Gus Daube

UWRT 1103
Tonya Wertz-Orbaugh
Weekly Writing 5
In my pitch, I originally planned to focus my research on the argument that Hitler made
to the German people to convince them to join his cause. In order to achieve this, I had planned
to research Hitlers speeches, various propaganda methods, and keystones of Nazi ideology such
as racial science. With an understanding of the messages behind these powerful tools that Hitler
utilized to gain power, I would be able to better place myself into the shoes of someone who was
alive at the height of the Nazi movement. The better that I could do that, the easier it would be
for me to write my song from the perspective of my intended narrator.
When I began my research, my focus shifted slightly. Originally, my focus was on the
ways that Hitler himself and his organization were trying to manipulate the populace. However
when I dove deeper into it I began to note that the turning point for many people who were not
convinced by his speeches or propaganda were in fact turned onto the Nazi bandwagon by the
people that they knew who were already on board. The fact is that the vast majority of those
who bought into the Nazi regime did so whole-heartedly. With the people putting off the air of
confidence associated with true belief, they inspired those around them who shared the same
sentiments. In the most peaceful of scenarios, those who did not follow suit initially were
severely discouraged from their own personal success as they lacked the support of the rapidly
growing group that firmly held the belief that they were doing the right things for Germany and

themselves. In less civil scenarios, the zealous nature of the Nazi party members could quickly
devolve into violence against those who would not see their view.
With this shift in perspective, I realized how I could actually achieve the goal that I had
set out to. My goal was to give a representation of someone who would desperately cling to his
ideals personally because he feels that to relinquish them and adopt those of the people around
him would be to lose sight of himself and become just a part of a massive, evil, prejudiced
machine. Of course, he would be right in that thinking, as the Nazis were one of if not the most
evil of ruling bodies in human history. This character would not dare express his concerns to
others as doing so would invoke the wrath of the many who had already decided that Hitler had
the right ideas for Germany. He then quietly laments this through his personal song. This is
reflective of his lack of self-confidence brought about by his social environment disagreeing with
his beliefs. As all those around were proudly displaying their passion, he passively followed
along not expressing his concerns to even those who were closest to him for fear of being cast
out. Ironically, this lack of passion is easily noticeable and would cause him to be further
socially ostracized.