In the world of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Party which controls Oceania is split into two halves: the Inner Party and the Outer Party. The Inner Party regulates Ingsoc.
The Inner Party represents the aristocratic political class in Oceania, and has its membership restricted to 6 million individuals (about 2% of the population). Inner Party members enjoy a quality of life that is much better than that of the proles or Outer Party members. For example, the telescreens (two-way televisions used for propaganda and surveillance purposes) in their homes can be turned off. They also have access to spacious living quarters, personal servants, convenient transportation, and relatively pleasant food and drink (in contrast to the poor-quality and improperly manufactured Victory Gin and Victory Cigarettes of the Outer Party). Inner Party members are always identified by their black coveralls. Members are selected at a young age according to a battery of tests, not family heritage; any loyalty to anything other than Ingsoc and Big Brother, including the family, is strongly discouraged. Race is also of no importance in selecting members.
In the novel, O'Brien is the only character met who is a member of the Inner Party.
Goldstein's book explains the rationale behind the class divisions in Oceania.
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