George Orwell wrote "Homage to Catalonia" about his time spent as a soldier for POUM, the Worker's Party of Marxist Unity, during the Spanish Civil War. His vision of war was certainly different going in than it ended up being after he had spent several months on the front line. Perhaps the most disheartening aspect of the war (besides the cold) for him was the political conflicts that were undermining the overall efforts of those who were against Franco. Suppose Orwell wrote about his experiences without bringing in the very confusing different political agendas - would the message of "Homage to Catalonia" still be the same? Hardly - even Orwell himself said that it would "be impossible to write about the Spanish war from a purely military angle. It was above all things a political war." (46) Yet in spite of Orwell's disgust at the conflict among those who were supposedly fighting for the same things, Orwell found it necessary to write his memoirs of his time in Spain. Clearly the war meant so many different things to him, and it is through "Homage to Catalonia" that he tries to convey these meanings - his profound feelings for the Spanish people, and the political agenda that counteracted any real progress made against Franco. To Orwell, his interactions with the P.O.U.M. Catalans, as well as those from other socialist "groups" fighting on the same side were the people who affected him most profoundly. It was these relationships that shaped his experience, which is the sole purpose of his "Homage to Catalonia"
George Orwell, an Englishman who carried around a Spanish dictionary for much of the war, outwardly speaks of his affection for the people of Spain a multitude of times in the book. He learned very quickly just how sincere the Spanish people were that he was around. He describes how no one could be around the Spaniards he was with and not be "struck by their decency; above all their straightforwardness and generosity." (12) He goes on to declare that their generosity is "at times almost embarrassing" in that if you asked to have a cigarette, the Spaniard would more than likely "force the whole packet upon you." (12) Orwell refutes the descriptions of other journalists of "bitterly jealous" Spaniards, saying how he was never encountered with anyone fitting that sort of image. (12) For Orwell, the humility and honesty of the Spaniards was something he wasn't used to, and was quite humbled by. When one Spaniard gave credit to the French by declaring them "Braver than we are," Orwell muses on the idea that an Englishman would rather "cut his hand off" than admit anyone was better. (12) As his time in the militia endured, Orwell was transferred several times to other units (posts) and became acquainted with many different types of people, but mostly stayed among the Catalans he had met. This relationship that Orwell had with the men he was sometimes even put in charge of is so significant to the novel - he had only intended upon reporting on the war, yet the enthusiasm and feeling of revolution that had embraced him in Spain caused him to voluntarily join a war for which he would gain no advantage. This was certainly not his country, his war, or his people. Yet Orwell joined the militia, learned the language and became part of a brotherhood that could have killed him (and nearly did). To me, the kinship Orwell must have had, the affection he speaks about for these people, must have been something that transcended all race, language and political barriers. It is doubtful that anyone today would put themselves where Orwell did, for people he hardly even knew, which speaks volumes not only about Orwell, but also about the people of Catalonia.
George Orwell saw only minimal amounts of fighting in Spain, which can make you wonder what it...
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