Share to Reddit. 2001 Jun;76(6):620-1. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down is a work of literary nonfiction that chronicles the life and medical troubles of Lia Lee, a young girl from Merced, California. 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. 11-12 Ch. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. The Hmong New Year fell during Lia’s stay at MCMC, but Foua said that it was the only time. 5-6 Ch. 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. 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. Chapter 15: Gold and Dross. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. . Chapter 7 - Government Property. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. 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. The. Lia Lee. The Lee family arrives in America in 1980. Summary. Hmong residents ask her if American doctors eat the organs of dead patients. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. medical school curricula. 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. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. Foua Yang is a Hmong American woman living in Merced, California, with her husband Nao Kao Lee and their family. The Lees placed her on the mat on the floor where they always placed her at these times. Summary. Seventeen years later Foua and Nao Kao have continued to resist. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down tells the story of treating Lia’s epilepsy, examining her medical experience in Merced in order to consider divides between Hmong and American culture. Now we know where the overbearing-and-oppressive idea comes from. The family has two pigs to sacrifice—one for them and one for Lia—as well as a host of tasty Hmong food. 9). Fadiman begins by calling attention to a carton of cassette tapes she keeps beneath her desk. 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. 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. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. James Naas . Sukey’s business card read, in Hmong and Lao, “Fixer of Hearts. Nonetheless, he asked her to marry him. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. 7-8 Ch. Foua and Nao Kao grow to distrust American medicine almost completely. The teacher's language has a rational detachment similar to the tone of the medical notes on Lia 's case. “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. Lia 's family celebrates her permanent return home in April 1986 by sacrificing a cow. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Book Report. Seventeen years later Foua and Nao Kao have continued to resist. Summary. The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Theme Wheel is a beautiful super helpful visualization of where the themes occur throughout the text. 5). Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. The TV was off, a candle had. At the age of three months, Lia Lee had an epileptic seizure. Share to Pinterest. Fadiman is skeptical at first: the txiv neeb (shaman) is kinda goofy, and the whole solemnity of the thing is. Analysis. Her full name is used only five times in the narrative. “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. Lia 's epileptic crisis is over. Unlike her fellow. Her record nearly always noted the communication difficulties brought about by language differences. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Peggy Philp Character Analysis. When Lia was three months old her older sister Yer slammed the front door. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 5). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Publisher's summary. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. At the time of the war in Southeast Asia, they lived in Laos about 400 meters above sea-level. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. These stragglers form several rebel groups, one of which is led by Vang Pao. The Spirit. Neil admitted that, after all of his efforts and the building of tension before her cataclysmic seizure, he. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. And it gets worse. ''. 15-16 Ch. A free summary of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. 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. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday. The Sacrifice. In 1985 Mao Thao, a Hmong American woman, visits Ban Vinai—a refugee camp in Thailand. After spending eleven days at Valley Children's Hospital, Lia returned to MCMC on. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the. • Preface. Anne Fadiman was born on August 7, 1953, into a family of writers. When Lia came home in 1986, Nao Kao and Foua held a sacrificial ceremony in which they killed a cow. " The word dab refers to a soul-stealing spirit. In 1993 social worker Jeanine Hilt dies unexpectedly. For example, the Hmong maintain that each person contains a finite amount of blood, so any blood extraction is viewed as dangerous. Naidorf is board-certified in emergency medicine and has practiced at community and military hospitals for over 25 years in. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. 0 5 Stars 1,365 4 Stars 425 3 Stars 149. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. When the Lee's settled in the United States Foua gave birth to a baby girl named Lia. 13-14 Ch. Although the assignment called for a five-minute speech, he spoke for forty-five minutes by starting from the very. Hmong residents ask her if American doctors eat the organs of dead patients. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. Need help with Chapter 1: Birth in Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down? Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. Anne Fadiman’s ethnography . She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. 11-12 Ch. Summary. 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. Share to Twitter. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . Their selection of this town is largely because of the influence of Dang Moua, an energetic Hmong American businessman. . 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. 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. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 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. 3-4 Ch. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. Analysis Of Midterm: The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 1960 Words | 8 Pages. 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. By the time Fadiman meets her. She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. This was regarded by American doctors as neglect, and Lia was taken. 5-6 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Yikes. The timeline below shows where the character Yer Lee appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. 9-10 Ch. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. The narrative, told. 9-10 Ch. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. The Afterword was written in 2012, 15 years after the book was first published in 1997. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. Download. S medical system battles with their traditional Hmong healing methods. 15-16 Ch. The Lees thought Lia had been taken from them to punish them for noncompliance. She said she had made a million errors and always followed one rule. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. • Chapter 3 - The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 11-12 Ch. Her parents, Nao Kao and Foua, were Hmong refugees from Laos who. 3-4 Ch. That doesn't mean they love her any less, however—she's still their "anointed one" (15. Anne updates readers on the book's key figures. Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. 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. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Summary. The Big One. Her recently-deceased father was a well-respected txiv neeb —or shamanistic healer—who used to seize so. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction . 540 Words3 Pages. 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. The spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. Preface. 17-18 Ch. Kindle Edition. Foua Lee Character Analysis. , 2002). Dee is a gentle, kind person who devotes herself to caring for children. We might not know much about the Lee children as individuals, but much like the von Trapps or the. The London Observer called "Ex Libris" "witty. The 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 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. Lia neither died nor recovered. " In Hmong folklore a dab is an evil spirit that steals souls. 5-6 Ch. Anyway, to everyone's surprise, it's one of the most effective campaigns the camp has. 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 narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. When Peggy first saw Lia after the girl’s return from Fresno, she was heartbroken: Lia was hardly alive. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. In the 1980s, Lia was part of the Hmong population in America who were refugees from Laos. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at. proper amounts of medication. Even worse, the Hmong have lost their prized "self-sufficiency" (10. 9-10 Ch. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. From the creators of SparkNotes. When Fadiman told Foua that she’d gotten engaged, Foua was not surprised at all. Culture, or the learned beliefs, values, and behaviors of social groups, leads to major misunderstandings in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Yikes. 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 1. The book suggests no doctor can be completely impartial. The Lees' story takes on a more reflective mood in Chapters 15 and 17–18. CHAPTER ONE. 7-8 Ch. Citation Generator. 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. Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (Noonday Press, 1997) is widely used in "cultural competence" efforts within U. Neil is there when they bring Lia in for her first checkup. Asked by snow b #1261881. 17-18 Ch. 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,. 1). 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. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. ] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13. Between the ages of 8 months and four and a half years, the Lees brought Lia to the hospital dozens of times. She was interested in investigating the circumstances surrounding Lia's health care but was warned by fellow colleagues. 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. The Lees knew immediately what had happened. Healing process: scars that look like burns on the body on patients. Chapter 11 - The Big One. We hope Lia will be healthy, but we are not sure we want her to stop shaking forever because it makes her noble in our culture, and when she grows up she might become a shaman. When the United States military withdrew from Laos, former North Vietnamese forces came in to occupy the villages. 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. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. Writing both a literary profile and an in. Many Hmong people don't trust American doctors. Summary. A tvix neeb performed the ritual chant with the cow's head sitting on the Lee's front stoop. ”. Downloadable / Printable Version. 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. 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. When Fadiman told Foua that she’d gotten engaged, Foua was not surprised at all. . The phrase indicates the way the Lees, a deeply spiritual Hmong American family, think of. Chapter 5: Take as Directed. Her mother, Annalee Jacoby Fadiman, was the first female war. They live in Portland for two years before moving to their current home in Merced, California. The colored dots and icons indicate which. Lia ’s father and Foua ’s husband. But the families—who don't trust hospitals or medical staff—are skeptical of her. 5). 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. Hmong’s believe dab’s steal souls and cause sick illnesses. The second student was a Hmong, who proceeded to speak about a recipe for fish soup. “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. Clapsaddle, Diane. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. S. Menu About The Book; About The Author; Book Summary. “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. For many American doctors and patients, Western biomedicine is accepted as the default setting. By suggesting that Hmong culture. She had epilepsy and struggled with American medicine because she did not speak English. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the riveting narrative of a showdown between modern American medicine and ancient Hmong beliefs, a blow-by-blow account. GradeSaver provides access to 2313 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 10989 literature essays, 2751 sample college. "TheBestNotes on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down ". 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. However amusing the novel was from a literary standpoint, the. Misunderstandings and disagreements manifested in day-to-day interactions reveal. The Spirit Catches you and you fall down. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. Last updated by jill d #170087 6 years ago 5/31/2017 11:19 AM. S. They are animists who believe spiritual forces affect the natural world. Print Word PDF. Lia. 1). Chapter Summaries Chart. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a 1997 nonfiction book by American journalist 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. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The family would have called in a txiv neeb, a Hmong shaman or traditional healer, if any difficulties arose. 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: ). These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (FSG Classics) by Anne Fadiman (2012-04-24). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. This section contains 495 words. Upset because he "perceived the doctors' comments [. 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. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. In-depth explanations of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down's themes. Read the Review. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. 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 study guide contains a biography of Anne Fadiman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Next. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was her first novel, published in 1997. Nao Kao and Foua are devastated. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Fadiman, Anne. 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. Dee notices Lia's homesickness and nurtures her. Sukey quickly disabused the author of two notions: she didn’t have to walk a razor sharp edge of etiquette. 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. Talking to Fadiman later, she and her husband tried to describe what it was like to see Lia in such a terrible state. 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. Chapter. ” She notes the “uphill battle” the Lees faced in converting their apartment—with its humming refrigerator and fluttering TV screen—into a tranquil, spiritual atmosphere. She was in a "persistent vegetative state," able to breath, sleep, and cry, but showing no signs of self-aware. Arthur Kleinman Character Timeline in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Foua carried her in a large, embroidered nyias, or baby carrier, preferring it to the wheelchair provided by the Merced County Health Department. Nonetheless, he asked her to marry him. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. I think people would really enjoy this book. Three months after her healthy birth, Lia went into a seizure after her older sister Yer loudly slammed the apartment door. Neil and Peggy called CPS for child abuse but they learned from a. It was the most terrible of cultural clashes. Study Guide: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman (SuperSummary) SuperSummary. 2. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 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. While their children take their father's clan name, Foua follows Hmong tradition and retains Yang—her original clan name—after marriage. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. CHAPTER ONE. . Like Shee Yee, they are courageous and tenacious, and will fight or flee rather than surrender. Birth. Over two years after Lia's big seizure, she was still alive. Produced in April 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, this copy of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman affords 368 pages of first-rate lessons. 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. 9-10 Ch. They also still celebrated only Hmong holidays, only practiced Hmong religion, and only ate Hmong food. The narrator—Anne—reflects on her time with the Lees, a Hmong American family living in Merced, California. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. 13-14 Ch. However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. E. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the riveting narrative of a showdown between modern American medicine and ancient Hmong beliefs, a blow-by-blow account of the battle fought. Print Word PDF. The Lees’ story is the focal point of Fadiman’s. 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. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. " LitCharts. medical school curricula. Lia neither died nor recovered. The Hmong see illness and healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe while medical community marks a division between body and soul and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. The. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Analysis. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. On November 25, 1986, the day before Thanksgiving, Lia was eating as normal when she began to seize. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness qaug dab peg. Dressing Fadiman up in traditional Hmong clothing, Foua presented her to her boyfriend, who thought she looked ridiculous. They haven't been back since. Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. When two cultures collide in defending their beliefs on western medicines versus spiritual practices, the life of a young Hmong girl hangs in the balance in Anne Fadiman’s 1997 book, The Spirit. Chapter 9 - A Little Medicine and a Little Neeb. Lia ’s foster mom and Tom Korda ’s wife. LitCharts LLC, 18 Sep 2017. Summary. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is a critically acclaimed book describing the importance of understanding cultural influence on health care and health outcomes. A doctor living in Merced who invites Fadiman to meet his Hmong patients. of 150 and a full-body tan from taking vacations at a nudist camp. Chapter 9 continues Lia's story, sharing events from both Lia's parents' and doctors' points of view. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. Chapter 11: The Big One. Basically, the main difference between Hmong and Western views of medicine is simple—Hmong treat the soul, Americans treat the body. In this miniscule event, two cultures with completely conflicting ideas came together to form a union. “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. 3-4 Ch. 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. Anne Fadiman. 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. Jeanine Hilt. 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. A young Hmong man gave a presentation about how to make fish soup. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. 17-18 Ch. 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. Compared to the polite and nonintrusive methods of the txiv neeb s, American doctors' methods are frightening. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 5 out of 5. The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down lesson plan is designed to help teachers and educators plan classroom activities and instruction. Book Details. Lia neither died nor recovered.