One of the many themes in Pixar's new film Ratatouille deals with the unshakable belief in the rat community that they cannot break free of the lifestyle they live in. The main character Remy sees beyond what his dad would have him to believe. He is essentially born a rat, lives as a rat, and will die as a rat, especially in a gruesome way if he gets too close to humans. Therefore, the world of rats and of humans will always be separate from each other. His dad tells him, "You can't change nature." Remy responds, "Change is nature." Remy wants to live by another credo, that "anyone can cook." He wants an alternate system.

The Hindu religion, practiced primarily in India, is based on a creation account that God created humans in a hierarchy which resulted in a caste system. The Brahmans, considered noble and holy, were created from His head. Other classes of people under the Brahmans, created from His shoulders and belly, also have high rankings of spiritual authority, including the right to become priests, enter the temples and hear Hindu scripture. These people make up only a small percentage of all the people in India. About 50% of India was created from God's feet, the slave castes, who can never become priests, run for office or handle the scriptures. Finally, there are people who are not connected to God's body at all... they are the "untouchables," the Dalits. Marred forever by the sins of thier past lives, they are essentially considered equal to animals. They are told there is no way out. They are born Dalits, they live as Dalits, and they die as Dalits. Untouchable. Like rats.

Presently, the Dalits are crying out for an "alternate system," one that gives them dignity and opportunity, and Christian missionaries are presenting them with the message of a God who loves them and wants to live in them, a God named Jesus. The Hindu caste system tells them only Brahmans can become priests, but the message of Jesus is that "everyone is a priest and can become teachers of God's Word."* In other words, "anyone can cook!"

Remy's journey toward chasing his dream, toward his "alternate system," is not without its obstacles. He is constantly bombarded by the expectations of his family, the reluctance of his fellow human companions to cooperate, and ultimately the threat of being captured and killed. In Brad Bird's mature and brilliant screenplay, nothing is melodramatic or comes off as being too easy a solution. When Linguini finally reveals the truth about Remy as the secret behind his cooking, the predictable result of the restaurant staff perhaps becoming inspired to work together gives us one of the film's most unexpected twists. Having come from various alternative secret pasts without any cooking experience, their community is built on the foundation of Gusteau's famous phrase that "anyone can cook." But presented with the absurd notion that "anyone" includes an untouchable rat, they walk out. They are locked in a kind of caste system of their own that flies in the face of what they pretend to believe.

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