Quag Dab Peg in Hmong culture is caused by a bad spirit (dab’s). 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. 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 Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down . 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. 11-12 Ch. 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. Summary. Lia Lee Character Analysis. 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. Their selection of this town is largely because of the influence of Dang Moua, an energetic Hmong American businessman. For the Hmong people,. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. He always called an ambulance when Lia had a seizure. 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. MonkeyNotes Study Guides Download Store-Downloadable Study Guides/Book Summary,Book Notes,Notes,Chapter Summary/Synopsis. The Story Catches You and You Fall Down: Tragedy, Ethnography, and "Cultural Competence" Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (Noon-day Press, 1997) is widely used in "cultural competence" efforts within U. OCLC. Her recently-deceased father was a well-respected txiv neeb —or shamanistic healer—who used to seize so. 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 book also details Hmong culture, history, and their life as refugees. Many of Li’s healthcare provi. Like their patients, they have biases. On December 5, 1986, Lia returns to. Analysis. Over two years after Lia's big seizure, she was still alive. Chapter 7: Government Property. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. According to Chapter 6, medical school rarely equips doctors to deal with populations who believe physical illnesses have spiritual causes. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 154 (12), 1277. 3-4 Ch. Need help on characters in Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down? Check out our detailed character descriptions. Jeanine Hilt. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Between the ages of 8 months and four and a half years, the Lees brought Lia to the hospital dozens of times. The book suggests no doctor can be completely impartial. Just be glad you speak the same language. At age three months Lia had had her first epileptic seizure—as the Lees put it, ``the spirit catches you and you fall down. by Monica Chiu, Ph. 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. 1 March 2018. Analysis. Throughout The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Fadiman often references the Hmong’s maximalist worldview, which takes into account all aspects of life and seeks to acknowledge the interconnectedness of all things. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Neil and Peggy are great doctors, but Nao Kao and Foua are not big fans of their seemingly cold and uncaring demeanor. " (3. CHAPTER ONE. Neil Ernst didn't believe in giving a different standard of care to different patients, which is why he continuously fine-tuned her drug regimen. Neil is there when they bring Lia in for her first checkup. C. 11-12 Ch. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. The. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. The best study guide to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Lia Lee. ''. The Sacrifice. 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. As a metaphor for this, she tells a story about a young Hmong man who, in a presentation. From the creators of SparkNotes. 17). 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 Summaries with Notes / Analysis. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. The Orphan. 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. Some of these perceptions are. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. Chapter 15: Gold and Dross. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday. 10). Menu About The Book; About The Author; Book Summary. This chapter explains how the Hmong figured into the Vietnam War and American troops fighting there. She was interested in investigating the circumstances surrounding Lia's health care but was warned by fellow colleagues. Neil is a highly intelligent and inquisitive pediatrician who specializes in infections, asthma, and allergies. Chapters 1-4: The book begins with background on Lia Lee and the Lee Family. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. taboo: against blood tests, spinal taps, surgery, anesthesia, and autopsies— the basic tools of modern medicine— seemed like self-defeating ignorance. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Analysis. 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. The Hmong religion permeates the Lees' life. Nonetheless, when she came back inside after watching the family sacrifice a pig in the parking lot, the room’s atmosphere had changed. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. She considers what she's learned while researching, writing, and hearing reader reactions. Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. ”. Lia Lee. While considered by some to be an illness, seizures are actually seen as a good thing to the Hmong culture. The Lee family knew that the noise had awakened a dab, an evil spirit who stole Lia's soul. Chapter 1. Hmong’s believe dab’s steal souls and cause sick illnesses. " The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. 9). The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down tells the story of treating Lia’s epilepsy, examining her medical experience in Merced in… read analysis of Lia Lee. Animal sacrifice, a reverent occasion for the Hmong, is more difficult in America but still part of Hmong American life. The snotty sister insults him, calling him dirty and ridiculing his poverty. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. These babies were born at home on a dirt floor. 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. Summary. Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. 540 Words3 Pages. However, the Lees become discouraged when they notice Lia's verbal skills have regressed. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down study guide contains a biography of Anne Fadiman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The Big One. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. 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. Integration and Assimilation Theme Analysis. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. Nao Kao is preparing "spirit money"—pieces of paper. One case involving the Lees' young. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. The book is about a young Hmong child named Lia Lee. Plot Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Viz Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Spirit Catches You makes teaching easy. 1997 Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award - Nonfiction. At the age of three months, Lia had her first seizure caused by the sound of a door. Although Jeanine works for the government, she manages to establish a connection with Nao Kao. Lia Lee suffered from seizures and eventually becomes vegetative for the rest of her life. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about 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. Fadiman rounds out the Lees ’ family story by detailing their escape from Laos. 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) Title alert! Again, it's important to remember that epilepsy isn't necessarily a bad thing in Hmong culture. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997) is an ethnography written by Anne Faidman. Social Media Book Review by Chirag Mitra ,No 18533168,MPH&MHA, Social And cultural Perspectives of Health,La Trobe university,Summary and Analysis of Chapter 14 of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Anne updates readers on the book's key figures. These stragglers form several rebel groups, one of which is led by Vang Pao. 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. Pediatricians Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp—the doctors in charge of Lia's case—keep detailed notes on her condition over the years. No matter how hard he tries, Neil just can't get on Nao Kao and Foua's level. 19 - Afterword Chapter 19: The Sacrifice 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. When Lia came home in 1986, Nao Kao and Foua held a sacrificial ceremony in which they killed a cow. 5). In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Clapsaddle, Diane. 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. “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 ONE. Web. The mood declined, however, when the Lees realized how Lia's mental capacity had declined. Lia Lee Character Analysis. Yes, including the pigs (after the sacrifice, that is). 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. “ […. Sukey’s business card read, in Hmong and Lao, “Fixer of Hearts. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Beginning in infancy,. The even-numbered explanatory chapters often begin or end with a Hmong folktale illustrating an important aspect of the culture. ''. Summary See All. " LitCharts. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. 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. The Lee Children. New York: Macmillan. Foua. Lia was admitted to MCMC seventeen times between the ages of eight months and four and a half years. This Hyperink Quicklet includes an overall summary, chapter commentary, key characters, literary themes, fun trivia, and recommended related readings. On May 2, 1985, Child Protective Services (CPS) placed Lia in temporary foster care for two weeks, after which she returned home. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” began by setting the tone of the baffling multifaceted clashes that occurred in Merced, in Central California. The journalist Anne Fadiman takes you through the maddeningly frustrating journey of a loving Hmong family and their dedicated western doctors. 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. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. Blame and Power Theme Analysis. Plot summary. Martin Kilgore Character Analysis. In retrospect, Fadiman writes, he questioned this decision, but at the time he was steadfast in his belief that he was doing the right thing. 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. Chapter Summaries Chart. 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. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. Talking to Fadiman later, she and her husband tried to describe what it was like to see Lia in such a terrible state. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The next day, the Hmong brought their dogs in so fast that the health workers had their hands full. The Lee family was convinced that the door's slamming had been so frightening as to make Lia's soul fly away. This chapter jumps forward in time three years since the end of Chapter 13. That is why it is so important to establish an appropriate contact to avoid a situation similar to Lia’s problem. translating literally to “the spirit catches you and you fall down. 2001 Jun;76(6):620-1. Jonas Vangay Character Analysis. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 17-18 Ch. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Foua and Nao Kao grow to distrust American medicine almost completely. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. 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: ). Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness qaug dab peg. The first chapters introduce the Hmong: both the family who suffers the book's tragedy, and the people as a whole. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Fadiman turns her attention to Hmong history, surveying the origins of their time in Laos, where they dwelt in the mountains at high altitudes in which few other populations cared to live. By Monica Chiu, PhD University of New Hampshire Hmong. At the age of three months, Lia Lee had an epileptic seizure. This case study illustrates and analyzes the tension an ESL science teacher encountered when his science curriculum came into conflict with the religious and cos-mological beliefs of one of his Hmong immigrant students. In the 1980s, Lia was part of the Hmong population in America who were refugees from Laos. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. Nothing like medical problems and totally opposite cultures to show you how messed up things. Anne Fadiman, 1997. Summary. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. This was regarded by American doctors as neglect, and Lia was taken. The book is crafty in its juggling act between the Lee Family perspective and the MCMC perspective. 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. Acclaimed by reviewers, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” won a National Book Critics Circle Award. Neil admitted that, after all of his efforts and the building of tension before her cataclysmic seizure, he. 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. Lia neither died nor recovered. medical school curricula. Afterwards, Foua maintained that Lia got more and more sick because the doctors. The timeline below shows where the character Sue Xiong appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Fadiman is also the author of two essay collections. 4. Plot Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Viz Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Spirit Catches You makes teaching easy. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. Although the assignment called for a five-minute speech, he spoke for forty-five minutes by starting from the very. 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. com. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. Summary. 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. Dan Murphy. Fadiman sensed something else amiss in the girl, too, admitting that perhaps her soul really was missing. 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. Lia becomes a minor celebrity at MCMC. Anne Fadiman celebrates the complexity and the individuality of the human interactions that make up the practice of medicine while simultaneously pointing out directions for change and breaking. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. 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. Chapter 17 - The Eight Questions (Cont. 20). Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. , 2002). 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. Free Summary of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. . The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes and Analysis Dan had no way of knowing that. "--Linnea Lannon, The Detroit Free Press "This is a captivating riveting book--a must-read not only for medical professionals, anthropologists, and journalists, but for anyone. During this time, one of their eight children became ill and died. Chapter 18 - The Life or the Soul. In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, American journalist Anne Fadiman examines the intense collision between American and Hmong cultures through the case of Lia Lee, a Hmong child, who is too young and too sick to speak for herself. Nuland, The New Republic “ The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down changed how doctors see themselves and how they see their patients. . The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures Acad Med. Fadiman writes that Lia was seven when she first met her, which was two years after she had entered a nonresponsive state (her doctors called this a “persistent vegetative state”). The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. …. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. She's rushed to the hospital, where the doctors learn that the Lees are finally giving Lia the right amount of medication. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. We're at the Lee's apartment and a txiv neeb has just arrived "to perform a healing ceremony for Lia" (19. Lia neither died nor recovered. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as "quag dab peg," which means "the spirit catches you and you fall down" (3. 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. Archives of . 1. Lia Lee began suffering seizures at a young age and was diagnosed with epilepsy by American doctors. Nao Kao and Foua were right! To make sense of all this, Anne turns to a series of eight questions coined by Harvard psychiatrist Arthur Kleinman. Fadiman’s interpreter, or—in Sukey Waller ’s words—“cultural broker. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. There are still "tens of thousands" of Hmong in Laos (12. They feared that the communists were more apt to threaten their autonomy. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. One of the recurring themes of Anne Fadiman’s novel The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the cultural unawareness that is present, not only the American perspective, but the Hmong perspective as well. The 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. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. Summary. 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. Sofia Mejia Chapter 11 Analysis In this chapter of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall. • Preface. Villages are destroyed wholesale. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Unfortunately for Lia, her parents are in the same boat. Because the Lees—like most Hmongs—came to the United States to escape war-torn Laos, their relationship to assimilation is complicated. Foua and Nao Kao immediately suspected what happened: the loud sound so frightened their daughter that her soul fled her body, a phenomenon known to them as quag dab peg, meaning the spirit catches you and you fall down. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. Her seizures normally lasted only a few minutes, but when she didn't get. A public health nurse who makes house calls to provide Lia with medical checkups after her final neurological crisis. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. doi: 10. ” At this point in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, the idea of right and wrong begins to blur. Unlike other doctors, Fadiman points out, Neil Ernst remained unbending in his care for Lia, ultimately unwilling to compromise the quality of his services to accommodate Foua and Nao Kao ’s beliefs or abilities. While commonplace in Hmong culture, Americans are uncomfortable with the idea of ritual sacrifice, especially when it is in the public domain. She. S. Her family celebrated by sacrificing a cow and inviting many relatives to rejoice with them. She acted as if she didn't know people, and she could only speak a little. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. CPS workers arrived at the Lee house with Sue Xiong , a Hmong interpreter whom. The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. Like. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. She was seen by the staff on countless other occasions that did not require admission. Anne, Chapter 1. Although Lee and her family live in the United States, and thus receive medical care from Westerners, her family believes that Lee’s condition. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Members of 14 Hmong clans live in Merced. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was her first novel, published in 1997. 5-6 Ch. Share to Pinterest. 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. What's crazier is that he does, and a mere week later. …. • Chapter 1 - Birth. 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. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Chapter 7: Government Property. Download. Lia is the first Lee child born in an. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as ‘quag dab peg,’ which means ‘The spirit catches you and you fall down’ (Fadiman, 2012, p. Her full name is used only five times in the narrative. Summary. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. "--Linnea Lannon, The Detroit. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. Back then the dude worked eighteen hours a day and still couldn't make ends meet. ABOUT THE BOOK Anne Fadiman's seminal work of nonfiction, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, examines the myriad difficulties and complications. May Ying Xiong Character Analysis. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. A Hmong mother, Foua took it upon herself to perform a marriage ceremony for the author of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, Anne Fadiman. 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. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. , a Chinese emperor named Hoang-ti decrees that any Hmong convicted of a crime will be castrated. When he tosses two water buffalo horns on the floor and they land flat side down he knows the spirits have arrived. 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. For those who did leave, the toughest part of. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. He knew that Lia needed the medical support of the EMTs during transport. But the families—who don't trust hospitals or medical staff—are skeptical of her. 5-6 Ch. The spirit referred to in the name is a soul-stealing dab; thus, the Hmong believe that epilepsy has a spiritual origin and should be treated accordingly. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is a 1997 book by Anne Fadiman that chronicles the struggles of a Hmong refugee family from Houaysouy, Sainyabuli Province, Laos, [1] the Lees, and their interactions with the health care system in Merced, California. 4. Their character proceeded from that. the Hmong have established their own. Nonetheless, he asked her to marry him. EDSE 460. 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. Next. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 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.