They also still celebrated only Hmong holidays, only practiced Hmong religion, and only ate Hmong food. 24). Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. Fadiman, Anne. Share to Reddit. Buy Study Guide About The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary Character List Glossary Themes Quotes and Analysis Ch. The lack of understanding and communication lead to a medical tragedy for Hmong child Lia Lee. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Summary. On December 18, 1980, Foua and Nao Kao Lee arrive in the United States with their six surviving children. 7-8 Ch. 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. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. As a writer, Fadiman herself moves in and out of her scenes; in some moments, she describes her conversations with Lia ’s. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the story by author Anne Fadiman, which explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. Lia'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. Her parents call an ambulance, fearing the doctors won't give her immediate attention otherwise. The Lees knew immediately what had happened. The epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. 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. 1-2 Ch. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is based on a true story that involves the collision of American and Hmong cultures. 3-4 Ch. Exactly what every hospital needs. 1097/00001888-200106000-00012. Welcome back to The DO Book Club! For December, Joan Naidorf, DO, read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Sukey’s business card read, in Hmong and Lao, “Fixer of Hearts. 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. 5-6 Ch. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. CPS workers arrived at the Lee house with Sue Xiong , a Hmong interpreter whom. 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. This was regarded by American doctors as neglect, and Lia was taken. After spending eleven days at Valley Children's Hospital, Lia returned to MCMC on. Summary. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. Menu About The Book; About The Author; Book Summary. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Analysis. The Lees' story takes on a more reflective mood in Chapters 15 and 17–18. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. " In Hmong folklore a dab is an evil spirit that steals souls. 11-12 Ch. Chapter Summaries Chart. “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. 4. The Hmong New Year fell during Lia’s stay at MCMC, but Foua said that it was the only time. Animal sacrifice, a reverent occasion for the Hmong, is more difficult in America but still part of Hmong American life. 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 Chapter 1: Birth Summary & Analysis | LitCharts The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. The book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down by Anne Fadiman is one of the highlights of the Hmong culture and the challenges socializing a family from Laos faces in American society. Cultural and geographical borders within any society are believed to create boundaries that limit similarities between those on opposite sides. At first she meets with Hmong families at the hospital using a nurse's aide as her interpreter. 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. We watch Lia, the little Hmong girl diagnosed with epilepsy, slowly fade from. The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down lesson plan is designed to help teachers and educators plan classroom activities and instruction. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. and Peggy even allowed her to pour some noxious green liquid down the child’s nasogastric tube on the belief that Lia was going to die. ISBN-13: 9780374533403. Chapter. She said she had made a million errors and always followed one rule. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. Summary. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. 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. Book Details. Lia Lee. Summary. Her recently-deceased father was a well-respected txiv neeb —or shamanistic healer—who used to seize so. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. Dee is a gentle, kind person who devotes herself to caring for children. She was in a "persistent vegetative state," able to breath, sleep, and cry, but showing no signs of self-aware. 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. by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. Just be glad you speak the same language. She had epilepsy and struggled with American medicine because she did not speak English. Yer Lee. Summary: 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 Kordas grow to love Lia deeply. 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. Explanation and Analysis: Unlock with LitCharts A +. Foua Lee Character Analysis. The approximate English translation is "the spirit catches you and you fall down. Her mother, Annalee Jacoby Fadiman, was the first female war. The book is about a young Hmong child named Lia Lee. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . The timeline below shows where the character Yer Lee appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 3-4 Ch. 7-8 Ch. When Lia returns home the family is overjoyed to have her in their beds once again. 15-16 Ch. 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. He always called an ambulance when Lia had a seizure. Fadiman sensed something else amiss in the girl, too, admitting that perhaps her soul really was missing. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. Summary. As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings. ” OCLC. 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. 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: ). 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. Chapter 17: The Eight Questions. 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. Description. Anyway, to everyone's surprise, it's one of the most effective campaigns the camp has. 5 out of 5. Her record nearly always noted the communication difficulties brought about by language differences. The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down lesson plan is designed to help teachers and educators plan classroom activities and instruction. CHAPTER ONE. What's crazier is that he does, and a mere week later. Fadiman's father is Clifton. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. A doctor living in Merced who invites Fadiman to meet his Hmong patients. Back then the dude worked eighteen hours a day and still couldn't make ends meet. Ge, one of Nao Kao and Foua's daughters, dies after they arrive at a refugee camp in Thailand. The first chapters introduce the Hmong: both the family who suffers the book's tragedy, and the people as a whole. Neil is there when they bring Lia in for her first checkup. Qaug means to fall over, and peg means to catch. Everything was a spiritual problem. Chapter 15 Quotes. 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. Analysis. One of Lia ’s primary doctors (along with his wife, Peggy Philp) at Merced Community Medical Center. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. Get all the key plot points of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on one page. 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. Dr. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. S medical system battles with their traditional Hmong healing methods. 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 has another, even worse seizure three days before Thanksgiving, 1986. Analysis. 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: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (FSG Classics) by Anne Fadiman (2012-04-24). The Lees, refugees from Laos, find themselves in Merced, California, where Lia's seizures begin. They're disoriented and confused by new appliances like refrigerators, toilets, and electrical devices. Fadiman relates a story told to her by a French professor who taught an intermediate class at Merced College. Print Word PDF. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. It never occurred to Foua and Nao Kao that their children would be in danger once they arrived in America. The Hmong community in Merced grows even more distrustful of. The Big One. Then he presents spirit-money to thank the pig for its sacrifice. Analysis. The spirit catches you and you fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. They grew opium using a technique called. 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. Misunderstandings and disagreements manifested in day-to-day interactions reveal. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. 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. Section One: Chapters 1-4; Section Two: Chapters 5-8; Section Three: Chapters 9-14; Section Four: Chapters 15-19; My Review and Takeaways;. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. She considers what she's learned while researching, writing, and hearing reader reactions. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday. Officials warn the Kordas Lia has many behavioral problems. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes Showing 1-30 of 44. 15-16 Ch. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. . At age three months Lia had had her first epileptic seizure—as the Lees put it, ``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. 19 - Afterword Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Metaphors and Similes Irony Imagery Cultural. One case involving the Lees' young. …. Shee Yee eventually transferred his powers to human tvix neebs, or shamans, who summon his spirit as they do his work. The doctors believe epilepsy is a pathological process in the brain, while the family believe “the spirit catches you and you fall down”. At first they stay with relatives in Portland, Oregon. Birth. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis. James Naas . Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Aside from the medical parts, which are described carefully and objectively, and without portioning any blame, this book is a very touching story of a family coping with adversity in a brave and dignified. Print Word PDF. The best study guide to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Neil and Peggy called CPS for child abuse but they learned from a. These questions are used to convey a patient. 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. There is a moment of final suspense when Nao Kao tries to take Lia from the hospital before she is discharged. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 5). She was able to make house calls and this kept the lines of communication open, and she used May, the Lees’ most Americanized daughter, as. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. ISBN-13: 9780374533403. 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. Summary. Brilliantly reported and beautifully crafted, The Spirit Catches You and You. 17-18 Ch. The mood declined, however, when the Lees realized how Lia's mental capacity had declined. In The Spirit Catches You, we witness a bona fide communication breakdown after Nao Kao and Foua Lee—two Hmong refugees who can't speak English—bring their daughter Lia to a hospital to treat her epilepsy. In California's Central Valley agricultural town of Merced, Hmong Americans make up one fifth of the population. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 1. Neil is at home when Lia arrives at the hospital. 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. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes,. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. Foua's husband Nao Kao attended each birth. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. 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. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. At the hospital Lia's seizure becomes more violent, defeating all the EMTs' attempts to sedate her. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. She gave birth there to her thirteenth child, Mai. One day, while at a school for children with special needs, Lia falls off a swing and has a major seizure. , 2002). By Monica Chiu, PhD University of New Hampshire Hmong. 9-10 Ch. 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. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. They recognized the symptoms as qaug dab peg, "the. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes,. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. 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. Many shamans—known as txiv neeb—use seizures to commune with the spirit realm. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a 1997 nonfiction book by American journalist Anne Fadiman. 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 written by Ann Fadiman is about a Hmong child, Lia Lee, that has epilepsy. But the whole experience is a disaster—Lia even catches an infection at the hospital. 3-4 Ch. One of Lia ’s primary doctors, and Neil Ernst ’s wife. Summary. Just after she finished eating, her face took on the strange, frightened expression that always preceded a seizure. Anne Fadiman’s ethnography . Chapter 15: Gold and Dross. 7. Upset because he "perceived the doctors' comments [. Nao Kao and Foua had always carried Lia to the hospital before, but Nao Kao. Last updated by jill d #170087 6 years ago 5/31/2017 11:19 AM. Foua. You'd think Saran Wrap would be less tough to navigate than, say, a brick wall. 13-14 Ch. When Fadiman told Foua that she’d gotten engaged, Foua was not surprised at all. Hmong’s believe dab’s steal souls and cause sick illnesses. This chapter focuses on Lia’s birth and all the Hmong customs that went along with the birth of any child. 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. Yikes. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that highlights the struggles between two cultures in healthcare. There are still "tens of thousands" of Hmong in Laos (12. The blogs will allow students to react to and reflect on each section's reading, keep track of Hmong. Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. Join Now Log in Home Lesson Plans The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Teacher Guide: About the Author Teacher Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Lesson Plan About the Author. “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. ”. This blog will be a long-term project lasting the duration of the novel, with students needing to make entries about each reading section. Yikes. The narrative, told. 9). The timeline below shows where the character Arthur Kleinman appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The second student was a Hmong, who proceeded to speak about a recipe for fish soup. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. “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. . Neil and Peggy are great doctors, but Nao Kao and Foua are not big fans of their seemingly cold and uncaring demeanor. 7-8 Ch. by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and Analysis of Ch. 1). 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. Lia, who suffered from severe epilepsy, was constantly jostled by two conflicting forces. Fadiman begins by calling attention to a carton of cassette tapes she keeps beneath her desk. However amusing the novel was from a literary standpoint, 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. It deals with their child Lia, her American doctors, and the collisions of those two cultures. At first they stay with relatives in Portland, Oregon. Analysis. Cultural Competence 101 The medical biographic novel” The spirit catches you and you fall down,” by Anne Fadiman is a magnificent time capsule of the experiences faced by the Hmong peoples during their migration to America. The narrator—Anne—reflects on her time with the Lees, a Hmong American family living in Merced, California. She acted as if she didn't know people, and she could only speak a little. When the Lees left Laos, Foua explains, at least they hoped for a better future. Detailing copious Cultural subjects, the author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 1st Edition (978-0374533403) strove to write an ultimate text on the field of Social. Many of Li’s healthcare providers, especially Neil Ernst and Peggy Philip, worked hard to help Lia. Pediatricians Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp—the doctors in charge of Lia's case—keep detailed notes on her condition over the years. - both Foua and dad threaten to commit suicide in the period when Lia was in fostercare. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are. The Lee family's journey was indeed terrible, but they and their fellow travelers hoped for a better life in the future. The Hmong religion permeates the Lees' life. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. When Anne first meets Lia 's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, she's nervous as an outsider about gaining their trust. In the Lees' view, Lia's soul had fled her body and become lost. Yes, including the pigs (after the sacrifice, that is). These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. ''. For their part, the Lees respond by doing something even more powerful—making Jeanine a part of the family. Some of these perceptions are. She. A Review By Will Connolly. Her parents, deeply superstitious and adhering to Hmong traditional beliefs, believed that the hospital’s invasive procedures and medications were harming their daughter’s soul. Vangay explains that for a Hmong, unlike an American, "it is never everyone for himself" (247). Two men slaughter the pig, and the txiv neeb marks Lia with the pig's blood to protect her from dabs, or evil spirits. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. 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. On the other hand, Epilepsy is referred to as a neurological. Lia neither died nor recovered. 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. Nao Kao can tell that this one is serious, so he calls an ambulance for the first time. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman ISBN: 978-0-374-53340-3 / 368 pages This guide is intended to enrich your experience of reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. In one story, he offers his home to two sisters, one good and one snotty. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. 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. 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. 13-14 Ch. Summary. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. This moving chronicle of a very sick girl,The The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down lesson plan is designed to help teachers and educators plan classroom activities and instruction. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. 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. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. 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. When Lia was three months old her older sister Yer slammed the front door. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. The Lee Children. 1-2 Ch. This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or worng answer. They are animists who believe spiritual forces affect the natural world. It's a Hmong classic. Lia's older sister, Mai, is born in Thailand during this exodus. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. When the Lees refuse to give in to their doctors' demands they demonstrate the historical. In Hmong culture, epilepsy is known as "quag dab peg," which means "the spirit catches you and you fall down" (3. Summary 1997 Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award - NonfictionSites like SparkNotes with a The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down study guide or cliff notes. . This section contains 495 words. However, the Lees become discouraged when they notice Lia's verbal skills have regressed. Anne, Chapter 1. Yer, Lia’s older sister, slammed a door which triggered Lia’s first seizure. Their character proceeded from that. Summary 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 full summary and analysis. 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. Every other chapter shares some aspect of Hmong history or culture: food, clothing, language, family structure, birthing rituals, and so on. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the. Chapters 1-4: The book begins with background on Lia Lee and the Lee Family. "TheBestNotes on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down ". 3-4 Ch. Chapter 9 - A Little Medicine and a Little Neeb. Analysis. "The spirit catches you and you fall down" is the literal translation of the Hmong name for epilepsy, qaug dab peg. Lia at the age of three months began to seize, the family had diagnosed her with qug dab peg which also means the spirit. Peggy Philp and Neil ErnstChapter 8 Summary and Analysis. 2 pages at 400 words per page) On May 2, 1985, Child Protective Services (CPS) placed Lia in temporary foster care for two weeks, after which she returned home. May Ying is a twenty year old clerk-typist at the Merced County Office of Refugee Services when Fadiman first meets her. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. The even-numbered explanatory chapters often begin or end with a Hmong folktale illustrating an important aspect of the culture. Although this book has been incorporated into standard curriculum in the university and medical school training settings, consideration of how The Spirit. Nao Kao is preparing "spirit money"—pieces of paper. We might not know much about the Lee children as individuals, but much like the von Trapps or the. 15-16 Ch. Neil Ernst.