In The Body Ritual Of The Nacirema

In every piece of literature there seems to be a particular pattern or meaning to which the literature was written. As for instance in How to Read Literature Like A Professor, the author states that memory, symbol, and pattern are the three items that, more than any other, separate the professorial reader from the rest of the crowd (Foster Intro) . Albeit every poem, story, and work of literature can be unique in its own way. The author Relatively speaking, the basis of each story has a pattern or a certain message it wants to send. In some cases you have to associate a certain meaning that pertains to a story. “In the Body Rituals of the Nacirema”, “The ones who walk away from Omelas”, And “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” , you come to recognize

a certain pattern or lesson that you can contrast from all three stories. All three works showcase a constant hunt for the perfect life through rituals, punishing someone else in order for self-happiness, and a reminiscent life of how things used to be before someone had the ideal “perfect life”. Throughout reading these works you recognize that the common human, at first thought, desires a perfect life and will do anything at any time to achieve that perfection.
In The Body Rituals of the Nacirema the Nacirema perform various sets of rituals and practices.

These practices can be questionable and somewhat gory but to the Nacirema they are custom principles to living what they perceive as a perfect life. The nacirema practiced an infamous mouth-rite ritual which to american’s, was viewed as controversial . The mouth-rite ritual consisted of the Nacirema shoving hog hairs into their mouths along with magical powders and moving them in a brush like motion (Miner504) . The Nacirema believed that if the mouth-rite ritual was not performed their teeth would simply fall out (Miner504). Needless to say these rituals are performed because in the perception of the nacirema they are essential for living the perfect

life.
The ones who walk away from Omelas is a fictional short story that puts the perfect life into perspective. In the short story almost everyone living is happy and enjoying their life. The adults amidst their happiness, have all agreed to and signed off on the aspect that in order to keep things the way they are one small child has to suffer. The small child suffers day in and day out in a small basement with limited supplies in order to live properly. The adults show greed and selfishness by agreeing and accepting that in order for their well-being the child has to suffer. This story shows brings out the lesson that nothing is ever always perfect and that someone will always have to suffer. The perfect life is in a sense impossible because something will always go wrong regardless.
In Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, the story revolves around Eloise Wengler, a dissatisfied housewife who has settled for a normal life with a husband and kids but begins to long for her true love Walt Glass and how better off she would be if he was alive.

Eloise becomes reminiscent of her past true love Walt Glass after having a couple of alcoholic beverages in the afternoon with her friend Mary Jane. Eloise explains to Mary Jane that Things between Walt and Eloise didn’t last very long as Walt was killed in an accident while serving in the Army (salinger 10) . In retrospect, many would kill for a life like Eloise’s. Eloise somewhat already has a perfect life, Eloise has a husband, a home, a child, and even a maid. Her having the perfect life surprisingly causes her to long for her previous relationship when she was with her true love Walt Glass. Eloise’s perception of the perfect life was to be with the man she loved before her husband. In a way, Eloise was forced to settle for less by marrying someone other than her true love. This shows that the perfect life to everyone is different and is based on one's

perception.
All three works share similar lessons that an experienced reader can identify. They all point out that everyone’s idea of a perfect life and attaining it is different. All three of these works in their own unique way show a societal view of a normal life. Everyone at first thought desires a perfect life and will do anything at any time to achieve that perfection. You learn that the perfect life is based on self-perception and that life is whatever you make it.