![]() One of the most popular stories in the Sherlock Holmes series, ‘The Final Problem features Holmes and Watson falling victim to a red herring in the form of a note. There is no actual species of fish known as a “red herring” but the phrase is used to refer to a hazily smoked kipper that has a strong smell and flesh that turns red.Įxamples of Red Herrings Example #1 The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle The phrase appeared in an article he wrote for the Political Register. The term was made popular in February of 1807 after William Cobbett told a story that depicted dogs distracted by the smelly fish. But, more recently it has been determined that the practice was actually in relation to training horses by dragging a dead a cat or fox. They would follow the scent and learn through practice what they then put into use during an actual hunt. Originally it was thought that the phrase came from the very real practice of using a red herring, a kind of dried red fish, in order to train hunting dogs. ![]() The origins of the phrase “red herring” are slightly complex. A reader who engages too fulsomely with the distraction might be led to false conclusions about what a passage means or what is coming next in the story. The “red herring” in a story is an intentional distraction. When writers use red herrings a reader’s attention moves from the main characters/central drama to something peripheral and in the end meaningless. ![]() ![]() This technique is used most prevalently in literature where writers employ it as a dramatic device to increase the suspense and complexity of a work. This is done in order to purposely divert the reader’s attention from the main subject or real issue of a passage, poem, or book. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |