Proles

Derived from the term "proletariat", 'proles' is a derogatory term, primarily used in dystopian literature, to describe the working class or common people, often characterized by their perceived lack of education, critical thinking, and awareness of political matters. They are typically seen as the masses, the unskilled laborers, and those who are easily controlled by a ruling authority due to their simple lives and focus on immediate needs and sensory pleasures. Their existence is often portrayed as a form of passive acceptance of their circumstances, lacking the desire or ability to question or challenge the established power structure. This lack of political awareness is often a key element, which allows for the exploitation and manipulation of proles by an authoritarian regime.

Proles meaning with examples

• In Orwell's '1984', the Party viewed the proles as a potentially dangerous but ultimately manageable segment of society. They were allowed more freedom and were kept occupied with trivial distractions like cheap entertainment and consumer goods, allowing them to be more easily controlled through a lack of critical thinking and political awareness.
• The dystopian novel depicted the proles, oblivious to the machinations of the elite, as happily consuming state-produced propaganda. Their focus remained on everyday concerns: food, family, and the fleeting pleasures of the lottery, while the ruling class maintained absolute control over their lives without contest.
• The government actively suppressed education amongst the proles, believing that knowledge would breed dissent. Keeping them ignorant meant maintaining their power, and the proles' blissful ignorance made them easy to govern, content to accept their limited roles and status.
• Despite their numerical superiority, the proles lacked the organization and leadership to pose a serious threat. Their lack of unity and inability to understand the oppressive nature of the regime meant they were effectively harmless in the grand scheme of things, making them easy to control.
• The protagonist of the novel grappled with the apathy of the proles, desperately trying to awaken them to the injustices of the system. He found their indifference to his warnings disheartening, knowing that any chance of resistance hinged on the collective consciousness of the proles.