ABSTRACT
Figures of animality evoked in narratives of war or state terror include violent, predatorial brutes and abject creatures who are subjected to captivity, forced labor, or slaughter. A third figure of animality appears in the tales of those who survived war and terror in Southeast Asia: the wild animal as transmigrated ancestor or capriciously sympathetic spirit. What do such animals offer to those who are threatened with a violence unrestrained by law or “humanitarian” ethics? The magical powers of these beasts have the potential to rewrite the biopolitical story of humanity and animality that prevails in much contemporary social analysis.
