1. What is Burke’s rationale behind analyzing Hitler’s Mein Kampf?
a. He believes Hitler wrote his book as a religious aspect (Burke 194). He expands on this by saying, “this materialization of a religious pattern is…one terrifically effective weapon of propaganda in a period where religion has been progressively weakened by many centuries of capitalist materialism” (Burke 194).
2. What is Burke’s overall argument about Hitler’s rhetoric?
a. Burke’s overall argument is Hitler did not use his resources effectively. He believes there is a way to form unity within a country, but Hitler did not achieve that effectively. He does not agree with his rhetoric in the slightest.
3. How does Burke explain Hitler’s “unification device”? What are the four important features of this device? Explain specifically how Burke describes each one of these features.
a. Hitler’s “unification device” was to unify “Catholic faction and Schoenerer’s Pan-German group” (Burke 202). The first important feature is “inborn dignity” where a “categorical dignity is considered to be an attribute of all men, if they will but avail themselves of it, by right thinking and right living” (Burke 202). The second important feature is “projection device” where “the greater one’s internal inadequacies, the greater the amount of evils one can load upon the back of ‘the enemy’” (Burke 203). The third important feature is “symbolic rebirth” where “the projective device of the scapegoat, coupled with the Hiterite doctrine of inborn racial superiority, provides its followers with a ‘positive’ view of life” (Burke 203). The fourth and last important feature is “commercial use” where Hitler’s idea “provide a noneconomic interpretation of economic ills…hence by attacking ‘Jew finance’ instead of [basic] finance, it could stimulate an enthusiastic movement that left ‘Aryan’ finance in control” (Burke 204).
4. What are Burke’s action items in the conclusion of his analysis? What does he think the readers should do?
a. Burke’s action item is that unity is achievable if not correctly; however, Hitler did not do it correctly. He says to learn from the what happened to ensure that history does not repeat itself.