Proles

[Soccerchick]

At one point in the book Winston was in the room above Mr.Charrington's shop while he overheard a prole woman singing while hanging her laundry out to dry. The song was,

"It was only an 'opeless fancy,
It passed like an Ipril dye,
But a look an' a word an' the dream they stirred
They 'ave stolen my 'eart awye!"

Is this song of importance and who is she talking about when she sings, "They 'ave stolen my 'eart awye!"?

[AngryLlama23]

No. Proles are stupid and they will never realize that their life is bad and that it could be better. And that's why they will never rebel.

I would not say that proles are stupid, they are more "Uneducated". By keeping the proles uneducated, the party is free to use them as laborers, basically making the proles into machines that only have one purpose; to work.
The proles keep working because they don't know that life can be better, and they are kept satisfied by the party's supplies of gin, and cigarettes.

[ChocoPie2]

It's not that they're necessarily "stupid", they are just victims of anialate thinking. They are tought that ignorance is strength and because of this are easy to govern. So in conclusion, they are educated, just in a way that is different than our education and don't know anything better than what they have because of the destruction of history.

[what-a-day]

Do you think the party underestimates what the proles could do?
Its true that they are uneducated and unaware of whats going on, but if the proles ever wisened up or someone like winston wanted to plan an uprising in the prole section, they could because there are no telescreens down there.

I don't think that the party really underestimates the proles and what they can do but I don't think that the party is afraid either. The proles seem to be pretty content and right now don't see a reason to rebel, its not like the proles have the telescreens and are being watched. The party is giving the proles "distractions" so they don't have a problem with the party. the party knows that the proles could rebel but they are doing what they can to keep them distracted and not too concerned with what's going on in the outside.