Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell. Short summary

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The writer recalls the hostilities in Barcelona and other Spanish cities in which he took part. In Barcelona the revolution was in full swing, and the anarchists were in control.

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In December 1936 the writer was in Barcelona. He describes the atmosphere in the city. The anarchists continue to hold control at this time, and the revolution is in full swing. The author was for the first time in a city where the opinion of the working class was reckoned with. There were signs on all the stores and cafes indicating the collectivization of property.

Tipping was forbidden, and the slave address of «don» and «senor» was resigned. In the barracks at Lepanto, militiamen are given instructions to prepare to fight at the front. Women are present among the militiamen, who fight on an equal footing with the men.

The following January Orwell visits Alcubierre. The writer is struck by the poverty of the villages of the region. Here one finds German deserters who are indistinguishable from themselves.

Three days later, the rifle issue begins. The writer had a German Mauser from 1896, which was already partially corroded. The author’s centuria arrives in the trenches near Zaragoza and he almost gets wounded.