Another Brick In The Wall

In the song Another Brick In the Wall by Pink Floyd the song writer uses many literary devices to convey the meaning of conformity. While the song relates to conformity, the video uses children in a school system to provide a visual aspect of conformity and how it affects ordinary lives. The first stanza has the songwriter questioning his father and what he left for him. The lyric “All in all it was just a brick in the wall” is a metaphor comparing people to bricks. The music video does a very good job at this. Children are all dressed the same and are forced to wear masks. A brick is boring and has no meaning to it, nothing like a person. However, comparing someone to a brick means that they have no personality to them. The children in the video are forced to be the same to show how conformity will affect a person. There is an element of disrespect the students get from parents and teachers. The meaning behind the song is to provide an example of conformity and what it looks like in a nature day of society. People go by certain rules because that is considered right to the society around them. The song is constantly chanting “we don’t need no education” ,this has to do with what the children were feeling.

The symbolism to the video, also portrays in the song lyrics. The students walk in a straight line without talking. They are in orderly fashion walking to the orders of a teacher. The song and the video were both trying to get people to conform and do what they think is right for the society. The video also shows people rebelling against conformity. The students at the end of the video throw chairs and sets things on fire. Not everyone has to go by the rules and have different ideas. The mood has a huge impact especially in the video. The students change their aspect on society and goes against what everyone thinks is right and do what they want.