I do it as a homage to Javascript, where you don't have any distinction between dictionaries and instance variables. I think it's not necessarily an antipattern, also because differently from dictionaries, if you don't have the value it raises AttributeError instead of KeyError, and it is easier to spot typos of the name. As I said, not an antipattern, provided that.
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.