Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. Like their patients, they have biases. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down tells the story of treating Lia’s epilepsy, examining her medical experience in Merced in order to consider divides between Hmong and American culture. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are. and Peggy even allowed her to pour some noxious green liquid down the child’s nasogastric tube on the belief that Lia was going to die. When Anne first meets Lia 's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, she's nervous as an outsider about gaining their trust. 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, suspicious, stubborn, proud, choleric. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. One of the recurring themes of Anne Fadiman’s novel The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the cultural unawareness that is present, not only the American perspective, but the Hmong perspective as well. The s pirit catches you and you fall down is cited in 14 different citation styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, APA, ACS, and many others. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. Pediatricians Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp—the doctors in charge of Lia's case—keep detailed notes on her condition over the years. She was the only one in her family to be born outside of Laos. Though Lia 's mother Foua Yang gives birth to Lia in the United States, she delivered 12 children in her native Laos. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. Young Lia’s health is at risk when the. This blog will be a long-term project lasting the duration of the novel, with students needing to make entries about each reading section. Chapter Summary for Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, chapter 10 summary. Reviews Book Excerpts Media About the Author Reading Guide. Nothing like medical problems and totally opposite cultures to show you how messed up things. 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. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. They are animists who believe spiritual forces affect the natural world. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. 10). Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. Lia 's epileptic crisis is over. Summary. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. Within moments following the door's closing, Lia's first seizure commenced. After graduating in 1975, she wrote for a variety of publications, including Harper's, Life magazine, and The New York Times. qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. 1097/00001888-200106000-00012. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. 5-6 Ch. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Neil is at home when Lia arrives at the hospital. We might not know much about the Lee children as individuals, but much like the von Trapps or the Brady Bunch, they work best in a pack. At the same time, it is considered. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The two cultures 1. Fadiman is accurate and detailed in her digressions about the Hmong people and their history in China and Laos. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. Even things we take for granted like electricity and refrigeration are new to them. CPS workers arrived at the Lee house with Sue Xiong , a Hmong interpreter whom. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. Unlike her fellow Americans (Dee not included, obvs), this social worker falls in love with Lia and her family, making their plight her personal crusade. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child with epilepsy, whose tragic downfall reveals the dangers of a lack of cross-cultural communication in the medical profession. Intensely researched and eloquently written, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down weaves sociology, history, medicine, and psychology into a tapestry that permanently raises the bar in literary journalism. Print Word PDF. 5). The first chapters introduce the Hmong: both the family who suffers the book's tragedy, and the people as a whole. This case study illustrates and analyzes the tension an ESL science teacher encountered when his science curriculum came into conflict with the religious and cos-mological beliefs of one of his Hmong immigrant students. 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. 1 Why did Nao Kao call an ambulance the night of Lia's big seizure? He thought that arriving in an ambulance would cause the doctors to pay more attention to Lia. Misunderstandings and disagreements manifested in day-to-day interactions reveal. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. The 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. They recognized the symptoms as qaug dab peg, "the. You know when Lia is there because you'll undoubtedly find her running "up and down the corridor in the pediatric unit, banging on doors" (5. Peggy Philp Character Analysis. Write a 350-word summary of the chapter that includes the following: Identify the historical events or cultural practices in your selected chapter. 20). Published in 1997, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is a remarkable masterpiece that feels just as significant today, more than 20 years after being published, for its commentary on cultural differences, social construction of illness, and most important of all. A family practice resident at Merced Community Medical Center who is interested in Hmong culture. Birth. CHAPTER ONE. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. • Chapter 1 - Birth. Analysis. The Lee family was convinced that the door's slamming had been so frightening as to make Lia's soul fly away. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. “ […. • Preface. Arthur Kleinman Character Timeline in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. They recognized the symptoms as qaug dab peg, "the. Her family however believed her illness was caused by soul loss (Fadiman 21). Neil is there when they bring Lia in for her first checkup. Preface. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. ISBN-13: 9780374533403. Aside from the medical parts, which are described carefully and objectively, and without portioning any blame, this book is a very touching story of a family coping with adversity in a brave and dignified. The family lived in a refugee camp in California, and Lia’s parents treated her with traditional Hmong remedies. Chapter 15 Quotes. We're at the Lee's apartment and a txiv neeb has just arrived "to perform a healing ceremony for Lia" (19. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes and Analysis Dan had no way of knowing that. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. 4. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. Some of these perceptions are. Although Dee Korda turns out to be an amazing foster mother (and friend to the family), Lia's condition only worsens after being placed into foster care. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. Lia has another, even worse seizure three days before Thanksgiving, 1986. Fadiman turns her attention to Hmong history, surveying the origins of their time in Laos, where they dwelt in the mountains at high altitudes in which few other populations cared to live. Culture, or the learned beliefs, values, and behaviors of social groups, leads to major misunderstandings in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. ) Citation. One night, Foua tells Anne about their life back in Laos. E. Every other chapter shares some aspect of Hmong history or culture: food, clothing, language, family structure, birthing rituals, and so on. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. 00 Carol A Redding, MA, is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and an InformationSummary. Neil apologizes to Nao Kao and Foua with tears in his eyes—Foua thanks and hugs him, while Nao Kao remains cold. Chapter 7 - Government Property. Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. Recorded on these tapes are the many conversations she had with American doctors and the Lee family, who came to the United States from Laos as refugees in 1980. . The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus. Between the ages of 8 months and four and a half years, the Lees brought Lia to the hospital dozens of times. A doctor living in Merced who invites Fadiman to meet his Hmong patients. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The high stakes of medical care increase the need for strong. At first they stay with relatives in Portland, Oregon. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . Taylor, J. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. Summary. Dee is a gentle, kind person who devotes herself to caring for children. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book by Anne Fadiman about a Hmong family (the Lee’s) that moved to the United States. At the last minute, the wife changed her mind and cut the family down. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. 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. Foua and Nao Kao grow to distrust American medicine almost completely. The phrase indicates the way the Lees, a deeply spiritual Hmong American family, think of. " 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. “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. 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. Chapter 9 - A Little Medicine and a Little Neeb. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is based on a true story that involves the collision of American and Hmong cultures. 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. 1. 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. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. She was seen by the staff on countless other occasions that did not require admission. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Her first book, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," is an account of the unbridgeable gulf between a family of Hmong refugees and their American doctors. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. Lia's story becomes the story of the Hmong people, the doctor-patient connection in Western medicine, and the immigrant experience in the United States. When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. 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. 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. Share to Reddit. From the creators of SparkNotes. It was the most terrible of cultural clashes. Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. Lia Lee Character Analysis. When the Lees refuse to give in to their doctors' demands they demonstrate the historical. CHAPTER ONE. They also established themselves as masterful opium farmers, though very few of them became addicts. The Lee family's journey was indeed terrible, but they and their fellow travelers hoped for a better life in the future. Fadiman presents Shee Yee as a symbol of the Hmong people. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. When Peggy first saw Lia after the girl’s return from Fresno, she was heartbroken: Lia was hardly alive. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. The book is about a young Hmong child named Lia Lee. As a way of coping with the grief and uncertainty of Lia ’s medical complications, both the Lee family and MCMC’s team of doctors try to assign blame. Quag Dab Peg in Hmong culture is caused by a bad spirit (dab’s). A Hmong community leader in Merced. In the 1980s, Lia was part of the Hmong population in America who were refugees from Laos. That is why it is so important to establish an appropriate contact to avoid a situation similar to Lia’s problem. The Hmong see illness and healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe while medical community marks a division between body and soul and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Medical, Racist, and Colonial Constructions of Power: Creating the Asian American Patient and the Cultural Citizen in Anne Fadiman’s . 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. 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 spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. Lia becomes a minor celebrity at MCMC. Denise Hitchcock. Learn how to create in-text citations and a full citation/reference/note for The s pirit catches you and you fall down by Anne Fadiman using the examples below. It's a bad scene. But the whole experience is a disaster—Lia even catches an infection at the hospital. The. medical school curricula. Chapter 12 Summary: “Flight”. 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. Fadiman begins by calling attention to a carton of cassette tapes she keeps beneath her desk. By the time Fadiman meets her. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman - MonkeyNotes by PinkMonkey. 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 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. These babies were born at home on a dirt floor. 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. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Analysis. 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’. The Lees placed her on the mat on the floor where they always placed her at these times. When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. Share to Pinterest. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that highlights the struggles between two cultures in healthcare. Lia Lee. 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. 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. While their children take their father's clan name, Foua follows Hmong tradition and retains Yang—her original clan name—after marriage. 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. For example, the Hmong maintain that each person contains a finite amount of blood, so any blood extraction is viewed as dangerous. 17). New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Lia's story becomes the story of the Hmong people, the doctor-patient connection in Western medicine, and the immigrant experience in the United States. Unlike her fellow. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus. Lannamann, Taylor. 45. OCLC. Hmong Studies Journal, 2004-05, 5: 1-36. After working as a computer analyst in Paris, he relocated to Merced because he believed it was his “moral responsibility” to help his people in. Lia is the first Lee child born in an. The 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. Chapter. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. By far the most common cause of illness is soul loss. By suggesting that Hmong culture. A Summary of National Trends, Department of Health, Durham University, Department for Education. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. Anne Fadiman, 1997. Then he hears that Vang Pao (remember, the rebel group guy) is planning to buy land in Merced. read analysis of Fish Soup. During this time, one of their eight children became ill and died. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. 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. Like. Birth. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness qaug dab peg. A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. A Review By Will Connolly. 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. 9). Upset because he "perceived the doctors' comments [. Lia Lee suffered from seizures and eventually becomes vegetative for the rest of her life. Analysis. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 1. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. 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. E. • Chapter 3 - The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Yikes. 2 pages at 400 words per page) It is no surprise that Fadiman obsessed over the idea that the gulf between Hmong culture and Western medicine might be “unbridgeable,” since the very aim of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is to examine the missed avenues of communication in a disastrous instance of cross-cultural misunderstanding. From the period of spring and summer 1986, around the time of her fourth birthday, Peggy Philp noted in Lia’s chart – nothing interesting – but for the Lees it was one of the richest periods in Lia’s life. Book Details. Her parents were newly arrived Hmong immigrants from Laos. Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. The best study guide to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. 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. 3). Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. When the Lees refuse to give in to their doctors' demands they demonstrate the historical. Basically, the main difference between Hmong and Western views of medicine is simple—Hmong treat the soul, Americans treat the body. In one story, he offers his home to two sisters, one good and one snotty. Dialect obstructions and conviction framework contrasts kept Lia from accepting ideal care, despite the fact that both her family and the specialists did their closest to perfect to help. Exactly what every hospital needs. Explain the meaning of the book's title. Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 154 (12), 1277. "TheBestNotes on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down ". The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. Chapters 1-4: The book begins with background on Lia Lee and the Lee Family. Analysis. From the creators of SparkNotes. This is evident in the recountment of a Hmong American that returns to visit Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Foua Lee Character Analysis. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. Language, religious beliefs, and ideas about parental authority all prevent the Lees and their doctors from understanding one another. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. 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. Then he presents spirit-money to thank the pig for its sacrifice. Summary See All. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10. Fadiman notes that many Hmong believe spinal taps are “potentially crippling both in this life and in future lives. The first chapters introduce the Hmong: both the family who suffers the book's tragedy, and the people as a whole. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. 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. Book Details. explores and documents how cultural barriers between the Hmong parents of Lia Lee and. 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. Chapter 15: Gold and Dross. Her parents call an ambulance, fearing the doctors won't give her immediate attention otherwise. The teacher's suggestion appears in the narrative as a contrast to the tragic events in May's life. When she learns that Anne's boyfriend is in town, she decides to "dress [Anne] as a Hmong bride" to entice her bae into popping the question (8. The Big One. S. Fadiman relates a story told to her by a French professor who taught an intermediate class at Merced College. Fadiman reminds readers that The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down was written in the 1990s and concerned itself with events that took place in the ’80s. Anne Fadiman’s book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, tells the story of an epileptic Hmong child and her collision of two cultures. Summary. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. He wondered which would have been more discriminatory - to deprive Lia of optimal care that any other child would have received or fail to tailor her treatment in such a way that the. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. In 2700 B. One day, while at a school for children with special needs, Lia falls off a swing and has a major seizure. The family would have called in a txiv neeb, a Hmong shaman or traditional healer, if any difficulties arose. 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. Seventeen years later Foua and Nao Kao have continued to resist. 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. 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. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. S. At this point, Fadiman finally goes beyond merely suggesting that doctors ask their Hmong patients what they believe is happening to them. Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. Summary. The epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. They preferred it to the pediatric wheelchair. 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. 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. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. 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. Read the Review. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down offers an insight into the clash of modern western medicine with the traditional methods and people of another culture, in this case the Hmong. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction . 9). Anne Fadiman’s ethnography . You'd think Saran Wrap would be less tough to navigate than, say, a brick wall. Dan Murphy. According to Chapter 6, medical school rarely equips doctors to deal with populations who believe physical illnesses have spiritual causes. Analysis. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was her first novel, published in 1997. 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. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. Foua. The spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. Nao Kao, Blia. Analysis. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman is an analysis of Western medicine and traditional Hmong medicine in the treatment of a young child with severe epilepsy in Merced, California. Comprehensive Study Guide with Chapter Analysis, Themes, Characters & More. Lia ’s mother and Nao Kao ’s wife. However, he now wonders if it might have been better to keep Lia's prescriptions more consistent so that her parents could more easily comply and so that they would. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. However, the Lees become discouraged when they notice Lia's verbal skills have regressed. 1. The epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. A feast of traditional beef dishes followed the ceremony. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Unfortunately for Lia, her parents are in the same boat. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. • Chapter 7 - Government Property. Fadiman notes that family obligations sometimes put enormous demands on people, such as Jonas Vangay, a community leader who lived with his wife, his three children, his two brothers and their wives, and his brothers' ten children. Chapter Summaries Chart. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. Lia, on the other hand, is born in sunny Merced, California on July 19, 1982 (yes, we've flash. May Ying Xiong Character Analysis. Neil Ernst. The Lee family knew that the noise had awakened a dab, an evil spirit who stole Lia's soul. The book chronicles the experiences of the Lee. Born in New York, Fadiman grew up in southern California, the setting of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, and in Connecticut. When the Lees left Laos, Foua explains, at least they hoped for a better future. (2003). Downloadable / Printable Version. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Nonetheless, he asked her to marry him. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. Her full name is used only five times in the narrative. A social worker who works closely with Lia and the Lee family. Chapter 12 shows violence, starvation, and death became normalized for Hmong refugees in a way few Americans can understand. They knew the y wouldn’t approve of swidden agriculture and because the Hmong had sided with the French, they fear reprisals. Hmong medicine consists of herbs and shamanism, a practice that interacts with the spiritual world. Her record nearly always noted the communication difficulties brought about by language differences. In hindsight, Lionel Rosenblatt, the former United States Refugee. Lia can sense when her seizures are coming. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Analysis. Having immigrated with Foua and the rest of their family to America from Laos, Nao Kao is a devoted father who advocates strongly for Lia, often allowing his strong temper and stubborn disposition to dominate the interactions he has with doctors and social. As a metaphor for this, she tells a story about a young Hmong man who, in a presentation. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth.