the prole woman symbol Flashcards
symbolizes
fertility and reproductive capacity and represents the strong and vital lower classes
animalistic comparisons
compared to a “mare” and “rose-hip” and an overripe turnip
Winston feels a “mystical reverence” towards her
connected to an animal need for love and sex
immorality
sight of the prole woman hanging the laundry convinces Winston that the proles are “immortal” and will some day awaken and rebel against and overthrow the party
her singing
symbolizes her freedom and vitality of the proles to Winston- something he believes could be harnessed for revolts
the masses
in BNW - the lower castes (Gammas, Deltas, Epsilons) are easily contented and bred in batches in the Botanovsky process, rather than being individuals
the “Proles” are not as heavily controlled or conditioned as the party members - they are content with their easy lives and do not have high aspirations - comment on our own society?
Orwell presents the lower levels
of society as possessing a level of freedom, which simply does not apply to the lower castes in BNW
as it is not desirable
for the proles to have political awareness, they can be left unindoctrinated
the proles are presented to have
more normal emotions than party members, as they don’t live in such a repression way
in the ‘flicks’ it is a prole woman who shouts in protests - on the other hand, winston finds the horrific film funny
Winston’s behaviour
shows that he is right in believing that the proles have retained aspects of humanity, which he himself has lost
his “hope” is in the proles
yet he recognises that their horizons are too limited for them to rise up
function of proles
as the repository of history
in both 1984 and BNW
both authors subtly convey their intellectual contempt for the lower echelons
huxley and orwell
both present the lower castes of society as essentially unthinking masses, easily contented and without aspirations, with little or no individuality
