PYGMALION EFFECT v/s GOLEM EFFECT
Pygmalion Effect
One of the most interesting parts of the movie is the way Lt General Irwin motivates the inmates of The Castle. He reminds them that they were soldiers and not petty criminals and thus gives them back their self respect and makes them believes in themselves.
The inmates of The Castle were primarily ex army personnel who had been imprisoned for violating the martial law. They had been stripped off their ranks and with that their self respect. They were reminded everyday that they were not soldiers anymore. They were even reprimanded for saluting. Lt Eugene Irwin felt the need to develop the feeling of self respect in them. He reminded them that they were distinguished members of the United States Army and tells them that they are expected to act in a manner befitting one. Thus he manages to return to the inmates of the Castle their self respect thereby giving them the courage to strike up a rebellion.
This is known as The Pygmalion Effect.
There are a number of occasions on which The Pygmalion Effect has been demonstrated in the movie. 1. First is in the case of Corporal Ramone Aguilar. Corporal Aguilar was a young marine who had been arrested for act of violence. He had a problem of low self esteem and stammered while talking. It was Lt General Eugene Irwin who reminded him of the fact that he was still a distinguished member of the United States Marine Corps. He told him the importance of saluting.
When the time came to rebuild “the castle” Irwin also told the other inmates to take advantage of Aguilar’s experience and knowledge. This made him regain his self confidence, so much so that when Warden Winter’s men came to break down the Wall created by them he did not hesitate to defy orders and stand alone in front of the bulldozers. Like a true soldiers he did not think twice before laying down his life for his fellow inmates. 2. Lt General Irwin started the custom of identification of ranks within the Castle, something that was prohibited till then. They used code words to refer to the ranks. This reference gave the inmates a sense of identity. They were simply petty criminals no more but disciplined, dignified soldiers with a sense of purpose . The scene when an inmate of the Castle asks the others to fall in line and makes them remembers Corporal Aguilar is a proof to the unity that Lt General Irwin had been allowed to imbibe in them. 3. There is one memorable scene when Lt General Irwin shows the inmates of the prison the name of the person who actually built the prison they were held captive in. His name was Private Beck. Irwin was of the opinion that Beck was not actually building a prison but something as magnificent as a castle. This made the inmates look at the task of looking at their mundane task of rebuilding a wall with a totally new perspective. The wall was not merely a wall per se. It was a structure of loyalty. Something that gave the inmates a sense of self respect.

Golem Effect
Contrary to Lt General Irwin , Warden Winter had a totally different effect on the inmates. He believed that he was in a state of war with the inmates of the Castle and used any means necessary to win over them. His attitude had what can be popularly called to have Golem Effect on the inmates. 1. He reminded them constantly that they were soldiers no more and treated them like animals even going to the extent of shooting them at point blank range with rubber bullets. 2. Whenever a certain bell sounded the inmates were made to lie down with their hands over their heads, fearful of their life. 3. Such treatment robbed the inmates of their self respect. They constantly fought and squabbled against each other over petty issues. Constant criticism and insult had made them the very thing that they were accused of being.