The story starts with the Lee’s forced immigration to America and talks about Lia being born with epilepsy. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that highlights the struggles between two cultures in healthcare. 5). 31). Read More. explores and documents how cultural barriers between the Hmong parents of Lia Lee and. ― Sherwin B. 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. 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. In 2700 B. 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. When the Lees left Laos, Foua explains, at least they hoped for a better future. In the presentation, he spent forty-five minutes painstakingly detailing the entire process, from choosing the right kind of hook to go fishing to preparing. This chapter is so intriguing, because it presents not only the frustrations of the Hmong with American medicine, but also the terrible stress it created within the medical staff. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Dressing Fadiman up in traditional Hmong clothing, Foua presented her to her boyfriend, who thought she looked ridiculous. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down written by Ann Fadiman is about a Hmong child, Lia Lee, that has epilepsy. Personal and communal crises mirror one another in the plot. At age three months Lia had had her first epileptic seizure—as the Lees put it, ``the spirit catches you and you fall down. She had epilepsy and struggled with American medicine because she did not speak English. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. 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. Just after she finished eating, her face took on the strange, frightened expression that always preceded a seizure. The Lees placed her on the mat on the floor where they always placed her at these times. Each student will be creating an individual blog dedicated to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 1 March 2018. eight hours in a Hmong home while an American doctor demanded the patient come to the hospital where the. Summary. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. translating literally to “the spirit catches you and you fall down. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. 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. 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. Foua and Nao Kao grow to distrust American medicine almost completely. The Lees thought Lia had been taken from them to punish them for noncompliance. The book was written by Anne Fadiman, a journalist with some serious pedigree. From the creators of SparkNotes. 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. " LitCharts. “Lia was almost seven. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. 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. 2. “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. And it gets worse. At age three months Lia had had her first epileptic seizure—as the Lees put it, ``the spirit catches you and you fall down. Home The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Q & A 1. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday. Due to the diligent research and interviewing by the author, the reader is privy to all. Analysis. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. They're disoriented and confused by new appliances like refrigerators, toilets, and electrical devices. The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. In one story, he offers his home to two sisters, one good and one snotty. 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. The narrator—Anne—reflects on her time with the Lees, a Hmong American family living in Merced, California. Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next. C. June 6th, this time for six months. A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. Once gone, her soul was captured by a dab, or evil spirit. One of Lia ’s primary doctors (along with his wife, Peggy Philp) at Merced Community Medical Center. She slept in her parents’ bed a slight, silent husk. Lia has another, even worse seizure three days before Thanksgiving, 1986. A pediatrician who specializes in hematology and child development, she is—like her husband—a motivated person who is most interested in discovering the truth. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Lia can sense when her seizures are coming. 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. Bill Selvidge Character Analysis. Analysis. Martin Kilgore Character Analysis. 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. We're at the Lee's apartment and a txiv neeb has just arrived "to perform a healing ceremony for Lia" (19. When a rabies scare cropped up, to get the Hmong to bring in their dogs for vaccines, he organized a Rabies Parade in which there were three characters - a tiger, a chicken, and a dab - which told the people by loudspeaker to bring in their dogs. " 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. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as ‘quag dab peg,’ which means ‘The spirit catches you and you fall down’ (Fadiman, 2012, p. Chapter 11 - The Big One. The author begins this chapter with the assertion, “I do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp. Because Foua and Nao Kao continued their pattern of noncompliance by neglecting to properly administer the drugs again, she was once more taken away on June 6th, this time for six months. Like many shamanic cultures, the Hmong believe that the condition serves as the gateway between our world and the. 5). 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. Nao Kao and Foua are devastated. 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. A public health nurse who makes house calls to provide Lia with medical checkups after her final neurological crisis. After spending eleven days at Valley Children's Hospital, Lia returned to MCMC on. She notes the “uphill battle” the Lees faced in converting their apartment—with its humming refrigerator and fluttering TV screen—into a tranquil, spiritual atmosphere. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. Basically, the main difference between Hmong and Western views of medicine is simple—Hmong treat the soul, Americans treat the body. 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. The first chapters introduce the Hmong: both the family who suffers the book's tragedy, and the people as a whole. 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. Next. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. sacrificed a pig and chickens, sometimes they want to do it in the hospital. 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. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. Book Details. ISBN-13: 9780374533403. For her part, Foua believes that Lia "missed [the. 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. • Preface. 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. 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. Dee Korda Character Analysis. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. The book contains many Hmong phrases and many medical phrases, both unfamiliar to most readers. Analysis Of Midterm: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 1960 Words | 8 Pages. Chapter. 7-8 Ch. 5). Analysis. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. Analysis. 10). 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. He knew that Lia needed the medical support of the EMTs during transport. One day, while at a school for children with special needs, Lia falls off a swing and has a major seizure. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. Writing both a literary profile and an in. Their character proceeded from that. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. 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. Chapter 17 - The Eight Questions (Cont. 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” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. Although The Spirit Catches You is all about Lia, there's not much actually about Lia within its. The spirit catches you and you fall down : a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures Bookreader Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. The Big One. This chapter focuses on Lia’s birth and all the Hmong customs that went along with the birth of any child. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. Fadiman brings up a program of eight questions designed by. By ANNE FADIMAN. Her parents call an ambulance, fearing the doctors won't give her immediate attention otherwise. This section contains 495 words. Hmong’s believe dab’s steal souls and cause sick illnesses. 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. We watch Lia, the little Hmong girl diagnosed with epilepsy, slowly fade from. Even though she had a dirt floor, she would have been very careful to never allow her to. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. Read the Review. 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. Foua Yang is a Hmong American woman living in Merced, California, with her husband Nao Kao Lee and their family. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. Summary When three-month-old Lia Lee arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. They haven't been back since. A social worker who works closely with Lia and the Lee family. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. Every other chapter shares some aspect of Hmong history or culture: food, clothing, language, family structure, birthing rituals, and so on. At the time of the war in Southeast Asia, they lived in Laos about 400 meters above sea-level. Summary. She gave birth there to her thirteenth child, Mai. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. I think people would really enjoy this book. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. A shaman might spend. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Chapter 7 - Government Property. Lia Lee was born in central California’s Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC) in July 1982. 47352453. The next day, the Hmong brought their dogs in so fast that the health workers had their hands full. 11-12 Ch. 15-16 Ch. Talking to Fadiman later, she and her husband tried to describe what it was like to see Lia in such a terrible state. Lia Lee began suffering seizures at a young age and was diagnosed with epilepsy by American doctors. Personal and communal crises mirror one another in the plot. He believed her fate was sealed, because everyone at MCMC focused entire on the seizures. Lia neither died nor recovered. The phrase indicates the way the Lees, a deeply spiritual Hmong American family, think of. By 400 C. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Anyway, this sparks a rebellion that goes on for centuries, until the Hmong finally retreat into the mountains. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is a 1997 book by Anne Fadiman that chronicles the struggles of a Hmong refugee family from Houaysouy, Sainyabuli Province, Laos, [1] the Lees, and their interactions with the health care system in Merced, California. The Hmong New Year fell during Lia’s stay at MCMC, but Foua said that it was the only time. The epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. Anyway, to everyone's surprise, it's one of the most effective campaigns the camp has. In 1993 social worker Jeanine Hilt dies unexpectedly. 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. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. Anne, Chapter 1. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them. She explains that Foua and Nao Kao, like many older Hmongs, didn’t speak any English after 17 years of living in the United States. Dan Murphy. 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 Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different Groups. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is a critically acclaimed book describing the importance of understanding cultural influence on health care and health outcomes. It deals with their child Lia, her American doctors, and the collisions of those two cultures. 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. The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. In which I celebrate Nonfiction November by discussing my favorite nonfiction book of all time, Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down--the. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Chapters 1-4: The book begins with background on Lia Lee and the Lee Family. Summary. For example, the Hmong maintain that each person contains a finite amount of blood, so any blood extraction is viewed as dangerous. Though they eventually figure that stuff out, they never make too big. ) The Hmong had their own reasons for defending the Royal Lao government, and thus, collaborating with the United States. The non-fiction book offers a skillfully written depiction of the plight of the Lee family, one of many Hmong refugees absorbed into the United States followingIn Hmong culture, however, epilepsy is known as qaug dab peg, which is translated as "the spirit catches you and you fall down" (that's right, the title). After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. S medical system battles with their traditional Hmong healing methods. 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. When the Lees refuse to give in to their doctors' demands they demonstrate the historical. "TheBestNotes on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down ". Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. ) Citation. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. 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. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. . 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. This blog will be a long-term project lasting the duration of the novel, with students needing to make entries about each reading section. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. These stragglers form several rebel groups, one of which is led by Vang Pao. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. Plot summary. In retrospect, Fadiman writes, he questioned this decision, but at the time he was steadfast in his belief that he was doing the right thing. Jonas Vangay Character Analysis. 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. What's crazier is that he does, and a mere week later. Lia Lee. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. When Lia first returned home from her time in foster care, everyone was elated. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus. This is evident in the recountment of a Hmong American that returns to visit Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand. The TV was off, a candle had. Vangay explains that for a Hmong, unlike an American, "it is never everyone for himself" (247). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. They are animists who believe spiritual forces affect the natural world. Lia has her first seizure when she is three months old. During this time, one of their eight children became ill and died. Language, religious beliefs, and ideas about parental authority all prevent the Lees and their doctors from understanding one another. 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. For their part, the Lees respond by doing something even more powerful—making Jeanine a part of the family. Clapsaddle, Diane. The Spirit Catches You closes with a neeb ceremony—a Hmong religious ritual meant to bring Lia's soul back to her body after a big seizure leaves her officially brain-dead. 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 Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes and Analysis Dan had no way of knowing that. Comprehensive Study Guide with Chapter Analysis, Themes, Characters & More. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Shee Yee escaped nine evil dab brothers by shapeshifting into various forms and eventually biting a in the testicles. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. The Lee Children. The book suggests no doctor can be completely impartial. Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. Lia Lee. That doesn't mean they love her any less, however—she's still their "anointed one" (15. Nao Kao and Foua were right! To make sense of all this, Anne turns to a series of eight questions coined by Harvard psychiatrist Arthur Kleinman. Integration and Assimilation Theme Analysis. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. "The spirit catches you and you fall down" is the literal translation of the Hmong name for epilepsy, qaug dab peg. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. 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. 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 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. 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. ”. Peggy Philp and Neil ErnstThe 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. In contrast to the Western view, the condition is actually considered a blessing—many shamans, known as txiv neeb, use their seizures to take "journeys into the realm of the unseen" (3. Things go from bad to worse. Analysis. One case involving the Lees' young. She lay suspended in time, growing only a few inches, gaining little weight, always looking far younger than her age, while her six siblings grew up around her. The book also details Hmong culture, history, and their life as refugees. The Lee family's journey was indeed terrible, but they and their fellow travelers hoped for a better life in the future. Thing weren't quite so rosy when he "used to live in Richmond, Virginia" (16. 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. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 5 Running Head: The Spirit Catches You and you Fall Down contributied to the developed of postcolonial theory. is our MonkeyNotes downloadable and printable book summary / study guide / booknotes / synopsis / analysis for "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman in PDF format. Chapter 11: The Big One. When Peggy first saw Lia after the girl’s return from Fresno, she was heartbroken: Lia was hardly alive. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Analysis. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. Preface. 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. According to Chapter 6, medical school rarely equips doctors to deal with populations who believe physical illnesses have spiritual causes. When Lia was three months old her older sister Yer slammed the front door. “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. S. Anne Fadiman wrote a nonfiction book entitled The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which is the story of a young Hmong girl named Lia Lee who had epilepsy. By ANNE FADIMAN. 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. Read the Review. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. Plot Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Viz Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Spirit Catches You makes teaching easy. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. As a philosopher, Renan contributes to the social work profession and this perspective by helping make sense of the world regarding race and ethnicity and how dominance negatively impacts disadvantaged populations This theory focuses on the. Then he hears that Vang Pao (remember, the rebel group guy) is planning to buy land in Merced. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. 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. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. 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. Back then the dude worked eighteen hours a day and still couldn't make ends meet. “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. the landlord told Hmong women to move out and called police after the landlord found out her family was about to. 17-18 Ch. The. Anyway, this sparks a rebellion that goes on for centuries, until the Hmong finally retreat into the mountains. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. Foua. Her recently-deceased father was a well-respected txiv neeb —or shamanistic healer—who used to seize so. To make matters worse, Fadiman writes, the Hmong believe that many Western medical practices run the risk of harming patients. On November 25, 1986, the day before Thanksgiving, Lia was eating as normal when she began to seize. 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. 24). Neil Ernst constantly questioned himself over whether his uncompromising standard of care had actually compromised Lia’s health. The Spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman presents a case study of a young Hmong girl, Lia, and her journey with Epilepsy in America. The Hmong community in Merced grows even more distrustful of. Despite living alone on the margins of society, however, the Orphan is actually clever, courageous, resilient, and a. 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. They preferred it to the pediatric wheelchair. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. Though Lia 's mother Foua Yang gives birth to Lia in the United States, she delivered 12 children in her native Laos. A feast of traditional beef dishes followed the ceremony. What had occurred was known as qaug dab peg in Hmong (translated as "the spirit catches you and you. Lia began having epileptic seizures when she was about three months old. You can use it for research and reference purposes to write your. Her older sister, Yer, slammed the front door of the Lees’ apartment. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. 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. While considered by some to be an illness, seizures are actually seen as a good thing to the Hmong culture. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. It was awarded many honors including: A Salon Book Award Winner Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest Boston Book Review 1997 Ann Rea Jewell Non-Fiction Prize A New York Times. . Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis. Unfortunately, she couldn’t save their only son or her husband. S. 9. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down examines the ways in which people cling to various strongly-held tenets set forth by their cultures. Young Lia’s health is at risk when the. Downloadable / Printable Version. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. On December 18, 1980, Foua and Nao Kao Lee arrive in the United States with their six surviving children. The. Nao Kao Lee Character Analysis. 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. taboo: against blood tests, spinal taps, surgery, anesthesia, and autopsies— the basic tools of modern medicine— seemed like self-defeating ignorance. Anyway, to everyone's surprise, it's one of the most effective campaigns the camp has. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1997. 24 Nov 2023. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. . Downloadable / Printable Version. The doctors believe epilepsy is a pathological process in the brain, while the family believe “the spirit catches you and you fall down”. The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. Lia, on the other hand, is born in sunny Merced, California on July 19, 1982 (yes, we've flash. Analysis. 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. “ […. Foua carried her in a large, embroidered nyias, or baby carrier, preferring it to the wheelchair provided by the Merced County Health Department. When she was forcibly taken into a foster home, word spread throughout the Hmong community, reinforcing the idea that American doctors are not to be trusted. Chapter 7: Government Property. 31). Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. She's rushed to the hospital, where the doctors learn that the Lees are finally giving Lia the right amount of medication. She was the only one in her family to be born outside of Laos. Write a 350-word summary of the chapter that includes the following: Identify the historical events or cultural practices in your selected chapter. 2) Title alert! Again, it's important to remember that epilepsy isn't necessarily a bad thing in Hmong culture. • Chapter 1 - Birth. Incredibly driven and willing to seek out the truth even if it unearths his own mistakes, Neil eventually comes to. Chapter 1 - Birth. The Spirit Catches You Exam. 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. Fadiman A. It never occurred to Foua and Nao Kao that their children would be in danger once they arrived in America. By far the most common cause of illness is soul loss. The Hmong religion permeates the Lees' life. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures.