Another Brick in the Wall (Periods 1A and 6A) by Mary Ellen Desmond https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1 Use this discussion board to do a collaborative analysis of the song and to identify connections to ideas from The Handmaid's Tale. *Please add your name at the beginning of all posts and comments. Please add at least one post about some detail or element of "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" and also add a comment on at least one other person's post. Use this as a way to discuss your interpretations of the song. You may want to reference your elements of a song document, to help you remember the types of elements that can be addressed. Padlet also allows you to attach pictures, so if you would like to attach a still image from the video, that would be great! *You are welcome to participate more than once! Please add direct quotations from the lyrics, whenever your analysis connects to those lyrics. en-us 2021-01-08 14:11:14 UTC 2026-02-18 17:33:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://images.genius.com/9afa22cd08abb00367f22743f73a8ecf.1000x1000x1.jpg Mrs. Desmond maryellendesmond1 https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1074910171 The title immediately reminds me of the Wall from The Handmaid's Tale. This is one of the most powerful symbols in the novel, representing the constant threat of violence, punishment, and death that hangs over the lives of anyone who does not follow the laws of the  "pure" and "holy" Gilead. What does the symbolism of the wall seem to be in this song?]]> 2021-01-11 16:38:39 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1074910171 maryellendesmond1 https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1074911228 Mrs. Desmond 
What does this image bring to mind? Is it particularly significant that the video ends with these marching hammers?]]> 2021-01-11 16:38:50 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1074911228 Soobin Lee https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076064347 At the end of the music video, there was that scene with the hammers marching as if they were a part of an army. I found this significant in that to me, I felt like it symbolized how much the hammers aka the teacher (according to the song) were like in a military boot camp - no freedom, it's all about control. In this case, the teachers are manipulating the students and force feeding knowledge from their curriculum, not from the knowledge that the students can develop for themselves later on. This also relates to the Handmaids Tale in that the hammers were like the Aunts and the students were the Handmaids. The Aunts were manipulating the Handmaids in thinking like this and not go off of their own knowledge. ]]> 2021-01-11 20:10:04 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076064347 Abigail Meneses ameneses16 https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076582786 2021-01-12 00:01:56 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076582786 Ryan Putnik https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076621124 This is the image the changed my thinking:]]> 2021-01-12 00:25:26 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076621124 Shannon McCormack https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076836510 A concept that stood out to me greatly in the music video was the children being placed in the meat grinder. I feel as if this scene represents how the children are stripped of their individuality and shaped into something new. This idea is also present in the handmaids tale where the women are striped of their pasted life and forced to become people they are not following a strict life pattern. Both the song and novel share a similar theme of loss of individuality.]]> 2021-01-12 02:34:06 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076836510 Lorraine Thomas lthomas198 https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076850642 Within the music video, The teacher figure was putting kids into a meat grinder that looks like a school. Through this visual, Roger Walters is conveying that the teachings of the education system, demolishes indiviudaity of the students. The children going into the grinder all come out as the same grey mush; lacking in life and uniqueness. It is suggested that the system only cares about the result; as the teacher is seen looking intently at the product. The best interests of the children are not being taken into consideration. This concept is also represented in The Handmaid's Tale; as the Red Center used extreme force to manipulate the Handmaids into conforming to Gilead standards. The women go into the Red Center with their identities. They leave the Red center "re-educated" and brainwashed. The Aunts, or the teachers in this regard, are in no way concerned about the well being of the handmaids; their focus is entirely on the birth of a baby, at the expense of the handmaid.  ]]> 2021-01-12 02:41:10 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1076850642 Jason Sicoli https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1077105738 Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd depicts the attempts of the education system to destroy the individual. This is shown through the use of the meat grinder and the imagery of hammers marching. The puppet teacher jamming the students into the grinder, or the every day grind of the system, demonstrated the destruction of individuality as they became a insignificant blob lacking any personality. Towards the end of the video the students and teacher are all turned into standard hammers, showing how they are all just tools in the system. Them marching in unison further shows how indoctrinated in the system they have become.]]> 2021-01-12 05:32:53 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1077105738 Alyssa Collado https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1077130905 The song Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd is interesting to me because it demonstrates a large issue in our education system. Sometimes while trying to teach students information in preparation for exams, they lose their ability to think outside the box. This song emphasizes that students are aware of this and don't want to be brainwashed by a system. This reminded me a lot of The Handmaid's Tale because in that novel the handmaids are getting brainwashed by the Aunts who are trying to make them adjust to the hierarchal society. I thought that the symbolism of the bricks in the song was a great form of symbolism. The first thing I thought about was how bricks tend to all look the same and have to fit the same mold in order to form a wall. The students saying "you're just another brick in the wall." in reference to their teacher made me think that the students are beginning to view their teachers as individuals who are just like everyone else and they don't want to be that way so they began rebelling. In the music video there were hammers that appeared to be walking together. I liked this symbolism because the hammers are meant to represent the children who are trying to tear down this wall of closemindedness their teachers have presented to them.]]> 2021-01-12 05:48:06 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1077130905 Rose Campbell https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1078788971 "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" is a song by Pink Floyd that focuses on the toxicity of teachers in the education system.  The song is full of symbolism and metaphors that help develop this masterpiece.  This is most expressed through the line, "All in all, you're just another brick in the wall".  The brick is a metaphor for the teacher who factors into the limitation of a students success.  The wall in this line is what is stopping kids from doing what they want.  In the music video, the wall encloses around the student, which represents how the world around him is restricting his potential.  This song by Pink Floyd has a deep connection to the novel, The Handmaids Tale.  This is evident in the second line of the song where it says, "We don't need no thought control" from the teachers.  This line resonates with the novel because in Gilead, the Aunts brainwash all of the Handmaids.  In both the song and the novel, the teachers are destroying any room for free thought and individuality.  The systems are both portrays as controlling and an environment where the potential of the students are destroyed.  Another deep connection to the novel is through the music video, where the teacher is grinding the students down.  This image correlates with the message from the novel saying, "Nolite de bastardes corborundorum", which translates to "Don't let the bastards grind you down".  The teacher is portrayed as a monster who is literally shredding the students apart by using a meat grinder.  The connections between the song and the novel are astonishing.]]> 2021-01-12 14:52:20 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1078788971 Hailey Nevins https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079083093 Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd is a renowned work that is can be seen as extremely angst and rebellious. Roger Waters is conveying the message that cookie-cutter ideals are harmful to society and should be be replaced by creativity and individuality. During Roger Waters adolescence, the 1950s, schools heavily taught and awarded behavior known as "regurgitation education". Children were taught to repeat ideas they learned and to not question authority. This can be seen in the last lines of the song "Wrong! Do it again! If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding!" Waters ridicules societies expectations of uniformity and how children were taught to listen to authority and then they will receive a prize. Similarly, The Handmaid's Tale showcases a society in which everyone is "perfectly" molded into a specific status or level. Offred attempts to fight these societal norms and uses all her willpower to not fall victim to her position as a useless handmaid. Both works were written in a time where creativity and self expression were highly recognized and transformative. The effect that both Pink Floyd and Atwood created in society was that challenging what you are taught is important to keep oneself and their identity. ]]> 2021-01-12 15:45:56 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079083093 Ryan Putnik https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079580310 Observing this song from a more ubiquitous perspective caused me to apprehend how far we have advanced regarding progressive education. Progressive education arose in the late nineteenth century, which is fitting for the time of this song. This philosophical approach severely critiqued traditional Euro-American curricula. Since the formation of the United States, there has been academic warfare between conventional and progressive teaching. For most of American history, people understood that school must equip children with the information and skills necessary to survive in society. This traditional view accepts that the teacher must teach children what they ought to know, rather than what the student wants to know. Officials at the state and local level fabricated rigid curricula and directed teachers to force-feed this warped erudition to their students. Progressive education, however, is different; the teacher's role is to be a facilitator in which students' interests help produce a developmental learning experience, which honors their individualities. Even John Locke, who was an English philosopher during the late 16th century, believed that "truth and knowledge arise out of observation and experience rather than manipulation of accepted of given ideas."

Adamson, John William (ed.) (2011). The Educational Writings of John Locke. Cambridge University Press.]]> 2021-01-12 17:11:59 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079580310 Sarah Lustig https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079598994 Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd illustrates the education system at the time, and how teachers were more focused on keeping kids quiet instead of engaging with them. I thought the wall symbolized an emotional obstacle built around himself trapping his thoughts. The bricks that made up this wall were his memories and the events that shaped him. I interpreted “another brick in the wall” as him hurting, and the bricks being a bad memory relating to school. It’s like he was feeling stuck and surrounded by the wall, unable to speak up. In the music video when the wall closes in on him, it reveals his disconnection with reality and how the toxic education system harmed him and the society. The lyrics “thought control” and “dark sarcasm” stuck out to me as if they were being used to brainwash the children in school. The particular lines reminded me of The Handmaids’ Tale, when the Handmaid’s were manipulated into Gilead’s society with many strict restrictions, always being watched. I thought it was similar that both the students and the Handmaid's were forced to be quiet to hide the corrupt reality.  ]]> 2021-01-12 17:15:29 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079598994 Ryan Ott https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079873760 Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd represents the school system being corrupt as it takes away the individuality of each student and forces them to all be the same. Much like the title of the song, putting each student or brick in the same setting together will eventually make them the same. The song also depicts teachers as a ''puppet' who don't care about the individuals education, but rather what they are supposed to do by teaching. It shows schools' lacking ability to adapt to each students strengths and weaknesses and the way each student learns best. In the scene where the puppet teacher puts all of the students into the meat grinder, they are different going into it, but they all come out the same, and the teacher looks contempt with the result. This relates to the Handmaid's Tale as the members of the government i Gilead don't care about each person in the society, they only care if they are all acting the same by doing the same responsibilities and having the same roles.]]> 2021-01-12 18:04:45 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1079873760 Dylan Lynagh https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1080239500 Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two) by Pink Floyd focuses on the formal educational system. Pink Floyd viewed the educational system as corrupt and demanding. Lyrics within the song demonstrate that Floyd believes that teachers force material onto kids that they don't need. The lyrics "I have seen the writing on the wall, Don't think I need anything at all, No, don't think I'll need anything at all" supports this claim. This song is full of symbolism as the "bricks" symbolizes the students within the educational system and the "wall" symbolizes the barrier from reality. Pink Floyd feels that the teachers that demanded their students to abide by the educational system contributed to their separation from reality. This is depicted within the official music video which shows the teacher transforming into a hammer adding more "bricks" to the "wall." As we see the wall forming it begins to wrap around a grey human like figure which could represent Pink Floyd or anyone who agrees on Pink Floyd's ideology. This song relates to The Handmaid's Tale as the Republic of Gilead clearly forces its citizens to learn material that is unwanted. People who teach the members of Gilead, such as Aunt Lydia, are contributing to this brainwashed society as every person they brainwash is another brick on the wall which separates people from reality. ]]> 2021-01-12 19:09:30 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1080239500 Ava Sheerin https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1080896411 Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd focuses not only on education, how it is being taught , how it affects those learning, but also the concept of individuality as a whole. Visuals within the music video help to further prove this idea that the system used to teach takes away uniqueness and pushes until all are the exact same. In the video it shows the "teacher" putting in students through the top of a meat grinder and pushes them until they are all this gray lifeless matter. Along with the visual of a person being entirely encased in a wall, being blocked from all that's outside. The image of a child being surrounded by a wall shows this idea of a block of creativity, a block of everything that makes people different. These concepts are shown through The Handmaid's Tale as well. The Aunt's jobs are to do what the teacher in Another Brick in the Wall is doing. Take away all forms or individuality, all forms of identity; to make all the handmaids, or "students" be completely interchangeable with no difference being seen. The education system being used in both the song and the novel show the lack of free will given to students and how corrupt it truly is. ]]> 2021-01-12 21:54:25 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1080896411 Gina Diomataris https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081002592 Another Brick in the wall by Pink Floyd shows how corrupt our education is. In the song they says "we dont need no thought control" which reminds of the handmaids tale, where the government and the Aunts control everything the young people in Gilead learn. In the music video they make a wall close in on a student, which relates to the handmaids tale because the people are inside the walls of Gilead and are unable to escape. Both the government in Gilead and the teachers in the song illustrate that they dont care about the students and people standing out and having individuality . In the music video the students are placed in a meat grinder and all get mushed into one thing. In the handmaids tale all handmaids have to look the same and wear the same thing so you cant tell the people apart. ]]> 2021-01-12 22:51:35 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081002592 Madison Gelmin https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081027493
Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd focuses on the corrupt education system. The music video illustrates teachers who care more about kids conforming to the social standards rather than being individuals and having their own identity. This can be symbolized with the line, “You’re just another brick in the wall.” This is a metaphor for the students who are all forced to conform and be like everyone else. Imagery is used to depict this in the music video when a brick wall continuously closes around a student by himself. This conveys the idea that the education system is depriving students of any self expression and using the wall as a sort of creativity block. This is similar to the concept in the novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” because the Republic of Gilead is constantly attempting to rid the handmaids of any sort of self, getting rid of their freedom of speech, identity, and any form of individuality. The education system in Gilead is used to dehumanize the handmaids by making them dress and act the same, with no creative outlets or freedom of opinions and ideas. This can be connected to how to students in the song feel. They are drained of their identity and the education system attempts to make them all the same. Both the novel and the song can demonstrate how educational systems can be corrupt and can only benefit those in charge.

]]> 2021-01-12 23:07:58 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081027493 Ben Silverman https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081147293 Something that stood out to me in Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd was the opening of the song. Often, the artists builds up to the chorus, where they reinforce the main ideas of the song. However, Pink Floyd chose to open the song with the line "We don't need to education." This line embodies the main message of the song, being corruption within the education system. The initial line of Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) is very bold and serves to reinforce the message of the song right from the start. Pink Floyd then goes on to sing, "We don't need no thought control." This continues to support this song's theme of corrupt education. Additionally, this idea connects to the Handmaid's Tale in that they both share ideas of brainwashing and corrupt education systems. In The Handmaid's Tale, the handmaids are put into classrooms and essentially brainwashed by the Aunts, teaching the handmaids to submit to the rule of Gilead. This brainwashing is similar to the "thought control" that Pink Floyd describes in Another Brick in the Wall (part 2).]]> 2021-01-13 00:30:46 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081147293 Another Brick in the Wall is a song that exposes the faults of the education system. Pink Floyd's message is that those in charge of education stifle individuality and free-thinking in order to make children compliant and controlled. "The Wall" symbolizes not only the students, but also the teachers, as shown in the music video as a puppet on a string. This shows that even the people in power are being manipulated as to what they think and do. I also think "The Wall" has more than one meaning, in that it can also be seen as an obstacle for those who refuse to conform to traditional educated thinking. This can also be seen in the music video, where the wall closes around a cartoon person, locking them away from the outside world. In society, highly educated people or people who are seen as "book-smart" are revered and held as better than those who are uneducated. This can be isolating for those who were not able to thrive in a school setting. Ultimately, I think the main message of the song is that education is important but it's not everything. Just because you may not perform well in school or don't use correct grammar, it doesn't mean you are not completely worthless, like society makes you believe. Different people have different strengths and in school, people are not encouraged to follow their interests, but rather what the curriculum says. https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081196805 2021-01-13 00:58:37 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081196805 Isabelle Proto https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081340193 Another Brick in the Wall is evidence of the feelings faced within a repressive school. This is important to consider because it exemplifies how music and the tone of a song can help the listener to feel the way the artist had wanted them to. Although the song goes against the education system as a whole, I do believe that education is important. On the contrary I believe the song is correct in how it explains the loss of individuality in the school system. The system is set up to teach students to act as they are instructed or to do assignments as they're taught/told. This system leads to a lack of unique thought and or ideas, as represented in the music video and by the song. The wall in the song is used to represent the enclosure that is placed around original thought but it could also represent the place you're expected to earn within the school system and the "podium" or wall of being accepted. ]]> 2021-01-13 02:29:24 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081340193 Christian Giampapa https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081413265 There is evidence within Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd to support the claim that knowledge and learning from teacher figures can lead to a loss of individuality. As shown in the music video when the teacher is forcing his/her students down into a meat grinder in the shape of the school house, there is no way to determine the differences in each student. When looking at a brick wall, each brick is generally similar. Even if there are some slight differences, they generally go unnoticed. It is also important to note that the teachers are later depicted as hammers. If each student is a brick in the wall, the teacher is the one who constructs it. This concept relates to The Handmaid's Tale as Gileadean society is based upon a lack of individuality. As each Handmaid is named after her owner and every group must wear a different uniform, it becomes apparent that a lack of individuality is present within both instances.]]> 2021-01-13 03:24:27 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081413265 Jason Loscalzo https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081419601 The song Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd highlights the idea that the school systems were corrupt. The points brought up were that the teachers were holding back the students from their full potential. The meat grinder can be seen as the students potential being destroyed, due to the lack of good education they were receiving. This relates to The Handmaids Tale because the handmaids were placed in a corrupt system that basically ruined their future, which relates to the students not receiving great education from the teachers which holds them back. ]]> 2021-01-13 03:29:18 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081419601 Alexandra Carson https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081439761 There is evidence in Pink Floyd’s music video for Another Brick In The Wall that teachers are taking away children individuality. When the teacher forces the children into the meat grinder, they lose their individuality. All the bricks on the wall are generally the same, proving the little things that made the children different were taken away. The teachers are later on depicted holding hammers. Generally hammers stand for destruction which shows that teachers can break a kid down. But, the hammer could also symbolize building. The teachers build the wall that the children become. This relates to the Handmaids Tale because the government wanted to do everything in their power to take away the people’s rights of being individual or having rights in general. ]]> 2021-01-13 03:42:43 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081439761 Olivia Longstreet https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081501687 There are several similarities between the famous music video of the song "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd and the novel The Handmaid's Tale, written by Margaret Atwood. In the music video "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)", there is a moment where there are cartoons the teacher who is an authoritative figure and is at a table grabbing small children and putting them into a meat grinder that is built as a school. As the ground up children are coming out the other end, they look like a one colored substance, and the audience cannot determine each individual student any longer. This supports the idea of the educational system morphing the children into no longer having their independence in the real world. This idea is also one of the several that is presented in the fictional novel The Handmaid's Tale, written by Margaret Atwood. Offred finds "Nolite de bastardes corborundorum" written in the closet in her room. This translates to "Don't let the bastards grind you down". This is literally being projected in the music video by Pink Floyd of "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" and the teacher grinding the students down. This authoritative figure is being shown as a teacher and forcing the children to be nonindependent humans. Pink Floyd supports his idea of not being under control of someone of higher authority and to have their independence on what they want to do. In the novel The Handmaid's Tale, the Handmaid's want their freedom back as women and to be treated as a human being, not just as a body that is able to bear a child for the Wives and the Commanders. It is important to have individuality within oneself.]]> 2021-01-13 04:26:48 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1081501687 Nikola kovacevic https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1082640509 I feel like the song Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 relates to the Handmaids Tale in many ways. The biggest relation I saw between the two was when in the song it said, “we don’t need no thought control”. I feel like it relates to the handmaids who rebelled and others who apposed the Gillead government. But combine this line with the line before it “we don’t need no education” it also could relate to the corrupt gillead education system where only boys get a real education. Women don’t get any and handmaids only learn to be handmaids. And they aren’t  saying, in the case of the handmaids tale, that they don’t need any education, they are saying the handmaids and others who oppose gillead don’t need a corrupt education system that doesn’t teach them but controls them and their opinions ]]> 2021-01-13 12:08:52 UTC https://padlet.com/maryellendesmond1/8vpfwixzjqwt32z1/wish/1082640509