Is the city similar to any particular U.S. city (for example, in size or level of industrialization)?

It's not like any U.S. city. As far as industry, there is very little, except for the "cerveza cuzqueña" factory. There are tons of cars in the streets, and because Fujimori imported thousands of used cars to stimulate the economy in the 1990s, there are tons of taxis (with lots of exhaust issues, as is to be expected with used cars), so you do have the car pollution typical of most large cities.

A taxi ride anywhere inside the city cost 2 soles when I was last there (when the exchange rate was 3.50 soles to the dollar). More.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.