The Builder Inquires the Bricks: A Study of Roger Waters’ The Wall from the Viewpoint of Jean Francois Lyotard’s Paralogy

Abstract

The focus of the present study was on paralogical potential of the lyrics. For this reason, four tracks from The Wall, which focuses on the alienation and self-captivation of its main character, Pink, because of his nervous breakdown caused by family, school, and society, were analyzed with emphasis on the dialogic/paralogical elements within the album. “Mother”, “Hey You”, “Comfortably Numb”, and “The Trial” were studied separately. After a precise discussion and inspection, it was shown that Pink, as the main character (voice) in each of these tracks, allows the other voices (hierarchies) to have their say, and thus the continuous paralogy shows itself in the theatre of his mind. As a result, the only way is an ongoing conflict in which all the voices get a chance to speak out, not the deletion and elimination of any of them. Consensus leads to the annihilation of either one side or both/all sides. Therefore, the solution is an unsolvable Babel of conflict with the involvement of different language games (different trends of life).