부산대학교 도서관

The article raises the question of the shift, induced by the presence of an animal figure, which displaces our perception of the 14-18 war. It does so through two novels. In Le collier rouge by Jean-Christophe Rufin (2014) and in Dans la guerre by Alice Ferney (2003), the dog is a character in its own right and his participation in combats triggers a mirrored reflection while questioning certain values such as courage, heroism and loyalty. Without any anthropomorphism, these novels question the boundaries of humanity by taking interest in this historical reality which was the canine presence on the battlefield. This approach crosses path with that of contemporary historians such as Eric Baratay who, in Bêtes des tranchées (2013), uses the animalistic experience to enrich the history of the Great War. The current weight of this dog pattern in war raises a few questions: is that perception of the dog figure the result of our modern sensibility? Or is this pattern already blooming in stories published right after the war?