In The Rhetoric of Hitler's Battle, Burke takes us through Hitler's "Battle" with some sort of chronology. Beginning with the center for his movement, "each man may get there in his own way, but it must be the one unifying center of reference for all...not merely a centralized hub of ideas but a mecca geographically located..." (192) we begin to see how Hitler was able to create his audience with some sort of agency. In creating the idea of the "single enemy", Hitler was able to create uniformity which lead to a greater strength in power for orator himself. His audience, in turn, was a mass of vulnerability, and when confronted "..with too many enemies, the question is raised whether actually all the others are wrong and their own nation or their own movement alone is right." (Burke, 193)
Through sexual imagery, the orator (Hitler) delivers. Desiring to be led by the dominating male, the villainous Jew is portrayed to seduce them to demise as opposed to commanded towards a victory. The constraints in Hitler's rhetorical situation reflect the economic status of the State, "A people in collapse, suffering under economic frustration and the defeat of nationalistic aspirations...in a state of dispersions, have little other than some "spiritual" basis to which they could refer their nationalistic dignity." (Burke, 205) The orator could easily command the Rhetorical situation because these constraints in society were reflected and the audience was rightfully addressed. Hitler was able to posses this element of dignity and prescribe unity on a group of people; people whom were desperate to be joined together.
-Allie Weinstock
-Allie Weinstock
I found Burke's examination of feminine/ masculine rhetoric in Mein Kampf very interesting as well. What struck me in particular was that the German people, the so-called superior 'Aryan race' were aligned with the feminine. In the era Hitler was writing in, ( and in some places today, unfortunately!) the feminine was considered weaker, and subordinate to the masculine(In Hitler's analogy, this was 'The Jew'.) In a defeated, economically weakened Germany, it was a calculated risk on Hitler's part to portray German's as subordinate and feminine, because the flip side of the 'weakness' of femininity was supposedly balanced with virtue, thereby imbuing the German 'aryans' with innate virtue, as Burke discussed.
ReplyDeleteAllie and Caitlin,
ReplyDeleteI think we all had similar though processes in pointing out the binary opposition in Hitler's ideas and philosophies. My post focused on this as well. I find it really interesting that so much hatred and such a long and devastating war came from such a simple idea. Male Vs. Female, Jew Vs. Aryan. etc. Could it be simply because Hitler's rhetorical skill was so strong?
Allie,
ReplyDeleteI like the explanation that you give us of symbolic act through the analysis of The Rhetoric of Hitler. Symbolic action symbolizes the symbolism behind a historic event or specific period in time that gives us a better understanding of it. I also like how you break down each component and help your reader understand the symbolism in the text. You mention that Burke develops this discussion in a chronological way but I only one reference that you make in the order of the text. I would have liked to see a more in depth interpretation of this. But overall you did a great job of unpacking the text and giving us a better understanding.
Allie, I like the explanation of the chronology of Hitler's battle. I like your use of agency, and how Hitler is the agent when it comes to speaking to his audience. It makes it easier for us to understand the process. I also like how you portray Hitler's persuasion as so simple, because it seems like it was. Hitler just planted this idea and then suddenly everyone conforms to it? It seems too easy, but it worked. You mention the use of sexual imagery. I understand the idea of the "dominating male" but I'm having a hard time understand this relation to Hitler as a whole.
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