Introduction
Homage to Catalonia is a book authored by George Orwell. The author details his memoirs of the author during the Spanish civil war. The book details the first hand information of the civil war. Orwell did not arrive in Catalonia until late in 1936. Orwell spend tome fighting Franco during the winter of 1936. He made his way to the Catalan capital in 1937 before the commencement of street fighting. His return to the battlefront was interrupted by the injury from a bullet fired by a sniper.
The Marxist Party for which he fought had been suppressed which led him to free to France. The experiences during the war form the majority of the book. Even though the firsthand experience gives him authority, the book cannot be regarded as an objective account of the events during the Spanish civil war. Nonetheless, the book is not filled with propaganda. At best, it is a detailed memoir of the personal experiences during the war tempered with personal opinions about the politics of the era.
Discussion
Orwell adopts an honest approach in writing the book. He deviates from sensationalizing the accounts of his experiences during the civil war. In chapter eleven of the book, Orwell writes, “It will never be possible to get a completely accurate and unbiased account of the Barcelona fighting, because the necessary records do not exist.” In this excerpt, the author argues that the absence of records to corroborate his experiences robs his book of the perception of objectivity. The admission of the author is not an indication that all the information contained in the book is subjective and based on conjecture.
In support of this argument, Orwell writes, “I myself have little data beyond what I saw with my own eyes and what I have learned from other eyewitnesses whom I believe to be reliable.” This is a disclaimer given to the reader to inform him of the absence of supporting records. It also informs the reader that the information presented is supported by primary data collected by the author during his fight against Franco and secondary data from secondary sources who he regards as reliable.
The honest approach adopted by Orwell in writing the book also helps the reader distinguish fact from opinion. This enables the reader to determine how much significance to apply to certain arguments made by Orwell. For instance, Orwell write, “My own opinion is that the fighting was only preconcerted in the sense that everyone expected it. There were no signs of any very definite plan on either side.” There is every intention by the author to inform the reader that this and the subsequent texts present his opinions as informed by the primary information he collected in the battlefield. This is inconsistent from the demeanor of would-be a propagandist. In this capacity, Orwell would pass his opinions as facts in order to inflame the events and sensationalize the truth.
Another deliberate decision by the author in writing the book was to divide the various chapters of the book to cover memoirs about the actual military engagements and others to cover the political angle of the Spanish civil war. The author also makes the decision to disclose this information to the reader, probably based on a projection that some readers might prefer the one of the subjects to the other. In chapter five, Orwell writes, “I am trying to keep the political parts of this narrative in separate chapters for precisely that purpose.” The purpose to which Orwell alludes is the knowledge that some of the readers might not be interested in the dynamics of the party politics that formed part of reason for the Spanish civil war, and therefore the decision to structure the book so that party politics do not permeate all the chapters in the book.
Orwell had pointed out that his work was supported by facts sourced from both primary and secondary data. This is very evident in chapter five of the book when the author explains the party dynamics and the political environment at the time. The author provides citations in his book whenever he uses primary or secondary information to support his arguments. In chapter five, Orwell writes, “The Government had made little or no attempt to forestall the rising, which had been foreseen for a long time past, and when the trouble started its attitude was weak and hesitant, so much so, indeed, that Spain had three premiers in a single day.” Orwell provides a citation to support this argument. The citation is in the form of a foot note that denotes the refusal of Quiroga and Barrios to offer trade unions the requisite arms. This is an element of objectivity. It goes on to add credibility to his discussion on the political climate and how it influenced the military tactics at the time.
There are various other instances where Orwell uses primary and secondary sources to give credence to his arguments. For instance, Orwell writes, “According to the Daily Worker (6 August 1936) those who said that the Spanish people were fighting for social revolution, or for anything other than bourgeois democracy, were’ downright lying scoundrels.” In this excerpt, Orwell provides the citation of a secondary source to help validate his argument. Orwell also cites Juan Lopez who is an official of the Valencia Government to further advance his arguments on the mudslinging that was used to taint the efforts of those involved in the civil war. These actions show the objectivity in his work, especially when the subsequent debate is presented without the comic effect with which he presents his opinions.
Conclusion
Orwell did not author a book that can be used as a factual reference for the events occurring during the Spanish civil war. This is because it was not the initial aim of the author. However, he records his memoirs of the battles effectively. The approach used by the author is informative and engaging. As amply illustrated, the author used primary and secondary sources to validate his arguments. When he voices his opinions, he discloses to the reader that such is his opinion. There is no discernable evidence to support the argument that his work is propagandist. However, the book does not rise to the objective threshold that is required of historical books detailing factual evidence about certain events. As such, the discretion of the reader is required.
Bibliography
Orwell, George. Chapter 11. In Homage to Catalonia. London. Harvill Secker. 1938.
Orwell, George. Chapter 12. In Homage to Catalonia. London. Harvill Secker. 1938.
Orwell, George. Chapter 5. In Homage to Catalonia. London. Harvill Secker. 1938.
