I can't think of anything absurd I've put in a job application but I once had an interviewer who was evidently very precious about the jargon of her trade and thought it might be a very difficult thing for anyone to learn. I managed to resist the temptation to point out that I have a good degree in languages and if I could pick up two foreign languages, then perhaps a bit of jargon (in a profession not entirely unknown to me) would not be a problem.
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.