The use of language in literature throughout history has constructed identities and representations of people and places which in truth are stereotypes, exoticization and misinformation that led to the creation of “otherness”.

In order to make this argument I will use examples from Miner (1956) Body and Ritual Among the Nacirema, the TEDTalks presented by Ngozi – The danger of a single story and my own experiences.

In the writing of Miner (1956:504) Body an Ritual Among the Nacirema, Miner wrote that the Nacirema people practices rituals that strangers might find revolting, like the ritual that consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth along with certain magical powders and then moving the bundle in a series of gestures, which in actual is the same as a toothbrush and toothpaste that Miner himself would have already been using since varies forms of toothbrushes and toothpastes have existed since 500 BC. and have been mass-produced since 1780, according to Harper & Row (1987:210) Extraordinary origins of everyday things, but because of Miner’s choice of language in his literature he exoticizes the Nacirema people and makes this ritual of them seem revolting.

In the TedTalks presented by Ngozi – The danger of a single story, Ngozi warns us that a single story should not be our only perspective of a society or place and with this I agree. Through my own experience while reading Miner (1956) Body and Ritual Among the Nacirema, Miner’s writing allowed me to form a negative stereotype of the Nacirema people by viewing them in a revolting and barbaric manner.

After watching the TEDTalk presented by Ngozi I understand that my stereotypical view of the Nacirema people was wrong and that I should not base my understanding of a society from only one writers point of view.