A shaman might spend. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. The Lee family was convinced that the door's slamming had been so frightening as to make Lia's soul fly away. “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. 15-16 Ch. By the time Fadiman meets her. According to Hmong folklore, Shee Yee, the sorcerer who had turned into a tiny red ant and bit the evil dab on the testicle, had spent many years fighting dabs and restoring health to the sick. This Study Guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. She was interested in investigating the circumstances surrounding Lia's health care but was warned by fellow colleagues. Lia’s doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg–the spirit catches you and you fall down–and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Chapter 9 continues Lia's story, sharing events from both Lia's parents' and doctors' points of view. A free summary of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Anne updates readers on the book's key figures. The journalist Anne Fadiman takes you through the maddeningly frustrating journey of a loving Hmong family and their dedicated western doctors. ”. 9). 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. The Lee's, a family that endured hardships, frustration, anger, confusion, and hope while living in the United State's of America. Everything you need for every book you read. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. Chapter 18 - The Life or the Soul. Fadiman’s interpreter, or—in Sukey Waller ’s words—“cultural broker. 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. 13-14 Ch. Analysis. He is interested in Hmong culture, though his attempts to connect with the. Like. • Chapter 7 - Government Property. 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. If Lia had been born in Laos, her mother would have squatted on the floor and pulled the baby out of her womb with her own hands. On November 25, 1986, Lia has a severe seizure at home. 17-18 Ch. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. There are still "tens of thousands" of Hmong in Laos (12. Talking to Fadiman later, she and her husband tried to describe what it was like to see Lia in such a terrible state. 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. Because the Lees—like most Hmongs—came to the United States to escape war-torn Laos, their relationship to assimilation is complicated. 10). Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. 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. 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. The epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. At the age of three months, Lia had her first seizure caused by the sound of a door. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. 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. Plot summary. Some of these perceptions are. Then he presents spirit-money to thank the pig for its sacrifice. Her seizures normally lasted only a few minutes, but when she didn't get better, Nao Kao's nephew, who spoke English, called an ambulance. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures Anne Fadiman, 1997 Farrar, Straus and Giroux 368 pp. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a 1997 nonfiction book by American journalist Anne Fadiman. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. Analysis. Examine and describe how these differences create disparities between U. While their children take their father's clan name, Foua follows Hmong tradition and retains Yang—her original clan name—after marriage. This blog will be a long-term project lasting the duration of the novel, with students needing to make entries about each reading section. 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. 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. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, among other awards. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Chapter 17 - The Eight Questions (Cont. You can use it for research and reference purposes to write your. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. The aura, a sense of premonition common to all. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. 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. 1-2 Ch. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. " LitCharts. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. Dressing Fadiman up in traditional Hmong clothing, Foua presented her to her boyfriend, who thought she looked ridiculous. Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis. The best study guide to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Over two years after Lia's big seizure, she was still alive. They recognized the resulting symptoms as quag dab peg, which means "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. Misunderstandings and disagreements manifested in day-to-day interactions reveal. Fadiman is accurate and detailed in her digressions about the Hmong people and their history in China and Laos. Chapter 15 Quotes. 00 Carol A Redding, MA, is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and an InformationSummary. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. In an intermediate French class at Merced College, the students were asked to give a five-minute oral report in French. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are. Anne, Chapter 1. Lia Lee Character Analysis. By ANNE FADIMAN. The London Observer called "Ex Libris" "witty. 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. Within moments following the door's closing, Lia's first seizure commenced. 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. If a Hmong walked into a doctor’s office complaining of a stomachache, she says, he may actually be “complaining that the entire universe was out of balance. 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. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. “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. Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. ) The Hmong had their own reasons for defending the Royal Lao government, and thus, collaborating with the United States. For her part, Foua believes that Lia "missed [the. Chapter 13 Summary and Analysis. CPS workers arrived at the Lee house with Sue Xiong , a Hmong interpreter whom. What listeners say about The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Average customer ratings. 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 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. health care and the Hmong in California. The phrase indicates the way the Lees, a deeply spiritual Hmong American family, think of. Dan Murphy Character Analysis. 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. “ […. 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. By Monica Chiu, PhD University of New Hampshire Hmong. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. Summary. Share to Twitter. A fun and humorous chapter by chapter summary broken into tasty tidbits that you can digest. Basically, the main difference between Hmong and Western views of medicine is simple—Hmong treat the soul, Americans treat the body. 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. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. 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. At first she meets with Hmong families at the hospital using a nurse's aide as her interpreter. Summary 1997 Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award - NonfictionThis Hyperink Quicklet is over 5,200 words and includes an overall summary, chapter commentary, key characters, literary themes, fun trivia, and recommended related readings. Lia was admitted to MCMC seventeen times between the ages of eight months and four and a half years. Personal and communal crises mirror one another in the plot. 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. Analysis Of Midterm: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 1960 Words | 8 Pages. 31). Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. 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. While commonplace in Hmong culture, Americans are uncomfortable with the idea of ritual sacrifice, especially when it is in the public domain. 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 Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. These babies were born at home on a dirt floor. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures Acad Med. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. The Hmong religion permeates the Lees' life. Yet again,. At the end of Chapter 12, Fadiman introduces the character of Shee Yee, the hero of the greatest Hmong folktales. Anyway, to everyone's surprise, it's one of the most effective campaigns the camp has. They grew opium using a technique called. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as ‘quag dab peg,’ which means ‘The spirit catches you and you fall down’ (Fadiman, 2012, p. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. This is evident in the recountment of a Hmong American that returns to visit Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand. . (Fadiman, 2012. …. ''. Summary. Chapter 15: Gold and Dross. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. C. 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. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. translating literally to “the spirit catches you and you fall down. Summary. They also established themselves as masterful opium farmers, though very few of them became addicts. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. At this point, Fadiman focuses on the concept of immigration and assimilation. Analysis. Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. D. 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. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. 1997 Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award - Nonfiction. 9-10 Ch. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at. Dee Korda Character Analysis. That doesn't mean they love her any less, however—she's still their "anointed one" (15. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down . 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. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. 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. E. A social worker who works closely with Lia and the Lee family. Fadiman focuses on the influence the Vietnam War had on the Hmong community in the 1960s and ’70s. Analysis. Children as young as ten are forced into military service. 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. eight hours in a Hmong home while an American doctor demanded the patient come to the hospital where the. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. 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. Publisher's summary. 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. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. 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 Lees placed her on the mat on the floor where they always placed her at these times. Fadiman A. The Lees endured the trauma of migrating on foot from Laos to Thailand, but Lia 's mother Foua says Lia's illness is more painful. Their advice was daunting and they felt her journey lacked promise. Read More. Menu About The Book; About The Author; Book Summary. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. The teacher's suggestion appears in the narrative as a contrast to the tragic events in May's life. 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. . Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. 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. 5-6 Ch. 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. Analysis. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. 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. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. On June 26, 1986, Lia—now considered a Dependent Child of the Juvenile Court—is removed from her home and placed in foster care for six months. 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. In-depth explanations of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down's themes. Downloadable / Printable Version. , a Chinese emperor named Hoang-ti decrees that any Hmong convicted of a crime will be castrated. ) Citation. 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. 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. The second student was a Hmong, who proceeded to speak about a recipe for fish soup. Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. 3-4 Ch. Previous Page. 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. . When he received the call, he "drove to MCMC as fast as he could" (11. 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. “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. ABOUT THE BOOK Anne Fadiman’s seminal work of nonfiction, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, examines the myriad difficulties and complications that arise when two radically. As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings. 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. 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. The family lived in a refugee camp in California, and Lia’s parents treated her with traditional Hmong remedies. Three months after her healthy birth, Lia went into a seizure after her older sister Yer loudly slammed the apartment door. At the age of three months, Lia Lee had an epileptic seizure. Summary. They now treat illnesses in their family at home. This article addresses the relationship between theory, narrative form, and teaching through a close critical. The Hmong had always been Montagnards, mountain people. Nao Kao and Foua arrived at Children’s Valley Hospital after Lia and were troubled to learn about the spinal tap that had been inserted. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You Exam. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. Chapter 15 - Gold and Dross. The book was written by Anne Fadiman, a journalist with some serious pedigree. 1-2 Ch. 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. Although the assignment called for a five-minute speech, he spoke for forty-five minutes by starting from the very. Chapter 7: Government Property. Lia Lees’ story shows the importance of communication in the medical profession dealing with different cultures. Summary. ” In the culture of Western medicine, this is epilepsy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Section One: Chapters 1-4; Section Two: Chapters 5-8; Section Three: Chapters 9-14; Section Four: Chapters 15-19; My Review and Takeaways;. On December 5, 1986, Lia returns to. The epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. A doctor living in Merced who invites Fadiman to meet his Hmong patients. After graduating in 1975, she wrote for a variety of publications, including Harper's, Life magazine, and The New York Times. Share to Tumblr. LitCharts LLC, 18 Sep 2017. Summary. She acted as if she didn't know people, and she could only speak a little. It deals with their child Lia, her American doctors, and the collisions of those two cultures. On May 2, 1985, Child Protective Services (CPS) placed Lia in temporary foster care for two weeks, after which she returned home. Fadiman relates a story told to her by a French professor who taught an intermediate class at Merced College. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. In Anne Fadiman’s book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, two cultures clash with each other in the struggle to save Lia Lee, a Hmong child refugee with severe epilepsy. Lia neither died nor recovered. 17). Next. 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. explores and documents how cultural barriers between the Hmong parents of Lia Lee and. 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. Section Two: Chapters 5-8. Summary. Unfortunately for Lia, her parents are in the same boat. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. When Lia was three months old her older sister Yer slammed the front door. The. Hmong residents ask her if American doctors eat the organs of dead patients. Hmong’s believe dab’s steal souls and cause sick illnesses. Lia Lee was three months old when she suffered her first epileptic seizure. Lia ’s mother and Nao Kao ’s wife. In 1993 social worker Jeanine Hilt dies unexpectedly. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was her first novel, published in 1997. Now, instead of living off the land, they're forced to rely on American food drops to survive. 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. Comprehensive Study Guide with Chapter Analysis, Themes, Characters & More. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Birth. 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. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. Chapter 11 - The Big One. A tvix neeb performed the ritual chant with the cow's head sitting on the Lee's front stoop. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. This free study guide is stuffed with the juicy details and. 1. "The spirit catches you and you fall down" is the literal translation of the Hmong name for epilepsy, qaug dab peg. 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. sacrificed a pig and chickens, sometimes they want to do it in the hospital. Lannamann, Taylor. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. 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. (2003). 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. 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’. Summary. Major characters Lia Lee ( Romanized Popular Alphabet: Liab Lis, [4] July 19, 1982 – August 31, 2012. Animal sacrifice, a reverent occasion for the Hmong, is more difficult in America but still part of Hmong American life. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. 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. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. Chapter. 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. Lia neither died nor recovered. 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. Many Hmong people don't trust American doctors. When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. Analysis. 10). Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. "--Linnea Lannon, The Detroit. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. com. The best study guide to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Bill didn’t assign blame to Neil for not catching the sepsis. 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. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. Summary. The TV was off, a candle had. Peggy Philp. 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. This chapter focuses on Lia’s birth and all the Hmong customs that went along with the birth of any child. 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. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. 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. Summary. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. On the day before Thanksgiving, Lia had a mild runny nose, but little appetite. Nao Kao and Foua are devastated. Qaug means to fall over, and peg means to catch. 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. 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. Foua and Nao Kao learned to recognize the signs signaling the onset of Lia's seizures, such as twitching. The spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U.