What role does Big Brother play within the novel?

Big Brother plays this larger than life character throughout the book and we learn later on that he is a character that the government brought to life. Using doublethink, O'Brien tells Winston that Big Brother does and does not exist. Meaning that Big Brother does exist as the embodiment of the Party, but he can never die. This is where I myself determined that he did not really exist until he was created perhaps as a scapegoat for the government. Everyone who has a big brother knows that at some point or another they feel safe with their big brother, they want to be like their big brother and they look up to their big brother. Big Brother is aptly named then for his position in Oceania, he is given a name of trust, protection, and affection. His name brings fear into the hearts of Oceania's citizens but also comfort. People are made to believe that Big Brother does no wrong and that all is well while they are in his hands. The government uses this Big Brother character as a law enforcer (considering the signs all around Oceania) and as a provider. But is this what Big Brother truly is? Big Brother is not really a character; he is a metaphor for the power that the party has and for all dictators and despots the world has ever known. The government in 1984 uses Big Brother to intimidate, to rule, and to inspire loyalty. Posters of Big Brother are everywhere in Oceania. His face is more familiar than any other. The people are told that Big Brother loves them and takes care of them, so that the people love "him" and most are fiercely loyal to him, and thus to the party. Decisions are made by the Party in the name of Big Brother and because the people love him, the Party is free to establish any laws they want and they have total rule over the land. The many posters tell people that Big Brother is watching them, which in many ways he is. Big Brother actually plays a more vital role in the book then most other characters in my opinion. It is because of him that Winston and Julia must rent out an apartment above a pawn shop in the prole district, ultimately it is because of Big Brother that Winston and Julia are caught. He represents totalitarian structures in the book. Without this Big Brother character, the government probably has much less power over their people and this book goes in another direction.