In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, a specific segment of the population, comprising roughly 85% of Oceania, is designated as the proles. These individuals represent the working class and are largely excluded from the Party’s intense surveillance and ideological control. Their lives are characterized by poverty, lack of education, and a focus on basic survival and simple pleasures like entertainment (particularly lottery) and alcohol.
The significance of this group lies in their potential for rebellion. The Party views them as intellectually inferior and therefore harmless, allowing them a degree of freedom that Party members are denied. This freedom, however, also stems from the Party’s belief that they are incapable of independent thought or organized resistance. Historically, working classes have been instrumental in social and political upheaval; therefore, their role within Oceania’s totalitarian structure presents both a risk and an opportunity for change.
