Body Ritual Among the
Nacirema
By Horace Miner
Genre: Satire
Satire: makes fun of people’s
weaknesses, mistakes, foolishness, and
wrong behavior.
 The effect of satire is social criticism. In
other words, a satire criticizes the way
people do things. Satire is trying to make
society better by pointing out where it is
wrong in a funny way.

Author’s Purpose

Miner’s overall purpose is to make
common American behaviors and
beliefs seem magical and silly by
describing them as if they were tribal
behaviors.
Society is wrong…..
In the way we look at other cultures as if
they were so strange and exotic.
 Really, all cultures can be understood as
trying to accomplish many of the same
things…..(examples?)

The mystery…
The reader is supposed to read the article
not knowing who the Nacirema are, and
be surprised by how mysterious
everything sounds.
 The confusing vocabulary makes it hard to
guess who the article is talking about.

How the author confuses the
reader:

Thesis: (Last sentence in opening
paragraph)
– The magical beliefs and practices of the
Nacirema present such unusual aspects that it
seems desirable to describe them as an
example of the extremes to which human
behavior can go.
How the author confuses the
reader: Examples of behavior
Belief in ugliness of human body (Truth:
we spend much time and money on our
appearance)
 Shrine devoted to body ritual (Truth: our
medicine cabinets are often filled with too
much “stuff”—especially old medicines
that should be thrown out

How the author confuses the reader:
Examples of behavior, continued:
Practitioners who require gifts (Truth: the
health industry makes quite a bit of
money, and medicine is also expensive)
 Listener who deals with bewitched people
(Truth: Many psychologists believe that
personal problems are caused by early
experiences in life, especially in the ways
parents treat us and teach us about taking
care of ourselves)

Clues to the truth
The name Nacirema
 The spelling of latipso (hospital)
 Location: between Canada and Mexico
 “…characterized by highly developed
market economy”

Specific references

Shrine: bathroom
– wealthier families have more than one
– Rituals that happen there are private and
secret
– “Charm box” (medicine cabinet)
Specific references, continued:
Font: sink (holy water)
 “A ritual ablution of the mouth for children
which is supposed to improve their moral
fiber” --washing mouth out with soap—
really doesn’t happen any more
 Mouth rite: brushing one’s teeth
 Seek out a “holy mouth-man”—visiting the
dentist

Specific references, continued:
Imposing temple, latipso: hospital
 Vestal maidens: nurses (no longer have
“distinctive costume and headdress”)
 “Rich gift”: payment for services
 Listener: psychologist
 Ritual fasts: diets
 “Rites” (paragraph 18):Plastic surgery
 Magical materials: birth control

Specific references, continued:
Pregnant women “dress….to hide their
condition” (Not any longer)
 Birth takes place in secret—not any longer
 Majority of women do not nurse—not any
longer
