At the hospital Lia's seizure becomes more violent, defeating all the EMTs' attempts to sedate her. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. Their character proceeded from that. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. It’s no surprise, then, that things have changed in the fifteen years that have elapsed between the book’s last chapter and this afterword. On the one hand, the Lees had every right to exercise their beliefs. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that highlights the struggles between two cultures in healthcare. By Monica Chiu, PhD University of New Hampshire Hmong. Summary. 11-12 Ch. Yikes. C. The timeline below shows where the character Sue Xiong appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Section One: Chapters 1-4; Section Two: Chapters 5-8; Section Three: Chapters 9-14; Section Four: Chapters 15-19; My Review and Takeaways;. The Lee family's journey was indeed terrible, but they and their fellow travelers hoped for a better life in the future. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. The even-numbered explanatory chapters often begin or end with a Hmong folktale illustrating an important aspect of the culture. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction . Social Media Book Review by Chirag Mitra ,No 18533168,MPH&MHA, Social And cultural Perspectives of Health,La Trobe university,Summary and Analysis of Chapter 14 of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Anyway, this sparks a rebellion that goes on for centuries, until the Hmong finally retreat into the mountains. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anna Fadiman tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child with epilepsy, whose life could have been different if only her family was caught up in western medicine. Lia has another, even worse seizure three days before Thanksgiving, 1986. Just after she finished eating, her face took on the strange, frightened expression that always preceded a seizure. Jonas Vangay Character Analysis. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. When the Lee's settled in the United States Foua gave birth to a baby girl named Lia. 1). Chapter 11: The Big One. But the families—who don't trust hospitals or medical staff—are skeptical of her. Fadiman sensed something else amiss in the girl, too, admitting that perhaps her soul really was missing. Lia Lee began suffering seizures at a young age and was diagnosed with epilepsy by American doctors. For the Hmong people,. 5). The Hmong New Year fell during Lia’s stay at MCMC, but Foua said that it was the only time. The mood declined, however, when the Lees realized how Lia's mental capacity had declined. After graduating in 1975, she wrote for a variety of publications, including Harper's, Life magazine, and The New York Times. Fish Soup Symbol Analysis. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. . The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. Although Jeanine works for the government, she manages to establish a connection with Nao Kao. Her full name is used only five times in the narrative. The Lees believed Lia had been returned to them because foster care had made her sicker; Neil and Peggy felt that foster care had improved her condition. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. , a Chinese emperor named Hoang-ti decrees that any Hmong convicted of a crime will be castrated. What listeners say about The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Average customer ratings. Children as young as ten are forced into military service. In the Hmong language the term for epilepsy is qaug dab peg. While considered by some to be an illness, seizures are actually seen as a good thing to the Hmong culture. When he received the call, he "drove to MCMC as fast as he could" (11. Analysis. Publisher's summary. As a writer, Fadiman herself moves in and out of her scenes; in some moments, she describes her conversations with Lia ’s. Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Fadiman 1860 Words | 8 Pages The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, explores cultural competence, ethics in medicine, and the provision of culturally competent health care in the United States by following a family of Hmong culture in their struggles with mainstream. The Spirt Catches You and You Fall Down follows the true story of a healthcare battle between a hospital in California and a Hmong refugee family from Laos escaping the Vietnam war over the care of their little girl in 1982. Brilliantly reported and beautifully crafted, The Spirit Catches You and You. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. medical school curricula. Fadiman's father is Clifton. Looks like you're viewing this page on a mobile device. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down moves from hospital corridors to healing ceremonies, and from the hill country of Laos to the living rooms of Merced, uncovering in its path the complex sources and implications of two dramatically clashing worldviews. Free Summary of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Q. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between. Writing both a literary profile and an in-depth ethnography, Fadiman devotes whole chapters to the history and context of the Hmong ethnic identity, which she characterizes as “independent, insular. qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. Chapter 12 Summary: “Flight”. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. Neil is a highly intelligent and inquisitive pediatrician who specializes in infections, asthma, and allergies. He always called an ambulance when Lia had a seizure. Unlike other doctors, Fadiman points out, Neil Ernst remained unbending in his care for Lia, ultimately unwilling to compromise the quality of his services to accommodate Foua and Nao Kao ’s beliefs or abilities. - both Foua and dad threaten to commit suicide in the period when Lia was in fostercare. Why do you think the author included them? 3. 10). Yet again,. 1. Nuland, The New Republic “ The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down changed how doctors see themselves and how they see their patients. Neil is a good dude and a good doctor, but even he fails to look past his own cultural preconceptions and see the Lees as people. Like many shamanic cultures, the Hmong believe that the condition serves as the gateway between our world and the. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. Chapter Summaries Chart. Lia has her first seizure when she is three months old. Dan Murphy Character Analysis. Next. Her seizures normally lasted only a few minutes, but when she didn't get better, Nao Kao's nephew, who spoke English, called an ambulance. Dee Korda Character Analysis. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The blogs will allow students to react to and reflect on each section's reading, keep track of Hmong. Read the Review. She was in a "persistent vegetative state," able to breath, sleep, and cry, but showing no signs of self-aware. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. Fadiman’s interpreter, or—in Sukey Waller ’s words—“cultural broker. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the. To make matters worse, Fadiman writes, the Hmong believe that many Western medical practices run the risk of harming patients. Summary. She was the only one in her family to be born outside of Laos. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . This chapter jumps forward in time three years since the end of Chapter 13. Afterwards, Foua maintained that Lia got more and more sick because the doctors. Download. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Book review for Social and Cultural Perspectives of Public HealthThe timeline below shows where the character Yer Lee appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Lia was carried by Foua or another older member of the family on the back in a nyias, an apron shaped baby carrier that Foua had embroidered and ornamented with bright colors and fuzzy pink pom-poms. 7-8 Ch. Fadiman relates a story told to her by a French professor who taught an intermediate class at Merced College. Though Anne often wants to take the Hmongs' side in all of this, even she must admit that Western medicine can be truly life-changing. Makenzie Griffith EDSE 460 Denise Hitchcock 1 March 2018 Midterm: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down It is a story about a family who shows so much loyalty to their traditions and cultures, but it clashes with the strict American “norm” and creates conflict. 9). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. 17-18 Ch. Buy Study Guide About The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary Character List Glossary Themes Quotes and Analysis Ch. Analysis. They also still celebrated only Hmong holidays, only practiced Hmong religion, and only ate Hmong food. Birth. May Ying is a twenty year old clerk-typist at the Merced County Office of Refugee Services when Fadiman first meets her. Writing both a literary profile and an in-depth ethnography, Fadiman devotes whole chapters to the history and context of the Hmong ethnic identity, which she characterizes as “independent, insular, antiauthoritarian,. When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. In 1993 social worker Jeanine Hilt dies unexpectedly. The Lee Children. Citation Generator. Nao Kao and Foua had always carried Lia to the hospital before, but Nao Kao. Although The Spirit Catches You is all about Lia, there's not much actually about Lia within its. Unfortunately they might have arrived at the hospital more quickly on foot. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. One case involving the Lees' young. Chapter 15 Quotes. Ge, one of Nao Kao and Foua's daughters, dies after they arrive at a refugee camp in Thailand. New York: Macmillan. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness qaug dab peg. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down tells the story of treating Lia’s epilepsy, examining her medical experience in Merced in… read analysis of Lia Lee. Share to Tumblr. Read the Review. 13-14 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern. Neil's decision to send Lia into foster care throws a wrench into things, devastating Nao Kao and Foua and nearly breaking their family apart. One of Lia ’s primary doctors, and Neil Ernst ’s wife. Who now lives in America, but still manages to head a rebel group. Yer, Lia’s older sister, slammed a door which triggered Lia’s first seizure. “Don’t do that, there’s a good boy,” said Martin, addressing the little girl in English, of which she did not speak a word. D. Nao Kao and Foua arrived at Children’s Valley Hospital after Lia and were troubled to learn about the spinal tap that had been inserted. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. These folktales often serve to illustrate some aspect of the character of the Hmong people. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. On the other hand, Epilepsy is referred to as a neurological. While commonplace in Hmong culture, Americans are uncomfortable with the idea of ritual sacrifice, especially when it is in the public domain. Yes, including the pigs (after the sacrifice, that is). “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. In 1985 Mao Thao, a Hmong American woman, visits Ban Vinai—a refugee camp in Thailand. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus. Exactly what every hospital needs. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The two cultures 1. 5). The teacher's suggestion appears in the narrative as a contrast to the tragic events in May's life. Fadiman considers the fact that the Hmong view health concerns as not only relating to the body, but also relating to everything else in their lives. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down is a work of literary nonfiction that chronicles the life and medical troubles of Lia Lee, a young girl from Merced, California. It tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong girl with severe epilepsy, and her family’s journey with managing the condition and the cultural barriers that posed great challenges in Lia’s care. Analysis. For example, the Hmong maintain that each person contains a finite amount of blood, so any blood extraction is viewed as dangerous. The spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. The phrase indicates the way the Lees, a deeply spiritual Hmong American family, think of. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. Nonetheless, when she came back inside after watching the family sacrifice a pig in the parking lot, the room’s atmosphere had changed. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman Summary. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. In one story, he offers his home to two sisters, one good and one snotty. Hmong Studies Journal, 2004-05, 5: 1-36. The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. Lia began having epileptic seizures when she was about three months old. Lia Lee. Fadiman begins the chapter with an autobiography that May, one of Lia’s sisters, writes for a school assignment about her family’s experience fleeing Laos in 1979. Examine and describe how these differences create disparities between U. Vangay explains that for a Hmong, unlike an American, "it is never everyone for himself" (247). MLA (8th ed. S medical system battles with their traditional Hmong healing methods. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Her father is furious, while her mother is devastated. 17). Plot Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Viz Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Spirit Catches You makes teaching easy. In hindsight, Lionel Rosenblatt, the former United States Refugee. Lia is the first Lee child born in an. Contrary to the belief that the qualities of one side do not merge with those of the other, however, it. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1997. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. At the time of the war in Southeast Asia, they lived in Laos about 400 meters above sea-level. Chapter 9 continues Lia's story, sharing events from both Lia's parents' and doctors' points of view. There are still "tens of thousands" of Hmong in Laos (12. Plot summary. At the end of Chapter 12, Fadiman introduces the character of Shee Yee, the hero of the greatest Hmong folktales. 540 Words3 Pages. Lia's treatment was complex—her anticonvulsant prescriptions changed 23 times in four years—and the Lees were sure the medicines were bad for their. Talking to Fadiman later, she and her husband tried to describe what it was like to see Lia in such a terrible state. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. Terry drops a bomb on her—he believes that Lia had caught "septic shock" while at the hospital, which was the real cause of her health problems (17. Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10. After spending eleven days at Valley Children's Hospital, Lia returned to MCMC on. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. Chapter 15 Quotes. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. • Preface. The book was written by Anne Fadiman, a journalist with some serious pedigree. The snotty sister insults him, calling him dirty and ridiculing his poverty. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. If Lia Lee had been born in the highlands of northwest Laos, where her parents and twelve of her brothers and sisters were born, her mother. These babies were born at home on a dirt floor. Lia Lee. She's rushed to the hospital, where the doctors learn that the Lees are finally giving Lia the right amount of medication. Due to the diligent research and interviewing by the author, the reader is privy to all. of 150 and a full-body tan from taking vacations at a nudist camp. Analysis. They are animists who believe spiritual forces affect the natural world. The Lee's, a family that endured hardships, frustration, anger, confusion, and hope while living in the United State's of America. " LitCharts. Throughout The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Fadiman often references the Hmong’s maximalist worldview, which takes into account all aspects of life and seeks to acknowledge the interconnectedness of all things. This section contains 495 words. The Lees' story takes on a more reflective mood in Chapters 15 and 17–18. Lannamann, Taylor. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. For many American doctors and patients, Western biomedicine is accepted as the default setting. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. Answering a question posed to her by a bigoted gas station clerk, she determines (in retrospect) that the reason the Hmong chose to settle in Merced has to do with Dang Moua, a local Hmong entrepreneur and businessman who was at one time a clerk-typist at the. Lia’s doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg–the spirit catches you and you fall down–and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The family lived in a refugee camp in California, and Lia’s parents treated her with traditional Hmong remedies. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. Nonetheless, she manages to remain reasonably neutral, not blaming any of Lia’s doctors personally nor Lia’s parents, but rather the aforementioned idea that the cultural “gulf” is “unbridgeable. One of Lia ’s primary doctors (along with his wife, Peggy Philp) at Merced Community Medical Center. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them. The Hmong had always been Montagnards, mountain people. She was interested in investigating the circumstances surrounding Lia's health care but was warned by fellow colleagues. sacrificed a pig and chickens, sometimes they want to do it in the hospital. Fadiman’s plot revolves around Lia, a Hmong girl born with severe epilepsy, and the. In 1973, 150,000 members of the Hmong ethnicity—the Lees included—were forced from their homes after "their country fell to communist forces" (1. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Chapter 7: Government Property. In 2700 B. This Hyperink Quicklet includes an overall summary, chapter commentary, key characters, literary themes, fun trivia, and recommended related readings. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between. taboo: against blood tests, spinal taps, surgery, anesthesia, and autopsies— the basic tools of modern medicine— seemed like self-defeating ignorance. It tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong girl with severe epilepsy, and her family’s journey with managing the condition and the cultural barriers that posed great challenges in Lia’s care. May Ying Xiong Character Analysis. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Summary. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. At the last minute, the wife changed her mind and cut the family down. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Upset because he "perceived the doctors' comments [. Comprehensive Study Guide with Chapter Analysis, Themes, Characters & More. ”. The fact that it has a divine nature to them and the fact that the doctors see it only as a disease to be either cured or controlled foreshadows problems yet to come between the 2 cultures. Analysis. Dressing Fadiman up in traditional Hmong clothing, Foua presented her to her boyfriend, who thought she looked ridiculous. There was obviously a great difference between American doctors and Hmong shamans. The story told in ''The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,'' by Anne Fadiman, a freelance journalist and the newly named editor of The American Scholar, is that of Lia Lee, born on July 19, 1982, in the Merced Community Medical Center. Analysis. ” Analysis. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, among other awards. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. What had occurred was known as qaug dab peg in Hmong (translated as "the spirit catches you and you. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. Neil Ernst constantly questioned himself over whether his uncompromising standard of care had actually compromised Lia’s health. The family would have called in a txiv neeb, a Hmong shaman or traditional healer, if any difficulties arose. Analysis. Fadiman notes that many Hmong believe spinal taps are “potentially crippling both in this life and in future lives. 0 5 Stars 1,365 4 Stars 425 3 Stars 149. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quiz 3. • Chapter 3 - The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Share to Pinterest. The author recalled her introduction to Hmong culture and the Lee family. These stragglers form several rebel groups, one of which is led by Vang Pao. Having given birth to twelve children in her native Laos, Foua and her family fled to a refugee camp in Thailand to escape the dangerous communist forces that had won control of her country in 1975. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a sad, beautiful, complicated story that is ostensibly about a tragedy that arose from a clash of cultures, but is really about the tragedy of human beings. 1097/00001888-200106000-00012. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. 5-6 Ch. By studying miscommunication between Hmong patients and their American doctors, Fadiman demonstrates that many cross-cultural misunderstandings hinge on a disconnect between the two parties’. Book Details. Purpose In this small-scale study, we pre-supposed that The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down wouldThe Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child with epilepsy, whose tragic demise reveals the dangers of a lack of cross-cultural communication in the medical profession. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down . Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Chapter. Anne Fadiman celebrates the complexity and the individuality of the human interactions that make up the practice of medicine while simultaneously pointing out directions for change and breaking. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. Two cultural assumptions rise to the surface of this section: the first is that the Hmong eat dogs and cats; the second assumption is that Americans only care about money and thus would be unperturbed by the sight of a severed cow’s head on a doorstep as long as the cow had been fairly purchased. 24 Nov 2023. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. Lia's treatment is complicated by Nao Kao's and Foua's inability to speak English, making it all but impossible to communicate with her doctors. The complicated politics surrounding this war reach back to the Geneva Accords of 1954, when Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam were recognized as independent states in what had been French Indochina. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at. Culture, or the learned beliefs, values, and behaviors of social groups, leads to major misunderstandings in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. This Study Guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Fadiman presents Shee Yee as a symbol of the Hmong people. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. In her case, only Western medicine could've saved her father from colon cancer. At the age of three months, Lia had her first seizure caused by the sound of a door. However, the Lees become discouraged when they notice Lia's verbal skills have regressed. However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. EDSE 460. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. The Spirit Catches You Exam. • Preface. the Hmong have established their own. The Story Catches You and You Fall Down: Tragedy, Ethnography, and "Cultural Competence" Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (Noon-day Press, 1997) is widely used in "cultural competence" efforts within U. Three months after her healthy birth, Lia went into a seizure after her older sister Yer loudly slammed the apartment door. Despite living alone on the margins of society, however, the Orphan is actually clever, courageous, resilient, and a. In-depth explanations of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down's themes. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. From the creators of SparkNotes. Some of these perceptions are. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the riveting narrative of a showdown between modern American medicine and ancient Hmong beliefs, a blow-by-blow account. Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis. Chapter 14 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis Next Chapter 16 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Fadiman writes that Lia. ABOUT THE BOOK Anne Fadiman’s seminal work of nonfiction, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, examines the myriad difficulties and complications that arise when two radically. On June 26, 1986, Lia—now considered a Dependent Child of the Juvenile Court—is removed from her home and placed in foster care for six months. Throughout The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Fadiman often references the Hmong’s maximalist worldview, which takes into account all aspects of life and seeks to acknowledge the interconnectedness of all things. While working at a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, Conquergood hosted a parade "led by three important characters from Hmong folktales" that also conveyed some very useful medical information (4. They haven't been back since. Looking back, I feel regret all of the choices, acts and words didn’t get along from the start to minimized the brain damaged of Lia. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. When Lia was three months old her older sister Yer slammed the front door. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the riveting narrative of a showdown between modern American medicine and ancient Hmong beliefs, a blow-by-blow account of the battle fought. She slept in her parents’ bed a slight, silent husk. 2) Title alert! Again, it's important to remember that epilepsy isn't necessarily a bad thing in Hmong culture. Although Dee follows "the anticonvulsant prescriptions to the letter," Lia continues to have seizures—more frequently than she did at home, in fact. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. Fadiman began writing while at Harvard University as a columnist for Harvard Magazine. She went to Merced after hearing reports of misunderstandings between medical staff and Hmong patients at the county hospital—the Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC). That is why it is so important to establish an appropriate contact to avoid a situation similar to Lia’s problem. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Dan is the first doctor to diagnose Lia as epileptic after seeing her in the throes of a seizure during her third visit to the hospital. On the other hand, though, their failure to administer Lia’s medications had seemingly measurable negative results, meaning that Neil was equally entitled to wield his. The Lee family arrives in America in 1980. They retaliated against the. According to Hmong folklore, Shee Yee, the sorcerer who had turned into a tiny red ant and bit the evil dab on the testicle, had spent many years fighting dabs and restoring health to the sick. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 4. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as "quag dab peg," which means "the spirit catches you and you fall down" (3. 1617 Words | 7 Pages. Summary. In “The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down,” Anne Fadiman provides us with her book about two different cultural worlds and how they collide. " The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. According to Hmong folklore, Shee Yee, the sorcerer who had turned into a tiny red ant and bit the evil dab on the testicle, had spent many years fighting dabs and restoring health to the sick. This Study Guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Lia ’s mother and Nao Kao ’s wife. Foua and Nao Kao immediately suspected what happened: the loud sound so frightened their daughter that her soul fled her body, a phenomenon known to them as quag dab peg, meaning the spirit catches you and you fall down. Though they eventually figure that stuff out, they never make too big. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The book contains many Hmong phrases and many medical phrases, both unfamiliar to most readers. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. Chapter 10 - War (Cont. Like Shee Yee, they are courageous and tenacious, and will fight or flee rather than surrender. While working at a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, Conquergood hosted a parade "led by three important characters from Hmong folktales" that also conveyed some very useful medical information (4. Even though she had a dirt floor, she would have been very careful to never allow her to. (approx. 11-12 Ch. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down study guide contains a biography of Anne Fadiman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. ”. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. The Lees knew immediately what had happened. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores issues of culture, immigration, medicine, and the war in [Laos] with such skill that it's nearly impossible to put down. Analysis. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U.