Final answer:
In George Orwell's 1984, the proles are seen by the Party as unimportant and incapable of rebellion, serving only to sustain the economy through their labor. They are not monitored closely as the Party does not consider them a threat. The Party's view of the proles is in stark contrast to Marx's vision, where the proletariat would rise up against their oppressors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between the proles and the Party in George Orwell's novel 1984 is complex. The Party views the proles as politically insignificant and non-threatening, they are regarded as the uneducated masses who are not considered capable of stirring rebellion. The proles make up the majority of the population and are the workers that sustain the economy, yet they live in relative freedom compared to Party members because the Party does not see them as intelligent or organized enough to oppose the regime. Therefore, it allows them a certain level of negligence without the stringent monitoring reserved for its own members.
As per Karl Marx's theory, which Orwell references indirectly in 1984, the proles could be seen as the proletariat, the class of workers in a capitalist system. Ideally, in Marx's view, they would rise up against their oppressors, the bourgeoisie, who in Orwell's novel are akin to the Inner Party. However, in 1984, the Party successfully prevents this by keeping the proles in a state of ignorance and relatively placated. Through propaganda and control of information, the Party ensures the proles remain unengaged with the broader societal and political issues that plague the Inner and Outer Party members.