1984 Essay 2

In Winston's eyes the "proles"are seen as the only source that have the possibility to overthrow Big Brother and the Party. The "proles are known as the lower class. They are thought to have no value by Party members and make up most of the population of Oceania. Proles are the only hope that there is to overthrow big brother from being in control of Oceania and keep living the way they are.

The Proles represent hope for the people of Oceania. They have to live by the rules that the Party does to a certain extent but unlike Party members, proles are aloud to sing without getting yelled at or arrested for the idea of thoughtcrime. They represent the lower class which makes up most of the population of Oceania as well. They did not conform to all the new ideas and rules that the rest of Oceania did. They are living as humans and having their own life rather than living like the Party members and being watched and yelled at during all parts of the day.

The "proles" also represent the past of Oceania. Most people were taught to forget the past and that there wasn't a past. History was changed daily for the majority of people and most forgot about what they had been told the day before. Proles remembered the past before Big Brother and even after Big Brother came into power it was their decision not to conform and they stayed human by not changing their lives just because of the new ideas that everyone else was living by.

In order for any revolution to occur, it is the proles that need to rise up to the occasion and revolt. They are the only way a revolution is going to happen. Nobody else has any recollection of the past and no one else can unite like the proles can. However, the proles have no desire to get rid of Big Brother because he is not necessarily bothering their lifestyle.

Winston was correct when he said the characteristics of the proles make the ultimate means for overthrowing Big Brother. Too bad at the end of the novel, Winston loves Big Brother due to his time at the Ministry of Love. The proles don't see that they are what Oceania needs in order to have a revolution, so that revolution may never take place.