Review of "Homage to Catalonia" by George Orwell

George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia 11/08/09

Review By Ahmadu Tijjani Abdullahi

In December 1936, political journalist and novelist George Orwell left his home in England to go to Spain and cover the Spanish Civil War. At the time, the workers of Spain had allied under various banners and were involved in a struggle against the well known fascist Francisco Franco and his Nationalist regime. On arrival in Barcelona, a city which at first seemed to fit with Orwell's Ideal of socialism, he decided to join the struggle under the banner of the Workers Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), a party which would later be outlawed much to his dismay. Under the POUM banner, Orwell served on the Aragon front as a corporal, and then in Huesca. After an extended tour on the frontline, Orwell returned to Barcelona on leave where he would bear witness to the May Riots which inevitably changed the socialist atmosphere of the revolution that he had initially been drawn to. Promoted to second lieutenant in early May, Orwell returned to the Huesca front in command of a 30 man unit. However, shortly after Orwell was shot through the neck by a sniper, resulting in him being taken off the front with partial paralysis and a temporary loss of voice. Originally coming to Spain to cover the war as a journalist, Orwell decided to get entangled in it. From personal accounts of his experiences and observations, he wrote Homage to Catalonia from a stunning first person perspective.

From the beginning of the book Orwell highlights the nature and spirit of the war in great detail. He was greatly puzzled by the disorganized manner in which the Spanish conducted war. One of his first observations during training was how militiamen were given "what was comically called instruction" in preparation for the front. He especially stressed the point that they received no weapons training nor even laid hands on a rifle while at the barracks....