"there is a brick wall in your face"

[Odessa Dawn]

"It's really sad," said Saud, 27, sipping coffee in a Starbucks, a black scarf framing her face, with floral trim on her long black abaya robe. "You come back so well prepared and so eager. Then all of a sudden, there is a brick wall in your face."
More: Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women - Middle East - World - The Independent

Does there is a brick wall in your face mean that Saud's dream has shattered, facing some difficulties, or she is depressed about securing a job?

[SoothingDave]

A brick wall stops all forward progress. If you run into a wall, you have been stopped. It's a little more than "facing some difficulties." It is a dead end.

[BobK]

There are two expressions: 'to come up against a brick wall' and 'to slam the door in someone's face'. I'm guessing that Saud probably isn't a native speaker (of English). She was born in SA, educated abroad, and 'came back' full of plans. Mixing the two expressions like that (which I've never met before) suggests not only that she can make no progress but that she also feels affronted by her situation.

b

[BobK]

PS My word 'affronted' maybe suggested too much of a sense of paranoia on Saud's part! What I mean is that she feels people are being intentionally obstructive (as someone is who slams the door in your face).

b