MacGuffin
A MacGuffin is the object everyone in the story is chasing, whose actual nature doesn't matter to the story.
Full definition of MacGuffin →:: COMPARE ::
MacGuffinvsRed herring
The short answer
The MacGuffin drives the plot while being meaningless in itself. The red herring is meaningful-looking while driving nothing. One is essential and empty; the other is inessential and full of apparent significance.
Side by side
| Aspect | MacGuffin | Red herring |
|---|---|---|
| Drives the plot | Yes | No |
| Misleads audience | No | Yes |
| Can be removed | No | Yes |
| Characters care | Enormously | Incidentally |
What each one means
Red Herring
A red herring is a detail planted to pull attention away from what actually matters — and its famous origin story may itself be a fabrication.
Full definition of Red Herring →