I believe if you look at the picture closely it explains its true meaning. 1) notice how the arm that is trying to go through the wall is a well dressed blue collar business man. Brick wall shows an object that that he is trying to pass through but obviously a hand can't pass though a wall. So i think i means that even the strongest most powerful in society can talk all they want but a man can't pass through walls it. Takes more than words or promises. It takes a lot more to actually get things done.
To me the image illustrates what it may feel to interact with a stubborn or “hard-headed” person. In contrast to broad minded people it is considerably more difficult to express new ideas to someone who is very headstrong. Stubborn means that a person is very determined to do what they want and is very unwilling to change their mind. The wall may represent a person who refuses to change their opinion about a situation or refuses to change their mind about the action that they have decided to take. Stubborn people have a resolute adherence to their own ideas and opinions. When others try to express different ideas to these people it may metaphorically feel like “talking to a brick wall.”
I think we should always be open to the comments of others and it's up to us to identify what is positive or constructive and what are simply spiteful words.
In today's society it is common for people to naturally build walls around them in order to protect themselves. It can also work as a type of coping mechanism. The thing about walls though is that nothing gets through them. In the image it illustrates a docile hand extending towards a wall. That alone can represent a kindred heart offering help or a new opportunity but regardless because of the wall it won't be able to get through. My opinion on its message is that it is saying to be more open to different opportunities.
Greeting you is like shaking hands with a brick wall.
You stand still, unmovable, too thick to penetrate.
I can be as friendly, nice, or selfless to you as I like
but airy words, and home baked goods
can't break down solid walls
you need a sledge hammer
or wrecking ball
to get through the toughest parts
of your wall
I stand there, with my hand placed gentley against a brick wall.
Let me tell you how this happend. Well, I was walking along church st. ,going to see my friends,I was looking in the store windows,but I notised that even the really popular stores were quite empty. Only about twenty people lingered around the store,
far away from each other. I shrugged , and kept walking, well by the time I got to city hall, the place were I was supposed to meet my friends,It was about 10:00. I saw them across the way and I picked up my pace, well this is were it gets funky.
A giant red brick wall landed right in front of me. I jumped back. And I guess that's how it happened And yes I have tried pushing it..... I don't know what to do.
1
It is an imaginary wall representing the idea of social distancing. Social distancing is the act of keeping your distance from another person which is something that many people have started to take part in due to the scary outbreak of the Coronavirus. In terms of this image, the hand is attempting to shake hands with someone else, however, this new norm of keeping your distance from other people stops them from being able to do so. The brick wall shown in this image is a dark shade of red. Red is a color that usually symbolizes danger such as blood, blaring alarms, and even the emotion, anger and in this case, the coronavirus is what is being portrayed as dangerous. The man is wearing a suit due to the idea that the president and other important members of Congress are no longer able to shake hands and must wave to one another because the coronavirus is that barrier preventing them from touching one another.
@Talia Kohn, your idea is very nice with a very clear explanation and, I totally agree with you. The wall represents social distance. However, for me, it not just now with the virus going on but also before the virus. Some people got stuck in their phone and listening to themselves from others or it can represent people with depression blocking people want to help them away too.
To me this photo looks like a person trying to shake or touch someone's hand but a wall is blocking the way. Though it appears to be a simple gesture from one side, the receiving end isn't really to break down their defenses to greet them back. I feel like this refers to the metaphorical walls people put around themselves.
In life you learn that you can't trust everyone you meet. While kids today are taught this some still learn the hard way. When damaged it's hard to go back to trusting people the way you did. The more distrusting you are the more walls you put up. It isn't good to brocade yourself too much but sometimes you just can't help it. If you are lucky enough though, you can meet people who over time you can grow to trust and they can help you take down some of your heavy defenses.
i think that it is saying that some people enjoy the wall, and some people spend their whole lives attempting to go behind the wall, to find out what's truly there. I say this because the hand appears to be caressing the bricks.
I think the image is saying that big or small rich or poor people come across walls all the time and its your choice to let the wall stop you or go over, under, or around the wall.
This illustration is saying that we have some barriers in life that prevent us from doing something. Regarding society, it speaks to how people have some psychological blocks in their mind that prevent them from getting to know someone well. It can also speak to Donald Trump’s policy about putting borders near Mexico as the person has some sort of suit on.
@Olivia Edakkunnathu I agree with your opinion. When I was thinking about a barrier I thought about something in our minds that helps us make decisions. Like what you said, this wall can block people from doing things. Sometimes it is too bad because people can block amazing opportunities, but sometimes this wall is the voice in people's heads that tells them to stop and prevents them from doing something that they would regret they did. Moreover, I like your idea about Trump. The man's suit can symbolize a government or a respected person that puts a barrier in order to stop something that he objects or disagree with, like the border between Mexico and the United States.
To me, this picture speaks of us "hitting the wall" (or walls) in life. Depicted are a brick wall and a hand that seems to be displaying it for us like it's an item on QVC. It seems like the hand is saying "Behold, here is the wall! Get ready, and get used to it."
When I refer to hitting the wall in life, I mean hardship and extreme discouragement. For instance, in running, runners deal with the "runners wall." This is where the race goes from hard to really really hard; your body and mind are both tested. We can apply this to life when we see discouraging things happening in the world around us, when we fail or mess up, when we miss opportunities, or when devastation hits us and/or those we love-- when we are tested, tempted to just give up. This kind of wall is inevitable in our lives. Life isn't easy, but that's part of what makes it so rewarding. We have to keep going to enjoy it, though. So yes: we do need to get ready and get used to this wall. It's not going anywhere, but once you climb over it, the triumph is great.
@Grace Robertson I agree with that the picture is saying about hitting in the wall, which means hardship in life. What I have thought was that the wall represents a person or a group who does not want to listen to others and who is never going to think about changing their mind. I think that stubborn person can also be a hardship in life because you have to convince them to obtain what you want.
The picture is saying that, in today’s society, trying to reason with some people is like talking to a brick wall. A man’s hand is outstretched as though he’s trying to shake someone’s hand, maybe as a gesture of peace or camaraderie. His efforts are futile, though, because the person he’s trying to make peace with doesn’t want to listen. They won’t be moved by anything he does, and in the end, it’s as though he wasted his efforts on a brick wall.
I think this is a commentary on the Democratic and Republican parties in America. During political debates, we see them yell and fight and spout their opinions, but they never find common ground and they never listen to each other. I think specifically, this cartoon is meant to portray the Democratic party as the blue-sleeved arm and hand extended and the Republican party as the red brick wall. It portrays the Democratic party in a kind way, as though they only want to spread peace and foster camaraderie and make the world a better place. It shows the Republican party as cold and uncaring, like they don’t want to hear the other side’s opinions and they don’t want to foster peace and they don’t want to find common ground. To be fair though, neither side wants to give in to the other. They want things to go their way because they each believe that their way is completely right.
This image represents the journey you go through, throughout life and the success and struggles you have along the way. In life you face obstacles and how you deal with them is crucial. When you hit a wall you must take on the challenge and not give up. This challenges your character by how you deal with the struggles you face, either bouncing back or staying trapped.
@Allison Coble I like your comment on this image! The wall can be a great illustration of the obstacles that we are facing throughout our entire lifetime. However, consider this, what does the hand mean? I think it represents an optimistic person finding a way to conquer difficulties. He wants to find a way to solve the problem since he seems like coping with the problem itself. How can the wall reflect different ways of dealing with difficulties? And is the hand a man who is bouncing back or staying trapped?
This goes deep man. I feel like its about people being anti social and away from people not communicating.
I think the image represents someone trying to reach for something but can't reach it because there is something blocking it's way from achieving what it wants. Basically That some obstacles are harder to reach than others.
I think this image represents the obstacles and struggles people go through in order to get what they want. I think this because of the suit the person is wearing. Maybe they want to make a deal with another businessman, but there is an obstacle in the way of what they want. It is an important message because it shows how people struggle to get certain things and that most things are not as easy to do as they seem.
@Jude Lucido I agree with you that it seems as if this person is trying to make a deal with another person but there is something that is preventing them from doing so. One can guess at the importance of this deal based on the observation that the person does not have any finger nails. One reason for this could be that this person is very apprehensive about the deal they are about to make and they have trimmed their fingernails too short or bit their fingernails all the way down to the cuticles. Nonetheless, the nature of this deal must be important since the person is wearing a suit and there must be some kind of obstacle preventing them from making the deal since there is a wall blocking them from shaking hands with another person.
@Jude Lucido There are many obstacles people face throughout life and your reaction is crucial. I agree, there is this imaginary brick wall in life separating you from what you really want, and I believe that this image is portraying that.
The idea of a man in a suit making a business deal is genius, I definitely didn't see it at first glance. It is very true how in his career he is stuck behind a brick wall and is trying to get to the other side.
When I saw this picture the first thing that came to my mind was the word “separation”. Now that word can mean a bunch of different things. Separation of social classes, races, genders, jobs, types of people, really anything can be separated. But is that a good thing? To me, it is not. Nothing can be achieved from being separated from one another. Well, there are some cases where it can be good like separating a predator from a victim. But separation in most cases is bad, in class, we are learning about slavery and “separate but equal”. This solved nothing. Nothing. Therefore brick walls are bad. We don’t need walls. We should come together and try to work out our differences.
@Lucy Fergusson, I totally agree with the concept of separation, since, as you have said, separation is not always good. But different aspects must be considered since in the political sphere they are often forced to close borders due to immigration problems. Regarding the separation of social races and social classes, I very much agree with what you say since you are absolutely right. Regarding your conclusion, I do not totally agree since I think that it is necessary because the borders of countries must be controlled.
At first glance, I recognize this picture as a representation of ignorance. The extended arm represents progressive ideas, hoping for a chance to share its knowledge. The brick wall is impermeable to this information. Standing tall and proud, the wall refuses to let any opposing thought enter, no matter how amicably or reasonably it is approached.
@Nailah Ali
I had this idea when i first looked at the picture also. It's like when people say "i ran into a brick wall" meaning they have nowhere else to go or don't know what else to do.
I believe the cartoon of the brick wall represents President Trump and how he has divided Americans. We see a white hand touching the wall, and the cuffs from a well-tailored, blue suit, which is similar to what President Trump usually wears. The drawing shows how although President Trump has been unable to fulfill his promise of building a wall along our southern border, on the contrary, he has built a wall that has made America more partisan than ever before. He has managed to divide us on a party-line and created an intolerable environment. The idea of President Trump’s wall to keep the illegal immigrants out has not yet become a reality but pitting Americans against each other and building an imaginary separation between Republicans and Democrats has happened. President Trump has built a wall that will continue to keep Republicans and Democrats at each other throats, and Americans polarized. So the cartoon is illustrating President Trump's wall, but perhaps not the one he wanted.
1
I believe that this image means that sometimes we want what we can have. Sometimes in life, the greatest things are the hardest to achieve. In order to get to where you want to be in life, there are points where you have to fight through giving up. If you truly want something that you cant have at the moment, put everything that you have into it, and believe that you can have what you put your mind to.
I believe this image is saying that people need to be willing to compromise more. In the image, there is a person who is trying to give a handshake to someone, but there is a brick wall in the way. I think the hand shows someone who wants to come to an agreement and the brick wall represents someone who is not willing to give in. This relates to society today because many people have certain views and opinions that they are unwilling to change, which prevents us from moving forward.
4
When I first seen this illustration I interpreted it in multiple different ways, what can clear be seen in the picture is someone that is trying to give a handshake but there is a barrier in the way. When I seen this illustration, based on what is going on around the world, I thought the drawing was trying to tell people to try and not shake other peoples hands or be careful whose hands you shake because you can receive or spread the coronavirus. The coronavirus is a very deadly and contagious disease, the first case was found in China and it has now quickly spread to all parts of the world due to the advanced transportation we have. That is how I interpreted it, be careful because you don’t know the risks that comes with just a simple handshake.
@Julian V. I disagree. I think if the wall had a present danger, like spikes on it, then maybe I could interpret it that way, but I see this picture as an obstacle in the way of something you want.
I think the hand is trump and he's saying look at this wall, lets make it bigger.
5
I believe this image is a reference to how many mental brick walls there are in life for example when you do something there are always a consequence which builds a brick wall butt you can break through if you try hard enough
i would not run into a brick wall. That is unwise. And the political understanding is saying that is we'll build a wall.
This image, despite popular belief, is a quite clear reference to the growing income inequality between the upper and lower class which started in the 1800s and continues to grow today.
A man in a business suit - representing the top 1% - stands behind a brick wall, separating him from a group of people who are not visible, likely the lower classes. This man is attempting a handshake(interaction) with the lower classes but as seen in the image is blocked by a tall brick wall, showing the alienation of the upper class from the rest of America. Every year since the 1800s another brick is being laid, adding to the already massive wall and separating the classes farther and farther, causing less interactions and a build up of hostilities to those who have it better. This image serves as a warning for the time when the lower classes would have had enough and break down the wall and overthrow the very government that allowed this all to happen - our beloved America. The image also offers a ray of hope, as seen by the placement of the bricks: they are not cemented. Non cemented bricks are easier to move, meaning the artist is calling to us the viewers, telling us that there still is time to remove these bricks and once again rejoin the classes in harmony, preventing the destruction of our United States.
1
I think it represents the effectiveness of the middle class breaking the barrier to the upper class. The effectiveness of making it in this world is represented by a slap to the wall. One slap to the wall wont do much, but many slaps might make a dent in the wage gap. In my experiences, making a livable wage is extremely difficult, so saving up to become affluent is most likely impossible in today's society. In my opinion this shows that one metaphoric slap isn't going to do anything to the corporate machine.
1
@Matthew I 100% agree with that, although I disagree about who the wall is separating. I personally believe that the wall seems to separate the upper class( represented by the man in the suit) from the lower classes, who are seen as short due to the little amount of money they possess in comparison.
We must keep slapping that wall, slap it all day, slap it all night, and until the dusk of dawn we need to keep slapping. When our hand gets tiered from slapping we must switch to our other hand to slap the wall, and once that’s worn out we must call the people of our communities to come and slap the wall, together. Everyone, no matter how young or old must join forces and slap the wall so that one day, we may finally slap the wall down.
So frequently do we seek opportunity and are prevented from pursuing it by prejudices and assumptions. This image demonstrates the harmful aspect of first impressions: even a friendly, welcoming gesture such as a handshake may be rejected because of the indented recipient’s preconceived notions about the person reaching out. This brick wall of prejudice becomes an insurmountable barrier to the progress of others. Another way to interpret this image is to see the brick wall as a physical representation of closing oneself off from others. When we put up metaphorical walls — to protect ourselves, to maintain our comfort zone, or for whatever other purpose — we become blind to the efforts of others to reach us and create potentially profound, lasting relationships.
@Katie K I too agree that in our society we have prejudices and assumptions that drive our way of achieving things in life is blocked by people who are bigger than us and try to stop us from achieving what we want because they want it for themselves. But also we do tend to hide yourself in front of people we feel threatened by people who threaten us or we feel weak by and I do believe also that we put up walls inorder to feel comfortable in our society and powerful around others.
Well, his hand is reaching out as if he is trying to shake someone's hand.
But there's a wall in between him.
In human nature, it's our inclination to want to remove barriers or obstacles to move forward.
You wonder, why does this wall exist? I don't know. I don't see anyone behind it. I only see someone who's trying to get through but he can't.
A brick wall is meant to last. It's not temporary or fleeting. It's a permanent, or at least long-lasting, barrier to entry.
How do you get past that? Who created the wall? Did he create the wall?
I don't have any answers. Only more questions.
@Isabella That´s actually a great way to put it. In my opinion, which you can read above, it is about the man sticking us in a rut.
1
@Isabella You have an interesting perspective here. You say that this wall is permanent, but I believe that's not true. When I look at this wall, it looks like an attempted social interaction between an outgoing person and an introverted person; the outgoing person is extending a hand to the introvert, yet they feel as though they're interacting with a brick wall.
This shows how we're becoming increasingly socially disconnected from one another. It's no longer unusual to see people entirely by themselves or to have your "hello"'s and "how are you doing?”'s ignored. With how prevalent social media and electronic communication has become, people can live their lives effectively like this too. We as a society no longer feel the need to interact with one another face to face. “Why say hello to these people when I could whip out my phone and text my friends instead?” has become the mindset of many. Technology is allowing us to recede further and further into our comfort zones every single day. Because of this, I fear that sooner or later, I will be talking with more brick walls than not, and that after enough rejections and attempted conversations, I too will become just as bad as those I create connections with.
1