In 1984, what is the main conflict and is it external or internal?

I agree
that 's conflicts are both external (man vs society--i.e. the Party) and internal (Winston vs
his conscience). The most interesting thing about the internal conflict in this text is that,
for most of the book, it is half formed. Winston begins defying the party with only instinct and
trace memories to guide him. He doesn't struggle within himself because he doesn't know who he
is. For the most part, his struggle with the Party is also half-formed. I think this is part of
the point of the novel: Winston does not know who or what the actual opposing force is, so he
does not know who or what he should be in conflict with (yes, he understands that he should
resist "the Party" and all that it stands for, but he does not know who, precisely,
the Party is).