Orwell

I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated. I think a lot of what fed this enjoyment was the tone Orwell upheld throughout the book. He incorporated so much humor. Like Caitlin pointed out, his descriptions of the Spaniards had me laughing, but he also shed such positive light on them and their generosity that I never found his humorous criticism to be offensive. It read as more playful an conversational, from someone who was frustrated by the disorganization and futility of the war. He also fueled that frustration in more serious tones and critiques of the war, pointing out contradictions not only within the press (another story entirely) but among the anti-Fascist groups within Spain. I thought these thoughts were best expressed by Orwell toward the end of the book when he tells us of those he knows that have been thrown in jail. And he writes so passionately about these men and all of the work and soul they put into the war only to be treated so awfully, as criminals.

My thoughts are going to be all over the place.

One of the other things I enjoyed about the book was Orwell'a descriptions. From the landscape to the trench conditions, everything was wonderfully specific and even poetic (even if he was describing something terrible). But the one scene that sticks out to me the most is his description of being shot. I don't think I have ever read anything like that. He writes those feelings so vividly that it became almost a physical experience to read.

Aside from the writing techniques, I appreciated Orwell's willingness to discuss how hard it is to write truthfully. Admitting to his biases and possible mistakes (many of which were cited in footnotes). I think that level of candor in writing lends itself to the reader trusting Orwell more. Not only does he point out contradictions and censorship in the press, but he strives to provide more accurate information to counter them and force us to examine the reality (as close as possible). If I have learned anything in the last few weeks of this course and in reading these books, it's that the responsibility of us as writers to wade through the propaganda and expose a reality and a truth. (And I've also really been able to see how heavily propaganda is used!) Although it's perhaps true that we cannot necessarily write from a completely unbiased standpoint, it's worth trying for.