The Proles were not happier than Outer Party Members

[ragdish]

After Winston was purged of all heresy and cured, he was given a well paying job requiring little work. He could drink plenty of awful Victory Gin and presumably receive more than enough food. His varicose veins were treated. He always had a spot at the chess table in the Chestnut Tree Cafe. Orwell says, he could have even had sex with Julia but shuddered in horror at the thought of this. Stripped of all heresy and now fully adherent to the ideology of Ingsoc, Winston was IMO "happy" before he was to be executed. And happiness in 1984 needs to be put in proper context.

A common misconception is that the Proles had it better off than the Outer Party members ie. sour beer, sex, football, etc. Honestly, this is not what I interpret from reading 1984. The Prole "pleasures" should be understood in the context of a class of people completely devoid of intellect. An Outer Party member and a Prole are analogous to a priest or nun who must never commit heresy and their pet dog. An Outer Party member who consciously and unconsciously accepts Ingsoc and Big Brother (as would the blossoming loyal children of Party members become) is happy and a Prole whose brain has fewer synapses than Paris Hilton (who has only one synapse by the way) is also happy.

[The Atheist]

After Winston was purged of all heresy and cured, he was given a well paying job requiring little work. He could drink plenty of awful Victory Gin and presumably receive more than enough food. His varicose veins were treated. He always had a spot at the chess table in the Chestnut Tree Cafe. Orwell says, he could have even had sex with Julia but shuddered in horror at the thought of this. Stripped of all heresy and now fully adherent to the ideology of Ingsoc, Winston was IMO "happy" before he was to be executed. And happiness in 1984 needs to be put in proper context.

It's not a question of putting the happiness in context, it's a question of whether a completely re-programmed human being can be called "happy".

A victim of Stockholm Syndrome may give all the outward signs of happiness, but can we honestly describe that person as happy?


A common misconception is that the Proles had it better off than the Outer Party members ie. sour beer, sex, football, etc.

I don't believe it's a misconception at all; Orwell took great pains to explain why the proles were better off than Outer Party members.

They did not have to watch what they said or did; they did not live under threat of immediate incarceration and torture; they were not under surveillance every second of the 24 hours, and they were not limiting sex to procreation only.

I don't think there's any way you could describe OPM's as living any part of their lives "better" than the proles.


Honestly, this is not what I interpret from reading 1984.

Sorry, but Orwell is spinning in his grave at that one. He really did want you to see OPMs as living hell on earth.

:D


The Prole "pleasures" should be understood in the context of a class of people completely devoid of intellect.

Intellect is a double-edged sword, and while I won't debate the advantages of a brain over brainlessness, in terms of happiness, Orwell didn't think intellect is all that important. He wrote beautifully about why he'd rather be deprived of his brain than his legs. The smarter one is, the less happy one will be with his lot - especially if that lot is living under an incredibly harsh regime as OPMs did.


An Outer Party member and a Prole are analogous to a priest or nun who must never commit heresy and their pet dog.

No, you need to remember that proles were the blue-collar workers, and unless you're prepared to call coal-miners dogs, I think it's a bad analogy.


An Outer Party member who consciously and unconsciously accepts Ingsoc and Big Brother (as would the blossoming loyal children of Party members become) is happy and a Prole whose brain has fewer synapses than Paris Hilton (who has only one synapse by the way) is also happy.

See above regarding Stockholm Syndrome.