Hoaxes vs. Literature

A hoax is often the truth twisted in a way that benefits the person telling the fraudulent story. A hoax is meant to convince a large population that something that does not exist, exists. Meanwhile, literature is often perceived as artfully written and bias-free work that tells a story. Literature and hoaxes both rely on the audience’s participation and interpretation. With the help of the audience, a small hoax can be blown out of proportion and into a worldwide phenomenon. For example, the haunting movie “The Amityville Horror” which was “based on a true story” turned out to be a hoax started by the Lutz family. The Lutz family benefitted financially from the movie. People all over the country believed in their story, which claimed that there were ghosts in the house, and paid to watch the movie.