Final answer:
Winston Smith in '1984' believes that the proles, the laboring majority, are the only group capable of rebelling against the Party's oppressive rule, relying on their numbers and comparative freedom from control.
Step-by-step explanation:
In George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, Winston Smith, the protagonist, believes that the proles (short for proletariat) are the only hope to overthrow and rebel against the Party's oppressive regime.
In Orwell's vision of a totalitarian future, the proles represent the majority of the population who are largely ignored by the Party because they are considered incapable of organized resistance, due to their lack of political consciousness.
However, Winston sees potential in their sheer numbers and the fact that they maintain a life that is more free of Party control than the lives of Party members.
In Winston's eyes, because the proles live in relative ignorance of the Party's manipulation, they could, if they became aware of their oppression, form a powerful collective force capable of enacting revolutionary change.