The Outer Party In The Book 1984

1984 is a book based on the dangers of communism and is set in the city of Oceania, post WWll. In the book there are three classes: The Inner Party, the Outer Party and the Proles. The Inner Party is only 2% of the population. They’re the rulers of Oceania who govern the city and are known as “The Party”. The Outer Party makes up 13% of the population. They’re the more educated members of society and are given jobs by the Inner Party. They’re considered the “middle class” and have strict rules applied to them. The Proles make up 85% of the population in Oceania. They live in the poorest conditions out of all the classes but The Party doesn’t spy on them since they think they aren’t worth it. Throughout the book The Party doesn’t do much to …show more content…
They have kept telescreens in every outer party member’s home as well as hidden microphones and spies to catch any form of thought crime. By living in these circumstances it was impossible for someone in the Outer Party to even breath without being scrutinized. The phrase “Big brother is watching you” is used to keep the Outer Party in line. Everywhere they go they would see a poster with this phrase on it. There was no way to know if they were actually being watched or not, or how they were being watched. For the Outer Party this was a terrifying thought. They never knew if “Big Brother” was watching them or not. This would give them the opportunity to do whatever they want by thinking the thought police or “Big Brother” isn’t watching. However, The Party has embedded the idea that they’re always being watched into their heads in order to keep them in control, hence marginalizing them. In the book Winston says “The mostly deadly danger of all was talking in your sleep. There was no way of guarding against that, so far as he could see.” This illustrates the extent to which the Outer Party’s freedom is taken. Not only are they watched during the day but they’re also monitored during their sleep. This shows the suffocation in which the Outer Party lives in, under the rule of The Party. By monitoring them in their sleep The Party is putting them in an even more powerless position since they’re …show more content…
In 1984 it says “In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it”. This quote describes how easily The Party can manipulate the Outer Party. It shows that they have enough impact on them to make them believe anything they say. At the end of the book Winston agreed to this statement after being tortured for rebelling against the party. This shows how they’re being marginalized since they’re powerless against The Party. The Party oppresses and tortures them until they believe what they are told, even if it defies logic. The book describes The Party by saying "The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We aren’t interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power”. This quote implies that The Party doesn’t seek power in order to help the Outer Party, they want power just to benefit themselves. If they used their power to help the Outer Party, they would gain power leading to a dispute of power between both parties. By having a class system where the outer party is not allowed to have any interest in power by manipulating what they think or not even helping them improve their lifestyle since it can give them a bit more power, it is clear that The Party is marginalizing