Metaphor in Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf

Abstract

This paper illustrates a number of metaphors employed for political purposes using Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf as its primary source. While Hitler's metaphors were generally conventional and well worn, their density in Mein Kampf is remarkable. In particular CONTAINER metaphors, metaphors of MOVEMENT AND LOCATION and metaphors which deal with THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING are used by Hitler to represent e.g. his own notions of racial hierarchy. One of Hitler's favourite source domains for metaphor was the animal kingdom, and he reserved higher-level animals for depicting Aryans and lower-level creatures for the denigration of Jews.