Red Herring: Using and Not Using?

Introduction

A red herring is a literary and rhetorical device involving the introduction of irrelevant information or arguments to divert attention from the main issue or argument. It is used to mislead or confuse the audience, often by presenting a misleading clue or distraction. This fallacy can lead to faulty reasoning and hinder a clear understanding of the subject at hand. These sources likely explore the concept and usage of red herrings in various contexts, such as literature, argumentation, and critical thinking.

How to Create Red Herring in Your Writing?

Creating a red herring in a fictional work could be an effective way to add tension and intrigue to the story. Here are some tips on how to create a red herring:

Step	Explanation	Practical Example
1. Plausible Suspects or Motives	Introduce believable culprits or motives.	In the mystery novel, present a character with a motive that appears convincing but later turns out to be innocent.
2. Misdirection: Diverting Attention	Use hints to steer readers away from the suspect.	Drop subtle hints implying a different character’s guilt, leading readers to consider them as the potential culprit.
3. Multiple Suspects or Motives	Present various possibilities to confuse readers.	Introduce multiple characters with plausible motives, making it challenging for readers to pinpoint the real culprit.
4. Unreliable Narration	Employ an untrustworthy narrator.	Have a narrator with personal biases or deceptive tendencies narrate the story, casting doubt on their account of events.
5. Genre Conventions	Play with genre expectations.	In a detective story, have the detective initially suspect a character who, according to genre norms, seems guilty but is not.

By using these techniques, you can create a red herring that will keep your readers guessing and add depth and complexity to your fictional work.

Benefits of Red Herring

Red herrings can provide several benefits in writing. Here are some of the main benefits:

1. Increased Tension: Creating it increases suspense and anticipation by leaving readers unsure of the true culprit or motive.
2. Deeper Characterization: Introducing a red herring allows for in-depth exploration of different characters’ motivations and actions, even if they are not the actual culprit.
3. Surprise Twist: It can set up a surprising twist ending, especially when readers are led to believe one character is guilty, only to discover it was someone else entirely.
4. Reader Engagement: Creating a red herring keeps readers engaged as they actively try to solve the mystery and identify the true culprit, making the reading experience more interactive.
5. Improved Pacing: Introducing it enhances story pacing by providing a natural narrative break, allowing readers to reassess the situation before progressing to the next part of the story.

Red Herring and Literary Theory

Red herring can be analyzed through various literary theories. Here are a few examples:

Literary Theory	Critique of Red Herring
Reader Response Theory	They engage readers by presenting false leads and encouraging them to actively interpret the text. They challenge assumptions and promote critical thinking as readers navigate through misleading clues and question their own understanding of the story.
Structuralism Theory	Red herrings disrupt reader expectations and conventional narrative structures. They introduce unexpected elements, creating tension and suspense. By destabilizing the narrative structure, red herrings prompt readers to reassess their assumptions about the story, encouraging a deeper engagement with the text.
Postmodernism Theory	It challenges the notion of fixed truths by introducing uncertainty and multiple possibilities. They highlight the limitations of language and storytelling in capturing an objective reality. By incorporating red herrings, the authors emphasize the subjectivity of interpretations and invite readers to question their own understanding of the story’s events.
Feminist Literary Theory	Red herrings can perpetuate or subvert gender stereotypes in literature. Depending on their portrayal, red herrings can reinforce traditional assumptions about women or challenge them. A red herring that leads the reader to suspect a female character of a crime may perpetuate negative stereotypes, while a red herring that subverts these assumptions by exonerating the female character challenges gender biases and provides a critique of societal expectations.

Suggested Readings

1. Adams, Mary. The Red Herring in Mystery Novels. Random House, 2016.
2. Finn, Kavita Mudan. “Pickled Red Herring.” Shakespeare and Creative Criticism, edited by Rob Conkie and Scott Maisano, 1st ed., vol. 4, Berghahn Books, 2019, pp. 61–100. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1850h61.8. Accessed 16 July 2023.
3. Tindale, Christopher W. Fallacies and argument appraisal. Cambridge University Press, 2007.