CHAPTER ONE. 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. When Lia came home in 1986, Nao Kao and Foua held a sacrificial ceremony in which they killed a cow. This Study Guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down study guide contains a biography of Anne Fadiman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. The Spirit Catches you and you fall down. of 150 and a full-body tan from taking vacations at a nudist camp. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. 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. Share to Pinterest. Basically, the main difference between Hmong and Western views of medicine is simple—Hmong treat the soul, Americans treat the body. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Dee notices Lia's homesickness and nurtures her. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a 1997 nonfiction book by American journalist Anne Fadiman. 1. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Dee Korda Character Analysis. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. Martin Kilgore Character Analysis. The Spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman presents a case study of a young Hmong girl, Lia, and her journey with Epilepsy in America. One of Lia ’s primary doctors, and Neil Ernst ’s wife. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. Summary. Children as young as ten are forced into military service. Share to Twitter. Sukey’s business card read, in Hmong and Lao, “Fixer of Hearts. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis. 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. Hmong medicine consists of herbs and shamanism, a practice that interacts with the spiritual world. It never occurred to Foua and Nao Kao that their children would be in danger once they arrived in America. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, among other awards. S. But the whole experience is a disaster—Lia even catches an infection at the hospital. Explain the meaning of the book's title. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. 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. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. Fadiman is skeptical at first: the txiv neeb (shaman) is kinda goofy, and the whole solemnity of the thing is. Compared to the polite and nonintrusive methods of the txiv neeb s, American doctors' methods are frightening. Last updated by jill d #170087 6 years ago 5/31/2017 11:19 AM. The Afterword was written in 2012, 15 years after the book was first published in 1997. Read the Review. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 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. doi: 10. ''. 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. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes,. She went to. 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. At this point in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, the idea of right and wrong begins to blur. Fadiman is accurate and detailed in her digressions about the Hmong people and their history in China and Laos. 3-4 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the poignant story of a young Hmong girl suffering from epilepsy who is caught in the cultural chasm between her family and her rationalist American doctors. 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. 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. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. sacrificed a pig and chickens, sometimes they want to do it in the hospital. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. Fadiman rounds out the Lees ’ family story by detailing their escape from Laos. But the families—who don't trust hospitals or medical staff—are skeptical of her. 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. Analysis. When Peggy first saw Lia after the girl’s return from Fresno, she was heartbroken: Lia was hardly alive. We learn that the Hmong have very different birthing traditions; that they believe in evil spirits called ‘dabs’; and these spirits can steal that they believe a baby’s soul. Lia Lee. Chapter 15 Quotes. 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’. At 3 months old she started showing signs of severe epilepsy. 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. 15-16 Ch. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. 5-6 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a tragic true story written by Anne Fadiman, who spent over five years in the middle of a fight between Hmong culture and American medicine. Fadiman is also the author of two essay collections. by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of 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. Fadiman reminds readers that The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down was written in the 1990s and concerned itself with events that took place in the ’80s. The Lee family's journey was indeed terrible, but they and their fellow travelers hoped for a better life in the future. 5 out of 5 stars 4. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. When the United States military withdrew from Laos, former North Vietnamese forces came in to occupy the villages. " LitCharts. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. ― Sherwin B. In the 1980s, Lia was part of the Hmong population in America who were refugees from Laos. Even things we take for granted like electricity and refrigeration are new to them. 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. One case involving the Lees' young. 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 frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Lia ’s mother and Nao Kao ’s wife. 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, antiauthoritarian,. 13-14 Ch. The London Observer called "Ex Libris" "witty. These folktales often serve to illustrate some aspect of the character of the Hmong people. When Fadiman told Foua that she’d gotten engaged, Foua was not surprised at all. If Lia Lee had been born in the highlands of northwest Laos, where her parents and twelve of her brothers and sisters were born, her mother. ”. What listeners say about The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Average customer ratings. medical school curricula. 5-6 Ch. 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. 31). The story shows the tragic consequences of a lack of cross-cultural communication and reveals the weaknesses of western medicine in caring for. . Analysis. Incredibly driven and willing to seek out the truth even if it unearths his own mistakes, Neil eventually comes to. 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. They retaliated against the. Analysis. Book Details. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. 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. 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. Their character proceeded from that. The first paragraph focuses on why Lia’s birth is so different than her siblings. The Hmong religion permeates the Lees' life. 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. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. 13-14 Ch. CPS sends Lia to foster parents Dee and Tom Korda. “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. Answers: 1. Book Details. In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, the professionals lacked cultural understanding and let their generalizations create biases. Her first book, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," is an account of the unbridgeable gulf between a family of Hmong refugees and their American doctors. Lia Lee. Previous. 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. 5). Find out what happens in our Chapter 1 summary for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Nao Kao, Blia. They're disoriented and confused by new appliances like refrigerators, toilets, and electrical devices. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. Share to Facebook. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The important aspect of this chapter is the two-sided nature of epilepsy among the Hmong. Her first book, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," is an account of the unbridgeable gulf between a family of Hmong refugees and their American 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. The Sacrifice. . • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. Summary. The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. 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 1. 9-10 Ch. Both Hmong patients and Western doctors have biases about one another. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. 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. 1-2 Ch. In 1993 social worker Jeanine Hilt dies unexpectedly. Pediatricians Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp—the doctors in charge of Lia's case—keep detailed notes on her condition over the years. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that highlights the struggles between two cultures in healthcare. 3-4 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Topics for Discussion. Chapter 9 - A Little Medicine and a Little Neeb Cont. One of Lia ’s primary doctors (along with his wife, Peggy Philp) at Merced Community Medical Center. A doctor living in Merced who invites Fadiman to meet his Hmong patients. The 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. Open Preview. In-depth explanations of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down's themes. Lia can sense when her seizures are coming. On December 18, 1980, Foua and Nao Kao Lee arrive in the United States with their six surviving children. 9). If Lia Lee had been born in the highlands of northwest Laos, where her parents and twelve of her brothers and sisters were born, her mother. The narrator—Anne—reflects on her time with the Lees, a Hmong American family living in Merced, California. Her father is furious, while her mother is devastated. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. Chapter 7: Government Property. 9-10 Ch. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. 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. 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. 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. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . The teacher's suggestion appears in the narrative as a contrast to the tragic events in May's life. Sukey quickly disabused the author of two notions: she didn’t have to walk a razor sharp edge of etiquette. She had epilepsy and struggled with American medicine because she did not speak English. Summary. explores and documents how cultural barriers between the Hmong parents of Lia Lee and. 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, antiauthoritarian, suspicious, stubborn, proud, choleric. The first chapters introduce the Hmong: both the family who suffers the book's tragedy, and the people as a whole. Chapter 1. Analysis. Meanwhile, Western medicine is based on the advancement of science and technology. 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. Arthur Kleinman Character Timeline in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Brilliantly reported and beautifully crafted, The Spirit Catches You and You. Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is a non-fiction exploration of culture and medicine that tells the tragic story of the Lee family and their daughter Lia, an epileptic Hmong girl. Although this book has been incorporated into standard curriculum in the university and medical school training settings, consideration of how The Spirit. Unlike her fellow. The author recalled her introduction to Hmong culture and the Lee family. Many Hmong people don't trust American doctors. 1-2 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. 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. by Monica Chiu, Ph. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at. 2 pages at 400 words per page)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. Two men slaughter the pig, and the txiv neeb marks Lia with the pig's blood to protect her from dabs, or evil spirits. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. • Chapter 6 - High-Velocity Transcortical Lead Therapy. Foua Yang is a Hmong American woman living in Merced, California, with her husband Nao Kao Lee and their family. On the day in question, a Hmong student is teaching the class how to prepare Hmong fish soup. From the creators of SparkNotes. Fadiman’s interpreter, or—in Sukey Waller ’s words—“cultural broker. She. ‘The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down’ is the literal translation of the Hmong terminology for an epileptic seizure. From the period of spring and summer 1986, around the time of her fourth birthday, Peggy Philp noted in Lia’s chart – nothing interesting – but for the Lees it was one of the richest periods in Lia’s life. 15-16 Ch. The book is crafty in its juggling act between the Lee Family perspective and the MCMC perspective. To make matters worse, Fadiman writes, the Hmong believe that many Western medical practices run the risk of harming patients. Chapter 15 Quotes. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. 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. Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. “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. Neil is at home when Lia arrives at the hospital. 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. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Her older sister, Yer, slammed the front door of the Lees' apartment. Chapter 13 Summary and Analysis. Her mother, Annalee Jacoby Fadiman, was the first female war. 17-18 Ch. Thing weren't quite so rosy when he "used to live in Richmond, Virginia" (16. Chapter. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Analysis. Lia. 4. . 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. 5-6 Ch. At this point, Fadiman focuses on the concept of immigration and assimilation. Writing both a literary profile and an in. Nuland, The New Republic “ The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down changed how doctors see themselves and how they see their patients. At first they stay with relatives in Portland, Oregon. Then he presents spirit-money to thank the pig for its sacrifice. The Hmong community in Merced grows even more distrustful of. " -Melvin Konner, The New York Times Book Review "An. Anne Fadiman’s ethnography . Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes,. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. A tvix neeb performed the ritual chant with the cow's head sitting on the Lee's front stoop. Chapter 7: Government Property. And it gets worse. By the time Fadiman meets her. While Lia has a United States birth certificate that includes a time and date. Share to Reddit. 1-2 Chapter 1: Birth Lia Lee was born on July 19, 1982 as the 14th. . A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. 15-16 Ch. A feast of traditional beef dishes followed the ceremony. The book has been heavily criticized for various biases, sympathies, and. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. She acted as if she didn't know people, and she could only speak a little. The family has two pigs to sacrifice—one for them and one for Lia—as well as a host of tasty Hmong food. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. “ […. The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. The book is about a young Hmong child named Lia Lee. Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. Jeanine Hilt. Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. Analysis. The timeline below shows where the character Sue Xiong appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. • Chapter 3 - The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. They also established themselves as masterful opium farmers, though very few of them became addicts. There are still "tens of thousands" of Hmong in Laos (12. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Dan is devoted to learning about the Hmong people, even inviting various Hmong. She went to Merced after hearing reports of misunderstandings between medical staff and Hmong patients at the county hospital—the Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC). 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. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. 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 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down lesson plan is designed to help teachers and educators plan classroom activities and instruction. On the other hand, though, their failure to administer Lia’s medications had seemingly measurable negative results, meaning that Neil was equally entitled to wield his. Purpose In this small-scale study, we pre-supposed that The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down wouldEach student will be creating an individual blog dedicated to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Lia becomes a minor celebrity at MCMC. The Kordas grow to love Lia deeply. Personal and communal crises mirror one another in the plot. She considers what she's learned while researching, writing, and hearing reader reactions. 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 spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. • Chapter 1 - Birth. The snotty sister insults him, calling him dirty and ridiculing his poverty. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are. Vangay explains that for a Hmong, unlike an American, "it is never everyone for himself" (247). 1. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. Her record nearly always noted the communication difficulties brought about by language differences. By examining the Hmong’s resistance to integration and assimilation, Fadiman widens the scope of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down, simultaneously illustrating the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis and creating an ethnographic document of Hmong immigrants in America. By suggesting that Hmong culture. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. Jeanine Hilt Character Analysis. This chapter explains how the Hmong figured into the Vietnam War and American troops fighting there. The. This chapter jumps forward in time three years since the end of Chapter 13. 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. Answers: 1. 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. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Yet again, however, the medical system has the power. 3-4 Ch. ''. The Big One. The author begins this chapter with the assertion, “I do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp. 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. ISBN-13: 9780374533403. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (FSG Classics) by Anne Fadiman (2012-04-24). The Lee family arrives in America in 1980. Download. They also knew, in the midst of their grief for their infant daughter, that people. 14). They call her condition qaug dab peg or "the spirit catches you and you fall down. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. Downloadable / Printable Version. 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” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. Reviews Book Excerpts Media About the Author Reading Guide. You'd think Saran Wrap would be less tough to navigate than, say, a brick wall. Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. Her full name is used only five times in the narrative. Though Lia's mother Foua Yang gives birth to Lia in the United States, she delivered 12 children in her native Laos. After much debate, a lot of planning, and a ton of help from Jeanine Holt, the doctors finally agree. Chapter 15: Gold and Dross. Analysis. Analysis. The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down lesson plan is designed to help teachers and educators plan classroom activities and instruction. During this time, one of their eight children became ill and died. No matter how hard he tries, Neil just can't get on Nao Kao and Foua's level. In 1985 Mao Thao, a Hmong American woman, visits Ban Vinai—a refugee camp in Thailand. Chapter 13 represents the falling action of Lia's story as the family adjusts to the reality of her fate. Villages are destroyed wholesale. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Nonetheless, when she came back inside after watching the family sacrifice a pig in the parking lot, the room’s atmosphere had changed. Cultural Clash and Medical Misunderstanding. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. On the one hand, the Lees had every right to exercise their beliefs. Fadiman begins the chapter with an autobiography that May, one of Lia’s sisters, writes for a school assignment about her family’s experience fleeing Laos in 1979. Preface. 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. On the day before Thanksgiving, Lia had a mild runny nose, but little appetite. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. Summary. 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. The timeline below shows where the character Arthur Kleinman appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Anne updates readers on the book's key figures. In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman tells the heart-wrenching story of Lia Lee, a young Hmong child suffering from severe epilepsy, and her family. Bill Selvidge Character Analysis. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down . It was awarded many honors including: A Salon Book Award Winner Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest Boston Book Review 1997 Ann Rea Jewell Non-Fiction Prize A New York Times. $3. A social worker who works closely with Lia and the Lee family. Chapter 7 - Government Property. In her case, only Western medicine could've saved her father from colon cancer. This free study guide is stuffed with the juicy details and. On the other hand, Epilepsy is referred to as a neurological. 1). 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. She explains that Foua and Nao Kao, like many older Hmongs, didn’t speak any English after 17 years of living in the United States. Adorbs! Foua, in particular, takes a strong interest in Anne's life. Nao Kao is preparing "spirit money"—pieces of paper. .