter: "I'm so hurt that Todd broke up with me, For example, if a politician is asked how they feel about a certain policy, they might use the red herring fallacy by discussing how they feel about a related topic instead, to distract people from their failure to answer the original question. They illustrate the range of ways the plot device can be used to add complexity and suspense to a plot. Red Herring Examples in Literature The following examples of red herrings in literature are taken from both mystery novels and genres of literature. The red herring fallacy is a logical fallacy where someone presents irrelevant information in an attempt to distract others from a topic that’s being discussed, often to avoid a question or shift the discussion in a new direction. Thus, in literature, a red herring is a false clue that leads readers or characters astray. The red herring logical fallacy is very often used - so often you may not even notice when it comes into play. When it comes to rhetoric, the use of red herrings is often referred to as the ‘red herring fallacy’. The psychology and philosophy website Effectiviology described the fallacy this way: The post hoc fallacy occurs when we draw a causal conclusion without sufficient evidence to support it. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, tweeted in response to public hearings held by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. The idiom red herring is used to refer to something that misleads or distracts from the relevant or important issue. Here's one example: On June 9, 2022, U.S. The red herring logical fallacy is very often used - so often you may not even notice when it comes into play. Have a term you want us to explain? Let us know. Speak like an insider! Welcome to Snopestionary, where we’ll define a term or piece of fact-checking lingo that we use on the Snopes team. ![]()
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