Fallacy Project
2012
By: Hunter Harlow
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Something intended to divert attention from
the real problem or matter at hand; a
misleading clue.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/red+
herring
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The fallacy “red herring” can be
found in the character , Red
Herring, on the popular television
cartoon, “A Pup Named Scooby
Doo.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=Jm7SK3C_jp0
This is an example of red herring
due to the fact that Fred blames
Red Herring for something he had
nothing to do with. He is basically
using Red Herring as a Scapegoat
to draw attention away from the
real criminal, which he isn’t smart
enough to uncover himself.
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Proctor is explaining how
his wife is a good woman
and how Abigail had been
lying the whole time. While
he is explaining himself,
Paris points out that Proctor
doesn’t come to church on
a regular basis, and how his
son wasn’t baptized a birth.
Pg. 225
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This is a great example of
red herring. The main focus
of the trial is whether or not
his wife, Elizabeth, is guilty
of witchcraft or not. Paris,
however, continues to point
out that Proctor hardly ever
shows up to church, which
is not relevant to the
situation at all, it just draws
attention away from the
main point to make Paris
seem to be right.
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The Crucible as a whole can
be viewed as an example of
Red Herring in terms of the
witch trials themselves. This
can be found in the fact
that they blame any sort of
craziness on “witchcraft.”
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This is red herring because
modern people understand
that witchcraft is not a
matter that can be taken
seriously. We understand
that it is not a reality, and
that it’s not something
people should be executed
for. Although they didn’t do
this intentionally, it is still
something that takes
attention away from the real
problem, that being that
anyone who attempts
witchcraft is foolish.