What Is The Red Herring Fallacy In The Crucible

Arthur Miller implements the red herring fallacy to illustrate how people often throw arguments off course by raising an irrelevant issue. During an argument between Putman and Proctor, Miller writes, “I [Putman] never heard you so worried about society, Mr. Proctor. I do not think I saw you at Sabbath meeting since snow flew” (Miller I. 28). Miller shows how Putman effectively derails the conversation, preventing the other people from continuing to talk about witchcraft. Miller’s use of the red herring fallacy helps to develop the central message, that people cannot effectively and logically overcome panic, by showing how people constantly change the subject to reflect their needs and cannot stay focused on the topic at hand. Miller again uses the red herring fallacy later in the passage when he writes, “Where is my wood? My contract provides I [Parris] be supplied with all my firewood…” (I. 29). Miller further illustrates the effectiveness of the red herring fallacy to distract people from the main topic, as when Parris mentions firewood the entire conversation spirals further away from witchcraft. Miller uses the fallacy of the false alternative to show how people force two choices
Miller uses Mary Warren to show the logical fallacy when she tries to prove Goody Osburn practices witchcraft: “Whenever I turned her away empty, she mumbled… Last month – a Monday I think – she walked away, and I thought my guts would burst for two days after…” (II. 57-58). Miller shows how Mary connected her stomach ache to Osburn’s mumbling, when the two events had nothing to do with each other. Though Mary uses a logical fallacy, her testimony proves enough to convict Goody Osburn of witchcraft. Miller shows how the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy prevents people from logically discussing witchcraft and propagates the rumor that witches live among the