If there is hope, it lies in the proles.

[Sandy]

Why/How did Winston draw this conclusion?

[Yefim]

The Proles are free from the Party's surveillance and are allowed to develop thoughts of their own without being arrested for thoughtcrime.

Of course, as O'Brien makes it clear, they are not arrested for thoughtcrime because they have very little thought to begin with.

[Carolina]

Because they were less watched over and far more numerous.

[Sandy]

Yefim wrote: "The Proles are free from the Party's surveillance and are allowed to develop thoughts of their own without being arrested for thoughtcrime.

Of course, as O'Brien makes it clear, they are not arre..."

Thanks Yefim and Carolina. Winston was an inner party member instead of a prole? How did he become an inner party member?

Sorry I just finished Part I, so don't know much but just guessing.

[Carolina]

No problem, keep reading! Not all your doubts will be cleared but some will.

[Sandy]

Yefim wrote: "The Proles are free from the Party's surveillance and are allowed to develop thoughts of their own without being arrested for thoughtcrime.

Of course, as O'Brien makes it clear, they are not arre..."

You are right, Yefim. :)
I reread part one and found it in chapter one:
I dont suppose anything happened to her nobody cares what the proles say typical prole reaction they never--

[Sandy]

Carolina wrote: "No problem, keep reading! Not all your doubts will be cleared but some will."

Thanks Caraline, I was wrong. He was a member of the Outer Party. :p

Part one chapter three:
Winston wrenched his body out of bed - naked, for a member of the Outer Party received only three thousand clothing coupons annually, and a suit of pyjamas was six hundred - and seized a dingy singlet and a pair of shorts that were lying across a chair.

[Agrim]

The proles in the novel and in the general society represents the working classes : peasants, labourers, and factory workers. As you must have realised that in any society, especially a developing one, these people are the masses and if united can stir a revolution. This fact has been many times proven in the history in the form of several revolutions that happened in the world. This possibility is strengthened further in this novel because the proles are not controlled by the party and thus in theory have the potential to cause a revolution and overthrow the regime. This is the hope Winston talks about.
But, according to me, this is one of the most ironical statement made in this novel and done intentionally by Orwell. Potentially, the proles can do a lot but in reality they will not do anything because the same party that does not control them in terms of their thinking, controls them fully by keeping them starved, dependent and in squalid conditions. Hence, the proles will end up spending their entire lives solving these issues and thus will never be able to realise their potential. I love the way Orwell has given this example and alluded that this also happens in the real world where the working classes are indirectly controlled.

[Sandy]

Agrim wrote: "The proles in the novel and in the general society represents the working classes : peasants, labourers, and factory workers. As you must have realised that in any society, especially a developing ..."

I agree with you, this statement appears in part one, but as O'Brien said in part three, Winston should have forgotten about it, O'Brien was very confident, the proles would never stir a revolution.

[Harshith]

Proles in the context of this novel, i think, represent mass of people who are constantly neglected by the society and the government alike. They do know they are oppressed but they do not probably know the potential they have in them. Orwell makes an ironical point here that proles are the key to revolution, but at the same time they are not because they do not really do anything. Doublethink?

[Sandy]

Harshith wrote: "Proles in the context of this novel, i think, represent mass of people who are constantly neglected by the society and the government alike. They do know they are oppressed but they do not probably..."

LOL, yes, doublethink!

[Rose]

Ditto to all previous posts. In addition, I would like to add that I think the proles are "the hope" because they retain some of the goodness and beauty of the "old days." They remember the songs, keep the art/antiques, connect with their neighbors, etc. The sad part of this is that they are not aware of the value of these things. If the Proles could look at the bigger picture and see their value and strength, they could change the world. However, they are stuck in their ignorance and seem to be content with going about their lives.