George Orwell
For the author, Homage To Catalonia serves as Orwell's memoir of his time as a reporter in the Spanish Civil War. The book is Orwell's reflections on warfare, ideology, and Spain as a Leftist volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. The book is largely Orwell's anecdotes about his time working in Barcelona as a volunteer for the war effort. While he joins the war optimistic about its goals, by the end of war, Orwell grows disillusioned with the entire affair. He escapes Spain when the P.O.U.M. (his ideological faction) is suppressed. After the war, Orwell returns to England.
Orwell's Wife
Orwell's wife who came with him to Spain. While unnamed in the story (her real name was Eileen Blair), Orwell's wife supported him through the war. By the end of the book, she helps Orwell escape from Spain by helping him hide in her hotel room. Orwell's wife helps him avoid the authorities through Barcelona when the P.O.U.M. is suppressed and Orwell has to escape from Spain. Once the two acquire passport, Orwell and his wife return to England.
The Italian Militiaman
While he only has an incredibly brief appearance (Orwell does not even know his name), the Italian Militiaman is the most important character in the entire book. Orwell's memory of the Italian militiaman is what serves as his first important memory of the Spanish Civil War. All of Orwell's memories flow from his passing encounter with the militiaman on his arrival to Spain. An image which, to Orwell, defines the entire war in retrospect.
Georges Kopp
A Belgian volunteer and fellow member of the P.O.U.M. who Orwell meets during the Spanish Civil War. Kopp appears several times through the book on the front-lines and an important officer with his relationship to Orwell. Kopp servers as Orwell's ideal model of the ideological solider, but that does not save Kopp by the end of the book. The book's climax commences when the P.O.U.M. is outlawed and Kopp arrested. At the end of the book, Orwell attempts to rescue Kopp from prison but is unable to.
P.O.U.M.
The P.O.U.M. or Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (Worker's Party of Marxist Unification) is the Spanish political party which Orwell joins upon entering the Spanish Civil War. The P.O.U.M. was one of the major political organizations among the many factions within the Spanish Civil War. The P.O.U.M itself was a radical Leftist group which suppressed by Catalonia's Stalinist elements by the end of the war. The suppression results in the arrest, disappearance, and execution of many of P.O.U.M.'s members. Due to this, Orwell flees Spain by the end of the book due to the violent suppression. The last event which totally sours him on his experiences in the Spanish Civil War.
