Animals have been at the heart of human history since prehistoric times, when they were among the first images to be created by human hands. During the course of evolution, they have been essential elements for many advances, such as the conquest of space. Unable to send humans first, scientists used animals as guinea pigs. In 1957, the Soviets sent the dog Laïka into space, in 1961 the French sent their first “ rastronaut ” Hector [9]. Since the 20th century, a legislative effort has been underway to grant them more rights and consideration. However, I have noticed that in my french dissertation on mistreatment that all animals are not entitled to the same consideration. Indeed, one of the reason is that in the collective imagination, some animals still have a negative image. This prejudice often costs them their lives. A canine educator, Théo DUBOIS, explains that vicious dogs are victims of an “ appearance-based prejudice. ” [a] In France, a law (approved in 1999) established a system of categorized dogs according to their breed. This system makes it easier to euthanize a categorized dog considered as dangerous. Nevertheless (in February 2021) a survey by the French National Health Safety Agency officially refuted any link between a dog's breed and the risk of being bitten. Thus, the legislative effort to grant pets a status other than that of an object, is just the first step in changing attitudes to appearance-based prejudice.

Other levers can be used to influence the collective imagination, notably fiction. Indeed, in my French essay, I observed that fiction could be a tool in the fight capable of changing human mentalities. After examining the use of fictional images in the fight against animal abuse in my French essay, I would like to take a closer look at how fiction is used to portray animals that are victims of “ appearance-based prejudice ”. How can fictional images deconstruct or reinforce prejudice against animals that are victims of appearance-based prejudice ? To answer this problem, we are focusing on the case study of the rat and its representation in fiction. Although in 1982 a scientist named Lars WALLØE [b] proved in his “ human ectoparasite hypothesis ” that the plague was spread by human fleas and lice (not rats), the negative image of the rat persists in the occidental collective imagination. Swinging between the status of harmful wild animals and lovable domestic animals, its image is very controversial. It can be portrayed as a lovely and benevolent ball of fur in the Disney cartoon The Great Mouse Detective [10], or as an ungainly creature with evil features in the short film The Rat Catcher [27]. In order to study the influence of these fictional images on appearance-based prejudice, thirty images entitled evidence of “ confiction ” have been collected and archived in chronological order. Initially, we will focus on images depicting the rat as a sacred or cursed animal; then we will observe the evidence of “ confiction ”[c] which displays the image of a beloved parasite; finally we will observe the fictional images that portray the rat as a reflection of the human being.