Granted, the similarities are the same, but I seriously doubt her goal was to take those events and write a fictional novel based on them with such a direct connection. The similarities are there because people choose to interpret them as such you choose to view them as representations of that era.

Is it not possible now and then for someone to do something with motivation that is NOT centered around proving a point or taking a political stance on current world issues? I would hope so! I view the stories to be just that--stories, fictional and written for the purpose of entertaining and pleasing the reader.