In my opinion, I feel Winston is having a struggle in wanting freedom and his obedience to Big Brother. He realizes that he is doomed to a life of believing in Big Brother, but he can still differentiate between his opinions and the government’s forced opinions. His small acts of defiance are hidden protests, satisfying only his resentment toward the State. Winston can question anything he wants, he can sneak around as he pleases, and he can engage in small thrills like writing in a journal when he isn’t supposed to be, but ultimately Winston knows he can only continue breaking these small rules while keeping the big ones.
Winston’s own internal conflict is nothing of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Take into consideration how open the OWS protestors are; they have their signs, their speeches, and their own personal propaganda. They are open about what they believe in. Winston is fighting a personal battle and appears normal and compliant to everyone who sees him on the streets. Winston is fighting for freedom, while OWS protestors are fighting for fairness and opportunities. Fairness and opportunities can exist without ultimate freedom. However, freedom cannot exist if there is total government control. Both Winston and OWS are protesting again “The Man,” or the government. Winston’s silent protests would be seen by the government as expected but unacceptable. Winston would simply be vanished for rebelling against the government. OWS protestors are seen as outspoken and are somewhat admired for their strong opinions, but many people find them incorrect or misinformed. However, because freedom exists in our country, they are allowed to continue protesting for what they believe. I would not say we are Orwellian. We are not completely controlled by propaganda, surveillance, or misinformation. We have the ability to think outside of the government and nonviolently protest.  Compared to Winston, we are free.