This chapter features Winston’s reflections on the “proles,” who, notably, constitute around 85% of the population. Compared to the Party members, the proles lead a markedly different life. Typically, Party members seldom, if at all, interact with the proles. Accordingly, the proles are also confined to secluded places. The Thought Police routinely monitors proletariat neighborhoods to squash any potential rebellion. This, however, seems rather unnecessary. Winston notices that the proles have no political consciousness, and even their brief bouts of anger are typically misdirected. Despite this, Winston hopes that someday the proles will successfully rebel against the Party. Though they are not politically aware, the proles are not especially susceptible to the Party’s brainwashing. The Party, it must be mentioned, views them as animals.

The Party also contends that the proles led significantly worse lives before the Revolution. According to the Party, the proles were effectively the slaves of a small capitalist elite. When Winston borrows a children’s history book from Mrs. Parsons, he is only able to find a whitewashed, oversimplified version of the past, one largely favorable to the Party. The Party also claims to have built great cities like London, yet the London Orwell depicts in 1984 is nowhere near a great city. The Party also claims to have reduced poverty and the infant mortality rate, ensured the just distribution of nutritious food, provided adequate shelter and housing to all. Though Winston finds these claims suspicious, he has no way of verifying them since the past has already been altered by the Party. Once, however, Winston did find a newspaper article on his desk disproving charges of treason and counterrevolutionary undertakings levelled against three men who were part of the Revolution. Though this could possibly have proven that the Party’s version of history was a lie, Winston quickly destroyed the paper using the “memory hole.”

Winston’s dilemma is also brought to the forefront in this chapter. On the one hand, he knows that the Party lies, that one can never know the real truth because the Party obfuscates and destroys all contrarian claims. Yet, he feels powerless to question the Party’s version of things; if he is asked to believe that two plus two equals five, he will have to comply. In this chapter, readers also find out that Winston is somehow convinced that O’Brien, the Inner Party official, is a good man. He even starts believing that it is for O’Brien that he is writing his diary.