Anthropomorphism, or the projection of human attributes on non-human animals, is a concept and a critique that often surfaces when discussing representations of animal experience. The article examines the ambiguities inherent in the concept of anthropomorphism, and contends that anthropomorphism is not only an epistemic issue but largely a matter of affective ingroup-outgroup control. In connection with James Agee’s short story “A Mother’s Tale” (1952), the article argues that representations of animal suffering are not only descriptive but also performative in ways that can have consequences for how the limits of anthropomorphic practice are drawn.