Human Decency and The Absurdity of War Theme Analysis

Throughout Homage to Catalonia, Orwell seeks to understand the meaning of the war and the value of his own involvement in it. While he initially conceives of the war as a noble struggle for democracy, his experience at the front is characterized by stagnation and absurdity, as soldiers spend more time worrying about everyday survival than fighting the enemy. Similarly, he discovers that the political atmosphere in Spain is a deeply fractured one, characterized by corruption, persecution, and terror. Nevertheless, despite the senseless suffering and injustice that Orwell witnesses, he does not despair of humanity. Inspired by numerous examples of individual generosity and courage, he affirms his trust in the inherent dignity and decency of human beings.

Much of Orwell’s narrative dwells on the meaninglessness of life at the front. Although he had imagined his involvement in the Spanish Civil War would be a fight in the name of lofty ideals, Orwell is profoundly disappointed by the reality on the ground. Fighting is relatively infrequent, so soldiers are primarily concerned with food, warmth, and personal hygiene. Furthermore, bad luck and inefficiency prove more harmful than enemy fire. Orwell describes the soldiers as a “mob of eager children” who have never been taught to use a weapon and, as a result, they suffer often from self-inflicted wounds. He interrogates the meaning of his involvement in a war that, in many aspects, does not seem like a war at all, but rather like “a bloody pantomime.” The absurdity of war seems to dawn on Orwell when he realizes that the fascist monsters he’s fighting “were indistinguishable from ourselves, except that they wore khaki overalls.” Regardless of the side soldiers are fighting on, they are united by something greater than political rivalry: their collective experience of the reality of war. Generally, then, life on the front was not particularly combative or violent, and it taught Orwell more about human unity than about the valor of violence or the meaningfulness of political differences.

While the front is animated by a spirit of comradeship and self-sacrifice, revolutionaries are persecuted mercilessly back in Barcelona. Neither hierarchy nor the rule of law is respected as lower-ranking police officers take part in illegal arrests and disregard release orders issued by their superiors, hoping to imprison as many people as possible. Such political persecution proves counter-productive to the war effort. Like many others, Orwell’s commander Georges Kopp is caught and imprisoned. Orwell attempts to free his friend, whom he considers an invaluable military leader, but he fails in his effort. Orwell despairs at seeing such a valuable commander imprisoned at the time when he is most sorely needed at the front. This wave of imprisonments leads to cruel, inhuman consequences. When Bob Smillie, one of Orwell’s young companions, succumbs to illness in prison after being detained without trial, Orwell writes that “Smillie’s death is not a thing I can easily forgive.” A soldier might die in battle, he argues, but it is barbaric to leave a helpless, innocent young man to die when he has committed no crime. Orwell realizes that, to the politicians in Barcelona, a soldier’s life has lost all value, as he is denied even the right to a dignified death.

Somehow, despite this generalized chaos and violence, Orwell maintains an undying belief in the goodness of humanity. Faced with the absurdity of war and the quagmire of political infighting, he turns to those around him for hope. After Orwell and his wife flee Spain, both of them are obsessed with the desire to return to the war. While they know that this idea is unrealistic and dangerous, they feel their comrades’ suffering as their own and wish to share in their plight. In the end, what remains most salient in their mind is the feeling of solidarity and comradeship they experienced in the conflict. Orwell remains in awe of the exceptional courage and self-sacrifice he witnessed in the war. His commander Kopp, who sacrificed his Belgian nationality in order to join a foreign army, never loses his good humor. Not even the prospect of his own execution makes Kopp regret his commitment to the Spanish cause. He exemplifies dignity, fortitude, and courage.

Overall, Orwell’s attitude after Spain is one of hope. Despite witnessing cruel political infighting, unchecked corruption, and injustice, he remains convinced of the value of revolutionary socialism. More generally, he is left with an optimistic “belief in the decency of human beings.” Thus, as much as it denounces the dangers of political oppression, Homage to Catalonia is a testament to the human capacity to fight for idealistic beliefs and to maintain dignity in the midst of senseless violence and chaos.