) Citation. Reviews Book Excerpts Media About the Author Reading Guide. The next day, the Hmong brought their dogs in so fast that the health workers had their hands full. Yet again, however, the medical system has the power. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. Fish Soup. Every other chapter shares some aspect of Hmong history or culture: food, clothing, language, family structure, birthing rituals, and so on. She explains how, days after Lia came home. 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. When he received the call, he "drove to MCMC as fast as he could" (11. 17). doi: 10. Chapter 11: The Big One. 14). Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. In one story, he offers his home to two sisters, one good and one snotty. 20). Lia neither died nor recovered. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. In 2700 B. "TheBestNotes on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down ". Neil and Peggy are great doctors, but Nao Kao and Foua are not big fans of their seemingly cold and uncaring demeanor. They recognized the symptoms as qaug dab peg, "the. Fadiman’s interpreter, or—in Sukey Waller ’s words—“cultural broker. When the Lee's settled in the United States Foua gave birth to a baby girl named Lia. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. 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. Fadiman begins by calling attention to a carton of cassette tapes she keeps beneath her desk. 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. This Hyperink Quicklet includes an overall summary, chapter commentary, key characters, literary themes, fun trivia, and recommended related readings. Summary. Archives of . 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. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. It's a bad scene. A tvix neeb performed the ritual chant with the cow's head sitting on the Lee's front stoop. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Although The Spirit Catches You is all about Lia, there's not much actually about Lia within its. As a writer, Fadiman herself moves in and out of her scenes; in some moments, she describes her conversations with Lia ’s. • Chapter 7 - Government Property. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. Chapter 9 - A Little Medicine and a Little Neeb. On November 25, 1986, Lia has a severe seizure at home. Fadiman notes that many Hmong believe spinal taps are “potentially crippling both in this life and in future lives. She considers what she's learned while researching, writing, and hearing reader reactions. The London Observer called "Ex Libris" "witty. explores and documents how cultural barriers between the Hmong parents of Lia Lee and. 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. 15-16 Ch. Hmong residents ask her if American doctors eat the organs of dead patients. Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10. Bill didn’t assign blame to Neil for not catching the sepsis. Contrary to the belief that the qualities of one side do not merge with those of the other, however, it. In this miniscule event, two cultures with completely conflicting ideas came together to form a union. James Naas . 45. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. The aura, a sense of premonition common to all. " LitCharts. By Monica Chiu, PhD University of New Hampshire Hmong. When Fadiman told Foua that she’d gotten engaged, Foua was not surprised at all. A family practice resident at Merced Community Medical Center who is interested in Hmong culture. “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. ) 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. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. by Monica Chiu, Ph. 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. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. 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. Purpose In this small-scale study, we pre-supposed that The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down wouldThe Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child with epilepsy, whose tragic demise reveals the dangers of a lack of cross-cultural communication in the medical profession. Nao Kao, Blia. There was obviously a great difference between American doctors and Hmong shamans. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. 9. Unfortunately, she couldn’t save their only son or her husband. 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. For those who did leave, the toughest part of. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. Share to Reddit. Analysis Of Midterm: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 1960 Words | 8 Pages. Lia's treatment was complex—her anticonvulsant prescriptions changed 23 times in four years—and the Lees were sure the medicines were bad for their. Chapter 7: Government Property. Do you feel the author was evenhanded in her presentation of Hmong culture and medical culture? 2. E. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. LitCharts LLC, 18 Sep 2017. 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. Jeanine Hilt. The even-numbered explanatory chapters often begin or end with a Hmong folktale illustrating an important aspect of the culture. 1-2 Ch. Chapter Summaries with Notes / Analysis. They haven't been back since. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . Her American doctors had a strict and rigorous. She acted as if she didn't know people, and she could only speak a little. They call her condition qaug dab peg or "the spirit catches you and you fall down. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. She was in a "persistent vegetative state," able to breath, sleep, and cry, but showing no signs of self-aware. • Chapter 3 - The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. Nothing like medical problems and totally opposite cultures to show you how messed up things. Lia becomes a minor celebrity at MCMC. The doctors prescribed. 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 by Anne Fadiman is based on a true story that involves the collision of American and Hmong cultures. The author recalled her introduction to Hmong culture and the Lee family. 2001 Jun;76(6):620-1. On the one hand, the Lees had every right to exercise their beliefs. “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. 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. 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. Blame and Power Theme Analysis. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. According to Chapter 6, medical school rarely equips doctors to deal with populations who believe physical illnesses have spiritual causes. Chapter 12 Summary: “Flight”. 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. In the Hmong language the term for epilepsy is qaug dab peg. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday. 15-16 Ch. “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. 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. 17). Dan Murphy. Lia Lees’ story shows the importance of communication in the medical profession dealing with different cultures. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness qaug dab peg. 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. Summary and Analysis of Chapter 13 of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Fadiman is skeptical at first: the txiv neeb (shaman) is kinda goofy, and the whole solemnity of the thing is. …. One day, while at a school for children with special needs, Lia falls off a swing and has a major seizure. MonkeyNotes Study Guides Download Store-Downloadable Study Guides/Book Summary,Book Notes,Notes,Chapter Summary/Synopsis. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. 1. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. They grew opium using a technique called. Since the seizure happens right after her older sister Yer slams the door, the Lees think the loud noise startled Lia's soul and made it flee her body. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. Chapter Summaries Chart. 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. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. 9). Lia neither died nor recovered. ” Analysis. Home The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Q & A 1. Neil is a good dude and a good doctor, but even he fails to look past his own cultural preconceptions and see the Lees as people. After working as a computer analyst in Paris, he relocated to Merced because he believed it was his “moral responsibility” to help his people in. Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis. (2003). S medical system battles with their traditional Hmong healing methods. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Summary. Anne Fadiman, 1997. Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next. ”. 17-18 Ch. 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. 1. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. Analysis. 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. Despite living alone on the margins of society, however, the Orphan is actually clever, courageous, resilient, and a. Print Word PDF. 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. Although Dee follows "the anticonvulsant prescriptions to the letter," Lia continues to have seizures—more frequently than she did at home, in fact. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman Summary. The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. They are animists who believe spiritual forces affect the natural world. Yikes. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. Lia, on the other hand, is born in sunny Merced, California on July 19, 1982 (yes, we've flash. “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 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 essays are academic essays for citation. Lia can sense when her seizures are coming. Chapter 17 - The Eight Questions (Cont. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. Acclaimed by reviewers, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” won a National Book Critics Circle Award. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. On May 2, 1985, Child Protective Services (CPS) placed Lia in temporary foster care for two weeks, after which she returned home. A conversation and reading with Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors and The Collision of Tw. The Lee family was convinced that the door's slamming had been so frightening as to make Lia's soul fly away. We might not know much about the Lee children as individuals, but much like the von Trapps or the. Preface. “ […. 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. What's crazier is that he does, and a mere week later. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. In 1985 Mao Thao, a Hmong American woman, visits Ban Vinai—a refugee camp in Thailand. When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. They recognized the resulting symptoms as quag dab peg, which means "the spirit catches you and you fall down. Analysis Of Midterm: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 1960 Words | 8 Pages. 9-10 Ch. This was regarded by American doctors as neglect, and Lia was taken. While considered by some to be an illness, seizures are actually seen as a good thing to the Hmong culture. A free summary of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. 24). Dan is the first doctor to diagnose Lia as epileptic after seeing her in the throes of a seizure during her third visit to the hospital. Lia is the first Lee child born in an. They preferred it to the pediatric wheelchair. 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. Sukey’s business card read, in Hmong and Lao, “Fixer of Hearts. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. 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. The story of Lia Lee in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman, explores many struggles people experience when faced with a life-threatening medical conditions. “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. 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. 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. 13-14 Ch. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. health care and the Hmong in California. At first they stay with relatives in Portland, Oregon. Neil apologizes to Nao Kao and Foua with tears in his eyes—Foua thanks and hugs him, while Nao Kao remains cold. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. Chapter Summaries Chart. In Fadiman’s unbiased book I learned that there are many cultural differences betweenThe Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down has been shown to facilitate important discussions about health disparities as well as serve as a teaching tool to better engage a broader dialogue (Fadiman, 1997; Lie et al. The first paragraph focuses on why Lia’s birth is so different than her siblings. Born in New York, Fadiman grew up in southern California, the setting of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, and in Connecticut. Lia ’s father and Foua ’s husband. But for Lia and her family, they had added barriers of being immigrants who speak no English, who cannot find jobs, and were exiled from their own country. 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. Although the assignment called for a five-minute speech, he spoke for forty-five minutes by starting from the very. They feared that the communists were more apt to threaten their autonomy. Summary See All. 4. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 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. Nao Kao can tell that this one is serious, so he calls an ambulance for the first time. 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. Anne Fadiman. “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. Pediatricians Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp—the doctors in charge of Lia's case—keep detailed notes on her condition over the years. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. Lia ’s mother and Nao Kao ’s wife. Hmong medicine consists of herbs and shamanism, a practice that interacts with the spiritual world. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. 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. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. At first she meets with Hmong families at the hospital using a nurse's aide as her interpreter. She slept in her parents’ bed a slight, silent husk. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. From the creators of SparkNotes. 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. Neil is a highly intelligent and inquisitive pediatrician who specializes in infections, asthma, and allergies. Summary. 540 Words3 Pages. . Neil admitted that, after all of his efforts and the building of tension before her cataclysmic seizure, he. Summary. Her family however believed her illness was caused by soul loss (Fadiman 21). Though they eventually figure that stuff out, they never make too big. 11-12 Ch. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. They also knew, in the midst of their grief for their infant daughter, that people. 17-18 Ch. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Analysis. She remains in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of her life, with a functioning brain stem but little awareness of or response to her environment. 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 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. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. 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. Yikes. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. Section One: Chapters 1-4; Section Two: Chapters 5-8; Section Three: Chapters 9-14; Section Four: Chapters 15-19; My Review and Takeaways;. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Even worse, the Hmong have lost their prized "self-sufficiency" (10. Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis. She would have been live longer with little illness in her body, she would have lived a happier life if the communication barriers got fixed from the start. What listeners say about The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Average customer ratings. By the time Fadiman meets her. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Beginning in infancy,. The family would have called in a txiv neeb, a Hmong shaman or traditional healer, if any difficulties arose. Fadiman relates a story told to her by a French professor who taught an intermediate class at Merced College. Some of these perceptions are. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Citation Generator. 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. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. 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. Analysis. Foua and Nao Kao knew when a seizure was coming on, because Lia knew. Chapter 10 - War. Chapter 12 shows violence, starvation, and death became normalized for Hmong refugees in a way few Americans can understand. Fadiman’s plot revolves around Lia, a Hmong girl born with severe epilepsy, and the. Talking to Fadiman later, she and her husband tried to describe what it was like to see Lia in such a terrible state. Previous. 1). "--Linnea Lannon, The Detroit. Just be glad you speak the same language. 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 is evident in the recountment of a Hmong American that returns to visit Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand. Chapter 10 - War (Cont. By these dictates, Laos was declared a neutral country. Dressing Fadiman up in traditional Hmong clothing, Foua presented her to her boyfriend, who thought she looked ridiculous. Nonetheless, he asked her to marry him. He is interested in Hmong culture, though his attempts to connect with the. Neil Ernst. (approx. Why do you think the author included them? 3. 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. 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. Shee Yee eventually transferred his powers to human tvix neebs, or shamans, who summon his spirit as they do his work. Chapter 15 Quotes. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them. Bill Selvidge Character Analysis. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. 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. Chapter 17 - The Eight Questions. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Analysis. Arthur Kleinman Character Timeline in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. On November 25, 1986, the day before Thanksgiving, Lia was eating as normal when she began to seize. Meanwhile, Western medicine is based on the advancement of science and technology. At age three months Lia had had her first epileptic seizure—as the Lees put it, ``the spirit catches you and you fall down. 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. Chapter 14 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis Next Chapter 16 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Fadiman writes that Lia. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. 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 Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. 13-14 Ch. Cultural and geographical borders within any society are believed to create boundaries that limit similarities between those on opposite sides. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Summary. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. Yes, including the pigs (after the sacrifice, that is). The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. 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. Taylor, J. Peggy Philp. They recognized the symptoms as qaug dab peg, "the. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked. Nao Kao can tell that this one is serious, so he calls an ambulance for the first time. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. 24 Nov 2023. Examine and describe how these differences create disparities between U. Afterwards, Foua maintained that Lia got more and more sick because the doctors. Animal sacrifice, a reverent occasion for the Hmong, is more difficult in America but still part of Hmong American life. ”. Lia was admitted to MCMC seventeen times between the ages of eight months and four and a half years. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. They haven't been back since. • Preface. 5-6 Ch. 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.