Proles Role and Social Hierarchy in 1984 by Orwell

In 1984, the totalitarian country of Oceania has a complex social hierarchy that keeps its subjects under total control. The proletarians are called proles, and they are at the bottom of this system, representing about 85 percent of the people. They are politically unimportant, even with their numbers, and the Party deliberately keeps them ignorant. The description of the proles given by Orwell reveals the truth behind power and freedom, which is that they are not subjected to the ideological manipulation of the Party, but they are unaware of their potential to become agents of revolution because they do not understand their power. The proles' role in 1984 is notable for their status, which supports the power structure of the Party, their apathy towards collective action, and the social and political indifference of the people.

Within Oceania’s social order lies a rigid pyramid comprising the Inner Party, the Outer Party, and the proles. The Inner Party holds absolute power and dictates reality itself; the Outer Party carries out the Party's commands under surveillance, and the proles are too insignificant to require close surveillance and exist in a state of controlled neglect (Orwell, 1949). Orwell introduces this hierarchy as a parody of real-world class systems, especially downward classism, where people perceived to be of a lower social class are seen as unintelligent, or even dirty (Cavalhieri et al., 2023). In the 1984 system, the proles are excluded from political discourse. The Party's slogan, “Proles and animals are free,” is ironic because it's clear that the proles’ “freedom” exists only insofar as it poses no threat to the ruling elite (Orwell, 1984, p. 41).

Winston Smith, the protagonist, believes that if any hope is there, it is in the proles. This shows the author’s mixed feelings toward the working class. Winston considers proles the only people who have sufficient numbers and relative freedom to rebel against the Party (Orwell, 1949). Nonetheless, their coldness and they being too concerned with minor delights destroy this hope: they are always involved in trivial battles, casino games, and other distractions. The Party keeps them subdued with familiar methods of control, wherein they provide them with just the right level of comfort to prevent rebellion, while depriving them of political education to transform (Orwell, 1949). Thus, the role of the proletariat in the novel turns out to be a tragic comment on the way of the systemic opposition to remain in its place through ignorance and distraction (Orwell, 1949). The proles' condition reflects a distorted form of freedom because, unlike the Outer Party, they are not under telescreen surveillance or under scrutiny by the Thought Police. They can also express emotions, be in relationships, and even sing, which is considered subversive among Party members. In one scene, Winston watches a prole woman hang up her laundry and sing beneath his window, whose simple humanity moves him deeply, representing the persistence of authentic feeling in a world dominated by fear and repression (Orwell, 1949, p. 79). It is one of the songs composed by the Music Department for the proles. Therefore, Orwell uses this to illustrate the proles’ hopelessness and lack of direction, showing that, unless joined with political awareness, they cannot form meaningful resistance.

The author constructs a system where rebellion is unthinkable, since all the conditions for political awakening are absent, for instance, education, communication, and shared consciousness. Propaganda for the Party simply emphasizes that proles are inferior. This echoes historical justifications of class systems, such as the eugenic ideologies of the Nazi regimes in the early twentieth century (Dozoono, 2023). By making inequality a norm, class struggles have no moral basis for common revolt. Since proles have no political agency, the Party is able to maintain the illusion of stability (Orwell, 1949). The proles are diverted by cheap literature, porn, and lotteries created by the Party to keep them docile, which is the same as the “bread and circuses” strategy of ancient Rome and foreshadows modern critiques of mass media's role in shaping public consciousness (Fujii, 2025). Hence, Orwell's message is clear: when the working class is pacified by superficial pleasures, oppression goes unchallenged.

Despite their insignificance, the proles form the moral and emotional counterpoint to the fear-driven Party. Orwell juxtaposes the vigor of the proles against the emptiness of the Party members. The proles retain real human experiences of love, laughter, and family bonds where there is hope for renewal (Orwell, 1949). It seems like the future is theirs because they are the people who still remember what it is to be human, but Winston's final realization that “the proletarians will never revolt” confirms the Party's victory (Orwell, 1949, p. 151). The novel ends with submission, and no revolt happened because of ignorance and fear.

Overall, the proles in 1984 display elements of failure and the faint possibility of liberation in a totalitarian state. Their position within the societal hierarchy reflects political passivity, class inequality, and the manipulation of mass consciousness. Though they outnumber their oppressors, their ignorance and distractions turn them into powerless people. Through the proles, Orwell warns that freedom without knowledge is an illusion, and oppression grows in quiet acceptance of the many. The proles remind people of the danger to liberty, which is the human tendency to live comfortably in oppression.