AP Language and Composition
Nacirema Fieldwork Essay Assignment
You have just read “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” and have hopefully come to the realization that the article actually describes contemporary American culture. What I would like you to do is to c arefully reconsider your life-long, "in-the-field" interactions with the Nacirema.
As Horace Miner dealt with various body-related rituals, you are to compose a short essay focusing upon one single Nacirema ritual.
Here are the guidelines to assist you in composing your essay:
 Your essay must be no more than 300 words. This is not a lot. There are 306 words on
 this page.
It must be typed. Please use 1” margins, Times New Roman font and point size 12.
 Unlike Prof. Miner's observations of various body rituals, your essay is to have a very specific, single focus on one ritual. For example, “getting ready to go out” is NOT a single body ritual; it consists of hundreds of single rituals. For example, one of these rituals involves females and consists of the ritualized application of soft, powdery substances to their faces to make their eyes appear almost inhuman in size as a preparation for going out. Okay, now you may NOT use that one....
 Use the same tone as Professor Miner; don't outright "spill the beans" about your topic.
(Similarly, note how rarely Miner referred to himself, how often he referred to the
"magical thinking" of the Nacirema, and how he did not use the term "Nacireman" nor
 how he ever referred to the audience by using such a term as "you.")
 You may only invent one backward word and you may only use it twice in your essay.
I am looking for evidence that you understand the effects of tone, word choice, and denotation in developing your essay.
 Have some fun with this!
 Your essay is due in class Thursday, September 10 th .