The Proles and the Persistence of Life

Theme flow on the proles as the only repository of humanity and hope, and on their inability to resist.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The 85 Percent

The 85 Percent The Numbers The proles are 85 percent of Oceania's population. They are not indoctrinated, not watched, and not required to have any political opinions. The Strength Winston believes that only they could destroy the Party, because they are numerous enough to do it without conspiring. But they are not conscious of their strength. The Paradox They will not rebel until they become conscious, but they cannot become conscious before they rebel. The Party relies on this bind.

The Riot of Saucepan Women

The Riot of Saucepan Women The False Alarm Winston once heard a great shout of women's voices and thought the proles were rising. He ran to the spot and found a crowd fighting over tin saucepans at a market stall. The Redirected Anger The anger that could have toppled the Party was focused on a petty scarcity. The proles lack general ideas, so their revolt always dissolves into particular grievances. The Lesson This memory both sustains and undermines Winston's hope. The proles have the power but not the shape to use it.

The Eternal Singer

The Eternal Singer The Symbol of Endurance The singing woman in the yard represents the proles' immortality. She works, breeds, and sings without knowing that her song is a promise of the future. The Mistake Winston believes the proles will one day rise and bring sanity. Goldstein's book says the same, but O'Brien reveals that the book was written by the Party and is nonsense. The Truth The proles will never revolt. The Party is immortal, and the song is only a sound in the void. Winston's last mystical vision is an illusion shared by the Party's own propaganda.

The Extinguished Hope

The Extinguished Hope The Collapse In the final chapter, Winston no longer believes in the proles. He has become so hollow that the face of Big Brother is the only thing he can see. The Irony The theme of hope collapses into despair. The proles remain alive, but their lives have no more meaning to Winston than the dust on the café table. The Ending 'He loved Big Brother.' The proles continue, unintelligible, unawakened, while the man who saw them as the last hope has joined the enemy.

early reflections

Winston's memory, Part I

the final vision

after the conversion