Proles
The proles make about 81%
of the population of Oceania. The Party itself is only interested in their
labour power, because the proles are mainly employed in the industry and
in the farms. Without their Labour force Oceania would break down. Despite
this fact the Party completely ignores this social caste. The curious thing
about this behaviour is, that the Party calls itself a Socialistic Party,
and generally socialism (at least at the beginning and middle of this century)
is a movement of the proletariat. So one could say that the Party abuses
the word "Ingsoc". Orwell again had pointed at an other regime, the Nazis,
who had put "socialism" into their name. One of the main phrases of the
Party is "Proles and animals are free". In Oceania the proles live in very
desolate and poor quarters. Compared to the districts where the members
of the Party live, there are much fewer telescreens, and policemen. And
as long as the proles don't commit a crime (crime in our sense / not in
the sense of the party - Toughtcrime) they don't have any contact with
the state. Therefore in the districts of the proletarians one can find
things that are abolished and forbidden for the Party members. E.g. old
books, old furniture, prostitution and alcohol (mainly beer) Except "Victory
Gin" all of these things are not available for the Party-members. The proletarians
don't participate in the technical development. They live like they used
to do many years ago. To my mind the Party ignores the Proles, because
they pose no danger to their rule. The working class is too uneducated
and too unorganised to pose a real threat. So there is not really a need
to change the political attitudes of this class.
1984