In his anthropological work, Miner introduces readers to the Nacirema tribe. The Nacirema are presented in a way that seems barbaric and inhumane. Their sacred rituals are conducted by medicine men, holy-mouth men, and listeners; these people seemingly control the Nacirema society. These three groups have fully convinced the Nacirema to endure torture and abuse with pride. To an outside eye, voluntarily having holes drilled into one's teeth, putting their heads in ovens, and being force fed strange concoctions sounds absurd. In particular, the Nacirema appears to have an unhealthy obsession with the body. The Nacirema finds the human body to be repulsive, flawed, and prone to disease which the elites of their society try to correct. Now that …show more content…
Throughout his essay, Miner uses vivid imagery, symbolism, and precise diction to make the Nacirema seem as strange as possible to an outsider. By doing so, the reader is made to acknowledge what they consider normal may not be for everyone else. Obsession with fixing an imperfect human body is the root of the Nacirema’s belief system. Early on in his work, Miner introduces the reader to the holy-mouth men, who do intense operations on the Nacirema. These men use tools to enlarge “any holes which decay may have created in the teeth” and then apply “magic” materials (Miner 505). Miner’s word choice provides an image in the reader’s head of what this ritual consists of. Having tools used to enlarge holes in one's teeth sounds excruciatingly painful. The word enlarging almost makes the reader feel the scraping upon their own teeth. Yet even with how terrible this sounds, it is revealed “the natives return to the holy-mouth men year after year, despite the fact their teeth continue to decay” (Miner 505). The reader is able to envision how the Nacirema’s teeth must look, and is forced to question why the Nacirema continues to believe in the …show more content…
Yet in the Nacriema’s society, the women take what we view as sexual abuse without complaint. While a reader will likely view this with great disgust, one must consider: are our societies much better? Is sexual abuse among the vulnerable not present in our western societies? While one can attempt to deny reality, it is too often that western societies violate the vulnerable. Yet despite sexual abuse, the female body is still met with immense disgust and shame amongst the Nacirema tribe. The Nacirema are said to believe that mothers “[put] a curse on children while teaching them the secret body rituals” (Miner 506). The word “curse” is specifically chosen to inflict more shame upon women. It is used to make the women sound as if they are ruining the lives of their children; ultimately, setting them up for failure. Extending upon this, is the harsh negative feelings surrounding pregnancy. When pregnant, “women dress so as to hide their condition” because their behavior is viewed as shameful and disgusting (Miner 506). It is even said that magic materials are used in order to prevent