A Difference Between the Two – Rachel Slaugenhaupt

Hoaxes are meant to commit a type of deception. The word “hoax” is often used when referencing urban legends or rumors. Hoaxes are also typically portrayed in a multitude of ways, whether it be through propaganda,  media, or even “word of mouth.” There are also several instances of “literary hoaxes,” or a hoax supposedly crafted in the form of literature. While hoaxes may come in many different forms, literature usually does not. Literature is any written work and, while there are many different genres within literature, the definition itself typically does not vary. Although literature and hoaxes may overlap with one another, there is a distinction between the two. Literature is often used as a source of entertainment or information to the reader, seen as a piece of art. Yet literature is not, unlike hoaxes, created for the sole purpose of deception.