Tyler Garrett March 27th, 2014 ENG 106 Aria Halliday

Body Ritual among the Nacirema

Horace Minor from the University of Michigan writes about what seems to be a primitive society but is actually writing about America in general. The room that is being talked about with special perfumes is referred to the bathroom I think. The pig hairs in the mouth seem to represent someone brushing their teeth. Throughout his writing he seems to be talking about a primitive society and I think it is emphasizing the fact that we think what we do is best but in reality other peoples ways may be different but just as effective. The paper includes a section about parents and the listener and to me it seems to be someone in the family. Maybe a pet but I am not sure. I think it could be a pet because the listener is told all of the problems and fears by the speaker and I know from personal experience that sometimes it feels good to talk to your dog and just have him listen. The mother controlling the child represents children being shaped by their parents whether intentional or unintentionally. The charm box he speaks about might be the sink but I do not really see how that correlates other than every other family member using it to get water every day. He includes, In conclusion, mention must be made of certain practices which have their base in native esthetics but which depend upon the persuasive aversion to the natural body and its functions. Overall he is portraying a scenario that does not seem appealing but in reality is very similar to the way Americans live their lives every day. I personally do not know if he is making fun of Americans or trying to simply point out that everyone is unique and that there is nothing wrong with that in his mind. It took me a while to realize that the title is

Tyler Garrett March 27th, 2014 ENG 106 Aria Halliday

Nacirema which is American spelled backwards. I cannot tell how everything correlates into my life everyday but overall I think it is a neat correlation.