A maguffin (sometimes spelt MacGuffin) is a plot device that motivates the characters and advances the story, but has little relevance to the story. It's just useful for the characters within the diegetic world.
"We have a name in the studio, and we call it a 'MacGuffin.' It is the mechanical element that usually crops up in the story. In crook stories it is always the necklace; in spy stories it's always the papers." - Alfred Hitchcock
In the film Notorious (made by Alfred Hitchcock) the protagonist is trying to find the secret about the Nazis which he finds in a wine bottle, however the audience are more interested if the protagonist gets the girl at end.
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