ISBN-13: 9780374533403. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. Bill Selvidge Character Analysis. For those who did leave, the toughest part of. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. Dee is a gentle, kind person who devotes herself to caring for children. 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. 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. Though Lia's mother Foua Yang gives birth to Lia in the United States, she delivered 12 children in her native Laos. They also established themselves as masterful opium farmers, though very few of them became addicts. 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. The doctors believe epilepsy is a pathological process in the brain, while the family believe “the spirit catches you and you fall down”. ) The Hmong had their own reasons for defending the Royal Lao government, and thus, collaborating with the United States. In 1985 Mao Thao, a Hmong American woman, visits Ban Vinai—a refugee camp in Thailand. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Fish Soup. Between the ages of eight months and four and a half years, Lia was admitted to MCMC seventeen times and made more than one hundred out patient visits to the ER and the Family Practice Center. Need help on characters in Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down? Check out our detailed character descriptions. Analysis. Their journey in The Spirit Catches You reveals a great deal about the challenges they face—and they benefits they enjoy—as the younger generation of Hmong-American immigrants. 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 the literal translation of the Hmong terminology for an epileptic seizure. Analysis. Her parents, Nao Kao and Foua, were Hmong refugees from Laos who. 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 narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. Summary. This article addresses the relationship between theory, narrative form, and teaching through a close critical. The Lee family were. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. Summary. health care and the Hmong in California. 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. 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. The spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. Analysis. - both Foua and dad threaten to commit suicide in the period when Lia was in fostercare. Neil and Peggy are great doctors, but Nao Kao and Foua are not big fans of their seemingly cold and uncaring demeanor. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. 10). Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. The office in his home—where Fadiman stays while conducting her research—is full of ethnographies of. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. Incredibly driven and willing to seek out the truth even if it unearths his own mistakes, Neil eventually comes to. 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. When Lia Lee's sister slammed the front door to their Merced, California, apartment, Lia experienced her first in several years of increasingly severe seizures. Next. We might not know much about the Lee children as individuals, but much like the von Trapps or the. 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. Lia neither died nor recovered. 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 parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. 00 Carol A Redding, MA, is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and an InformationSummary. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. 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 for their most prized possession, their daughter. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Shee Yee escaped nine evil dab brothers by shapeshifting into various forms and eventually biting a in the testicles. The TV was off, a candle had. Fadiman begins by calling attention to a carton of cassette tapes she keeps beneath her desk. Comprehensive Study Guide with Chapter Analysis, Themes, Characters & More. ”. Why do you think the author included them? 3. 9. 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. 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. Share to Reddit. Lia Lee. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman Summary. Her family celebrated by sacrificing a cow and inviting many relatives to rejoice with them. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Animal sacrifice, a reverent occasion for the Hmong, is more difficult in America but still part of Hmong American life. 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. LitCharts LLC, 18 Sep 2017. 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. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . 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 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. When Lia joins the Korda family, they already have five biological children and six foster children, many of whom have cognitive disabilities or mental health issues. Despite the careful installation of her soul during the hu plig ceremony, the noise of the door had frightened out of Lia’s body, and it became lost. 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. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The important aspect of this chapter is the two-sided nature of epilepsy among the Hmong. 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. Although Dee follows "the anticonvulsant prescriptions to the letter," Lia continues to have seizures—more frequently than she did at home, in fact. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. Lia began having epileptic seizures when she was about three months old. 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. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. Bill is a veteran of the Peace Corps with a passion for learning about other cultures, and he was once the chief resident at MCMC. In-depth explanations of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down's themes. 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 a work of literary nonfiction that chronicles the life and medical troubles of Lia Lee, a young girl from Merced, California. 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. . A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. by Monica Chiu, Ph. Chapter 11: The Big One. For their part, the Lees respond by doing something even more powerful—making Jeanine a part of the family. " (3. , a Chinese emperor named Hoang-ti decrees that any Hmong convicted of a crime will be castrated. The narrator—Anne—reflects on her time with the Lees, a Hmong American family living in Merced, California. Fadiman sensed something else amiss in the girl, too, admitting that perhaps her soul really was missing. 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. 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. Neil apologizes to Nao Kao and Foua with tears in his eyes—Foua thanks and hugs him, while Nao Kao remains cold. Analysis. Lia Lee. Yikes. Nao Kao and Foua had always carried Lia to the hospital before, but Nao Kao. “Lia was almost seven. Find out what happens in our Chapter 1 summary for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. It might be the first time a book focusing on transcultural health care made it onto the New York Times best-seller list. 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 study guide contains a biography of Anne Fadiman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 5). 2001 Jun;76(6):620-1. 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. 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. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. S. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures Acad Med. Chapters 5-8: In the second section of the book, the reader meets Neil and Peggy, married pediatricians who are incredibly hard working and see the light at the end of the tunnel with Lia’s case. The Lees thought Lia had been taken from them to punish them for noncompliance. 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. 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: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern. This free study guide is stuffed with the juicy details and. 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. She slept in her parents’ bed a slight, silent husk. The even-numbered explanatory chapters often begin or end with a Hmong folktale illustrating an important aspect of the culture. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. Over two years after Lia's big seizure, she was still alive. 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 was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down . At the hospital Lia's seizure becomes more violent, defeating all the EMTs' attempts to sedate her. Regardless, both parents still blame the hospital for Lia's condition. 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. Analysis. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Quag Dab Peg in Hmong culture is caused by a bad spirit (dab’s). Chapter 13 Summary and Analysis. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The two cultures 1. Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. 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. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. These folktales often serve to illustrate some aspect of the character of the Hmong people. ) When the author took Selvidge’s information to Neil Ernst, he said that if he’d thought that Lia was septic, he would have done a lumbar puncture. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. They now treat illnesses in their family at home. Lia, on the other hand, is born in sunny Merced, California on July 19, 1982 (yes, we've flash. 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. Although The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down may sound like the debut album from an obscure EDM artist, this little non-fiction book has changed the world in more ways than one. 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. The book is crafty in its juggling act between the Lee Family perspective and the MCMC perspective. Misunderstandings and disagreements manifested in day-to-day interactions reveal. The Lee family was convinced that the door's slamming had been so frightening as to make Lia's soul fly away. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Anne updates readers on the book's key figures. The first paragraph focuses on why Lia’s birth is so different than her siblings. May Ying is a twenty year old clerk-typist at the Merced County Office of Refugee Services when Fadiman first meets her. Cultural and geographical borders within any society are believed to create boundaries that limit similarities between those on opposite sides. Although The Spirit Catches You is all about Lia, there's not much actually about Lia within its. The Afterword was written in 2012, 15 years after the book was first published in 1997. Despite living alone on the margins of society, however, the Orphan is actually clever, courageous, resilient, and a. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as ‘quag dab peg,’ which means ‘The spirit catches you and you fall down’ (Fadiman, 2012, p. Their advice was daunting and they felt her journey lacked promise. New York: Macmillan. From the creators of SparkNotes. The colored dots and icons indicate which. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. “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. Some of these perceptions are. “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. medical school curricula. 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. ”. Analysis. Lia neither died nor recovered. Chapter 1 - Birth. In an intermediate French class at Merced College, the students were asked to give a five-minute oral report in French. S. So at least there's that. Chapter 17 - The Eight Questions (Cont. Summary. 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. As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. James Naas . They also still celebrated only Hmong holidays, only practiced Hmong religion, and only ate Hmong food. Blame and Power Theme Analysis. By the time Fadiman meets her. For the Hmong people,. 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 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down quotes below are all either spoken by Sukey Waller or refer to Sukey Waller. the Hmong have established their own. At the age of three months, Lia had her first seizure caused by the sound of a door. Sofia Mejia Chapter 11 Analysis In this chapter of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. Nonetheless, he asked her to marry him. This blog will be a long-term project lasting the duration of the novel, with students needing to make entries about each reading section. Ultimately, everything comes to a head when Lia's doctor, Neil Ernst, gets fed up with this lack of communication and sends Lia into a foster home. 0 5 Stars 1,365 4 Stars 425 3 Stars 149. Chapter 12 Summary: “Flight”. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. E. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. The Lee family knew that the noise had awakened a dab, an evil spirit who stole Lia's soul. ) Citation. Nao Kao can tell that this one is serious, so he calls an ambulance for the first time. Her recently-deceased father was a well-respected txiv neeb —or shamanistic healer—who used to seize so. • Chapter 7 - Government Property. 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. • Chapter 7 - Government Property. Summary. Lannamann, Taylor. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between. Nothing like medical problems and totally opposite cultures to show you how messed up things. " In Hmong folklore a dab is an evil spirit that steals souls. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Chapter 10 - War (Cont. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. 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. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. When the Lees left Laos, Foua explains, at least they hoped for a better future. On the other hand, Epilepsy is referred to as a neurological. Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. This chapter jumps forward in time three years since the end of Chapter 13. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. MonkeyNotes Study Guides Download Store-Downloadable Study Guides/Book Summary,Book Notes,Notes,Chapter Summary/Synopsis. sacrificed a pig and chickens, sometimes they want to do it in the hospital. Fadiman brings up a program of eight questions designed by. 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. 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). After spending eleven days at Valley Children's Hospital, Lia returned to MCMC on. 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. These stragglers form several rebel groups, one of which is led by Vang Pao. Many of Li’s healthcare provi. On November 25, 1986, Lia has a severe seizure at home. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. The book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down by Anne Fadiman is one of the highlights of the Hmong culture and the challenges socializing a family from Laos faces in American society. Lia has another, even worse seizure three days before Thanksgiving, 1986. Acclaimed by reviewers, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” won a National Book Critics Circle Award. Even though she had a dirt floor, she would have been very careful to never allow her to. At the time of the war in Southeast Asia, they lived in Laos about 400 meters above sea-level. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Print Word PDF. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. Chapter 9 - A Little Medicine and a Little Neeb. ] 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 Bookreader Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. Summary. Yikes. 368 pp. 1997 Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award - Nonfiction. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. She went to. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. They're disoriented and confused by new appliances like refrigerators, toilets, and electrical devices. The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Theme Wheel is a beautiful super helpful visualization of where the themes occur throughout the text. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. That is why it is so important to establish an appropriate contact to avoid a situation similar to Lia’s problem. 11-12 Ch. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. A public health nurse who makes house calls to provide Lia with medical checkups after her final neurological crisis. Even things we take for granted like electricity and refrigeration are new to them. 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). In The Spirit Catches You, we witness a bona fide communication breakdown after Nao Kao and Foua Lee—two Hmong refugees who can't speak English—bring their daughter Lia to a hospital to treat her epilepsy. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. 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. At the last minute, the wife changed her mind and cut the family down. 47352453. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. 11-12 Ch. She was seen by the staff on countless other occasions that did not require admission. Citation Generator. The even-numbered explanatory chapters often begin or end with a Hmong folktale illustrating an important aspect of the culture. Peggy Philp Character Analysis. Fadiman gives a survey of sacrificial events in Hmong culture,. A feast of traditional beef dishes followed the ceremony. Dee Korda Character Analysis. Yer, Lia’s older sister, slammed a door which triggered Lia’s first seizure. " The word dab refers to a soul-stealing spirit. 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. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. 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. Fadiman relates a story told to her by a French professor who taught an intermediate class at Merced College. 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. They retaliated against the. 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. A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. com. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. 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: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. When two cultures collide in defending their beliefs on western medicines versus spiritual practices, the life of a young Hmong girl hangs in the balance in Anne Fadiman’s 1997 book, The Spirit. Chapters 1-4: The book begins with background on Lia Lee and the Lee Family. 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. The narrator—Anne—reflects on her time with the Lees, a Hmong American family living in Merced, California. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. According to Chapter 6, medical school rarely equips doctors to deal with populations who believe physical illnesses have spiritual causes. 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. 1097/00001888-200106000-00012. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 17-18 Ch. 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. 20). Analysis. The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. Fish Soup Symbol Analysis. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 1). We learn that the Hmong have very different birthing traditions; that they believe in evil spirits called ‘dabs’; and these spirits can steal that they believe a baby’s soul. Once gone, her soul was captured by a dab, or evil spirit. Fadiman rounds out the Lees ’ family story by detailing their escape from Laos. Chapter Summaries with Notes / Analysis. The book suggests no doctor can be completely impartial. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis. 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. Bill didn’t assign blame to Neil for not catching the sepsis. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. 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. Neil admitted that, after all of his efforts and the building of tension before her cataclysmic seizure, he. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 1. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. Lia ’s foster mom and Tom Korda ’s wife. 9). Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. They're only accessible on tablets, laptops, or desktop computers, so check them out on a compatible device. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. The teacher's suggestion appears in the narrative as a contrast to the tragic events in May's life. Yet again,. OCLC. Nao Kao is preparing "spirit money"—pieces of paper. S medical system battles with their traditional Hmong healing methods. Neil Ernst. 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. Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. While considered by some to be an illness, seizures are actually seen as a good thing. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. Hmong medicine consists of herbs and shamanism, a practice that interacts with the spiritual world. And it gets worse. 9-10 Ch. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Analysis Of Midterm: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 1960 Words | 8 Pages. 1-2 Ch. At age three months Lia had had her first epileptic seizure—as the Lees put it, ``the spirit catches you and you fall down. 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. 5-6 Ch. Dan Murphy Character Analysis. However, the Lees become discouraged when they notice Lia's verbal skills have regressed.