TOEFL® Writing Practice 71

Sample Essay

Despite the many tiny questions it would also produce if I could ask a famous person one question, I would ask Adolf Hitler, “Why?” By starting World War II he led to millions of individuals losing their lives and homes in global conflict. Similarly, millions of Jewish people lost their lives in concentration camps. In the end, his own country didn’t bcome better but lost many people, resources, and their freedom. I would want to know what Hitler was thinking when he chose to start a war that he knew would lead to global conflict.

Through the many years of WWII soldiers from nearly every continent waged war against each other. This led to millions of casualties including soldiers and civilians. Alongside the loss of life was the bombing of cities. Many people died in the bombings of London, Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, but also, cities were raised to the ground. This destroyed people’s homes and businesses. Also, this halted many people’s lives as children couldn’t attend schools, people couldn’t conduct business, and entire livelihoods were lost. Over the decade or so of fighting, innumerable lives were destroyed.

Among those lives destroyed were the millions in concentration camps. Predominantly Jewish people, but also many other groups of people were confined to labor or death camps throughout Europe. I would need to know how Hitler could justify actions which led to the systematic eradication of an ethnicity of people and countless others. This methodical brutality is so foreign to most of human experience that it remains outside the realm of understanding.

By the end of the war, Hitler had achieved little more than the destruction of cities and lives, including in his own country. As the war came to close many cities in Germany were bombed, soldiers were killed or imprisoned, and Germany became a possession of the opposing countries. Knowing that this was a possibility and would greatly harm the people of his country, I cannot understand why Hitler would justify taking such blatantly negligent actions. I don’t understand how a man could destroy the world and his own country with such little care.

Therefore, if I were allowed to ask a famous person one question I would ask Hitler, “Why?” I would seek to understand the circumstances for justifying the deaths of millions of people from across the globe. I would also like to understand the thinking behind killing millions in concentration camps. Given that in the end, he destroyed his own people and country I see no logical answer. Yet, I would want to ask, and see what such an evil man would say for justification.