1. Though Lia's mother Foua Yang gives birth to Lia in the United States, she delivered 12 children in her native Laos. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Nao Kao can tell that this one is serious, so he calls an ambulance for the first time. Neil Ernst constantly questioned himself over whether his uncompromising standard of care had actually compromised Lia’s health. Nao Kao gained weight and had high blood pressure, while Foua. Just after she finished eating, her face took on the strange, frightened expression that always preceded a seizure. A feast of traditional beef dishes followed the ceremony. While working at a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, Conquergood hosted a parade "led by three important characters from Hmong folktales" that also conveyed some very useful medical information (4. Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Fadiman 1860 Words | 8 Pages The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, explores cultural competence, ethics in medicine, and the provision of culturally competent health care in the United States by following a family of Hmong culture in their struggles with mainstream. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 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. 1617 Words | 7 Pages. This section contains 495 words. ”. Fadiman continues to examine the arrival of the Hmong in California, rehashing some of her earlier ideas about xenophobia and welfare. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down examines the ways in which people cling to various strongly-held tenets set forth by their cultures. 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. Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis. Lia Lee was born in central California’s Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC) in July 1982. • Preface. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures is a 1997 book by Anne Fadiman that chronicles the struggles of a Hmong refugee family from Houaysouy, Sainyabuli Province, Laos, [1] the Lees, and their interactions with the health care system in Merced, California. Ge, one of Nao Kao and Foua's daughters, dies after they arrive at a refugee camp in Thailand. It never occurred to Foua and Nao Kao that their children would be in danger once they arrived in America. Publisher's summary. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Introduction. Her worst seizures advance to status epilepticus—when she seizes for minutes at a time without regaining consciousness. 10). The timeline below shows where the character Sue Xiong appears in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Read the Review. 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. 3-4 Ch. 5-6 Ch. Although Dee follows "the anticonvulsant prescriptions to the letter," Lia continues to have seizures—more frequently than she did at home, in fact. Lia Lee. After graduating in 1975, she wrote for a variety of publications, including Harper's, Life magazine, and The New York Times. Nao Kao and Foua had always carried Lia to the hospital before, but Nao Kao. In retrospect, Fadiman writes, he questioned this decision, but at the time he was steadfast in his belief that he was doing the right thing. Denise Hitchcock. However, the Lees become discouraged when they notice Lia's verbal skills have regressed. The London Observer called "Ex Libris" "witty. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different Groups. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down 1. " The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Summary. Children as young as ten are forced into military service. Yes, including the pigs (after the sacrifice, that is). In the Hmong language the term for epilepsy is qaug dab peg. Unlike violence, death, and exile, Lia's medical catastrophe is not a tragedy the Lees expect. James Naas . CHAPTER ONE. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. Fadiman begins by calling attention to a carton of cassette tapes she keeps beneath her desk. Lia Lee Character Analysis. 9. Neil is a highly intelligent and inquisitive pediatrician who specializes in infections, asthma, and allergies. 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. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. Plot Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Viz Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Spirit Catches You makes teaching easy. She explains how, days after Lia came home. “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. As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. 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. As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. Yikes. 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. The book is about a young Hmong child named Lia Lee. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman - MonkeyNotes by PinkMonkey. 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. Fadiman came to Merced in 1988 after hearing that the hospital was experiencing a swath of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications with the Hmong community. Her siblings grew up around her, part of a close-knit family, some excelling in sports and others going to university. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. 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. By Monica Chiu, PhD University of New Hampshire Hmong. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. 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. You know when Lia is there because you'll undoubtedly find her running "up and down the corridor in the pediatric unit, banging on doors" (5. 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. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quiz 3. Lia ’s father and Foua ’s husband. 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. 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. Summary. Plot Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Viz Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Spirit Catches You makes teaching easy. Lia was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 1. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction . 5 Running Head: The Spirit Catches You and you Fall Down contributied to the developed of postcolonial theory. The Lee family arrives in America in 1980. Young Lia’s health is at risk when the. The narrative, told by Anne Fadiman, follows the trials and tribulations of the Lee family as the U. 1 March 2018. Analysis. The author recalled her introduction to Hmong culture and the Lee family. The lack of understanding and communication lead to a medical tragedy for Hmong child Lia Lee. 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. 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. One case involving the Lees' young. 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. 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 Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997 A modern. She grew only a few inches, gained only a little weight, and always looked younger than her age. 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. Fadiman is skeptical at first: the txiv neeb (shaman) is kinda goofy, and the whole solemnity of the thing is. Illness had come when the wife of a wicked god named Nyong laid an egg full of dabs. Anne updates readers on the book's key figures. On the other hand, Epilepsy is referred to as a neurological. When Lia first returned home from her time in foster care, everyone was elated. The s pirit catches you and you fall down is cited in 14 different citation styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, APA, ACS, and many others. Though Lia 's mother Foua Yang gives birth to Lia in the United States, she delivered 12 children in her native Laos. At 3 months old she started showing signs of severe epilepsy. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. So at least there's that. When Fadiman ’s boyfriend visited her in Merced, Foua decided that she would help get her married. Their advice was daunting and they felt her journey lacked promise. This Hyperink Quicklet includes an overall summary, chapter commentary, key characters, literary themes, fun trivia, and recommended related readings. The colored dots and icons indicate which. Archives of . It deals with their child Lia, her American doctors, and the collisions of those two cultures. 17). The author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. 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 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. 11-12 Ch. ISBN: 0-374-52564-1. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus. One of Lia ’s primary doctors (along with his wife, Peggy Philp) at Merced Community Medical Center. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. 17-18 Ch. Recorded on these tapes are the many conversations she had with American doctors and the Lee family, who came to the United States from Laos as refugees in 1980. Meanwhile, Western medicine is based on the advancement of science and technology. 1). 4. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was her first novel, published in 1997. Chapter 10 describes a defining moment in Hmong history, working together with the defining crisis in Lia 's life that dominates Chapter 11 . At first she meets with Hmong families at the hospital using a nurse's aide as her interpreter. Misunderstandings and disagreements manifested in day-to-day interactions reveal. Downloadable / Printable Version. The Lees knew immediately what had happened. Lia was born in 1982 in Merced, California. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that highlights the struggles between two cultures in healthcare. Once gone, her soul was captured by a dab, or evil spirit. Between the ages of 8 months and four and a half years, the Lees brought Lia to the hospital dozens of times. “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is the story of a Hmong family living in Merced, California and their Daughter, Lia, who has severe epilepsy. The Lees endured the trauma of migrating on foot from Laos to Thailand, but Lia 's mother Foua says Lia's illness is more painful. 2) Title alert! Again, it's important to remember that epilepsy isn't necessarily a bad thing in Hmong culture. He always called an ambulance when Lia had a seizure. “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. The book contains many Hmong phrases and many medical phrases, both unfamiliar to most readers. Anne Fadiman wrote a nonfiction book entitled The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which is the story of a young Hmong girl named Lia Lee who had epilepsy. Summary. At first they stay with relatives in Portland, Oregon. Fadiman, Anne. 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. Neil and Peggy 's son receives a cancer diagnosis, and Peggy and Foua mourn together, bonding over the pain of having a sick child. Share to Facebook. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. Bill didn’t assign blame to Neil for not catching the sepsis. 2. 2 pages at 400 words per page) It is no surprise that Fadiman obsessed over the idea that the gulf between Hmong culture and Western medicine might be “unbridgeable,” since the very aim of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is to examine the missed avenues of communication in a disastrous instance of cross-cultural misunderstanding. Acclaimed by reviewers, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” won a National Book Critics Circle Award. Neil Ernst. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. Find out what happens in our Chapter 1 summary for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. Neil admitted that, after all of his efforts and the building of tension before her cataclysmic seizure, he. Reviews Book Excerpts Media About the Author Reading Guide. They grew opium using a technique called. ” Analysis. By now, Lia has been seizing for almost two hours. …. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. On December 18, 1980, Foua and Nao Kao Lee arrive in the United States with their six surviving children. This essay, "Cultural Conflicts in Fadiman’s “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”" is published exclusively on IvyPanda's free essay examples database. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman Buy Study Guide The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Quotes and Analysis Dan had no way of knowing that. Anne Fadiman. Lia began having epileptic seizures when she was about three months old. The doctors prescribed. Jeanine Hilt just might be our favorite person in The Spirit Catches You. Read More. You can use it for research and reference purposes to write your. The. Anne Fadiman, 1997. 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. Lia’s parents cared for her deeply, yet this arguable preventable tragedy still occurred. Lia has another, even worse seizure three days before Thanksgiving, 1986. 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. When he received the call, he "drove to MCMC as fast as he could" (11. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Her parents assumed the noise of the door had caused her soul to flee. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. Way to conquer, um, incorrect stereotypes about medicine. Nao Kao and Foua arrived at Children’s Valley Hospital after Lia and were troubled to learn about the spinal tap that had been inserted. . Yer, Lia’s older sister, slammed a door which triggered Lia’s first seizure. Analysis. Lia has her first seizure when she is three months old. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis Next Chapter 4 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Three months after her healthy birth, Lia. Beginning in infancy,. The Lees placed her on the mat on the floor where they always placed her at these times. Dressing Fadiman up in traditional Hmong clothing, Foua presented her to her boyfriend, who thought she looked ridiculous. That is why it is so important to establish an appropriate contact to avoid a situation similar to Lia’s problem. ― Sherwin B. Chapter. Unfortunately they might have arrived at the hospital more quickly on foot. A Hmong mother, Foua took it upon herself to perform a marriage ceremony for the author of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, Anne Fadiman. It's a bad scene. Her record nearly always noted the communication difficulties brought about by language differences. It might be the first time a book focusing on transcultural health care made it onto the New York Times best-seller list. 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. Dialect obstructions and conviction framework contrasts kept Lia from accepting ideal care, despite the fact that both her family and the specialists did their closest to perfect to help. 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’. She was in a "persistent vegetative state," able to breath, sleep, and cry, but showing no signs of self-aware. " The word dab refers to a soul-stealing spirit. 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” began by setting the tone of the baffling multifaceted clashes that occurred in Merced, in Central California. 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: ). Fadiman presents Shee Yee as a symbol of the Hmong people. 15-16 Ch. While their children take their father's clan name, Foua follows Hmong tradition and retains Yang—her original clan name—after marriage. In response, Lia's eyes rolled up, her arms jerked over her head, and she fainted. Q. 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. ISBN-13: 9780374533403. Chapter Summaries with Notes / Analysis. 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. If a Hmong walked into a doctor’s office complaining of a stomachache, she says, he may actually be “complaining that the entire universe was out of balance. medical school curricula. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. At this point, [Lia’s sister], who was three at the time, ran over to Lia and started banging her on the chest. Foua and Nao Kao grow to distrust American medicine almost completely. The first paragraph focuses on why Lia’s birth is so different than her siblings. June 6th, this time for six months. Print Word PDF. The book was written by Anne Fadiman, a journalist with some serious pedigree. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. . Jonas attended the most elite secondary school in Laos before eventually earning a master’s degree from a French university. Jeanine takes thorough notes about Lia’s circumstances, notes that Fadiman draws upon extensively to illustrate the specifics of the young girl’s story. The spirit referred to in the name is a soul-stealing dab; thus, the Hmong believe that epilepsy has a spiritual origin and should be treated accordingly. • Chapter 2 - Fish Soup. Anyway, to everyone's surprise, it's one of the most effective campaigns the camp has. This book reveals the tragic struggles between a doctor and patient because of. 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 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. She considers what she's learned while researching, writing, and hearing reader reactions. But for Lia and her family, they had added barriers of being immigrants who speak no English, who cannot find jobs, and were exiled from their own country. Like their patients, they have biases. Share to Reddit. Summary. This chapter explains how the Hmong figured into the Vietnam War and American troops fighting there. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down moves from hospital corridors to healing ceremonies, and from the hill country of Laos to the living rooms of Merced, uncovering in its path the complex sources and implications of two dramatically clashing worldviews. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. The Lee family were. 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. While working at a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, Conquergood hosted a parade "led by three important characters from Hmong folktales" that also conveyed some very useful medical information (4. A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. . Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis. Analysis. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. They're only accessible on tablets, laptops, or desktop computers, so check them out on a compatible device. Culture plays a major role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. 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. Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down When Lia Lee was about three months old, her older sister Yer slammed the front door. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Back then the dude worked eighteen hours a day and still couldn't make ends meet. Now, instead of living off the land, they're forced to rely on American food drops to survive. D. Though they eventually figure that stuff out, they never make too big. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, American journalist Anne Fadiman examines the intense collision between American and Hmong cultures through the case of Lia Lee, a Hmong child, who is too young and too sick to speak for herself. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Analysis. A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. He knew that Lia needed the medical support of the EMTs during transport. Cultural and geographical borders within any society are believed to create boundaries that limit similarities between those on opposite sides. One of Lia ’s primary doctors, and Neil Ernst ’s wife. Summary. Analysis. Both Hmong patients and Western doctors have biases about one another. Analysis. 5 out of 5. The Lee's, a family that endured hardships, frustration, anger, confusion, and hope while living in the United State's of America. The Shared Qualities of Opposing Sides of a Border: How Cultural Relations can Merge Characteristics between Different. 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. 1097/00001888-200106000-00012. Exactly what every hospital needs. The story of Lia Lee in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman, explores many struggles people experience when faced with a life-threatening medical conditions. Lia did not die, nor did she recover. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1997. translating literally to “the spirit catches you and you fall down. What listeners say about The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Average customer ratings. 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. • Chapter 4 - Do Doctors Eat Brains? • Chapter 5 - Take As Directed. 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. He wondered which would have been more discriminatory - to deprive Lia of optimal care that any other child would have received or fail to tailor her treatment in such a way that the. This free study guide is stuffed with the juicy details and. Analysis. Members of 14 Hmong clans live in Merced. This case study illustrates and analyzes the tension an ESL science teacher encountered when his science curriculum came into conflict with the religious and cos-mological beliefs of one of his Hmong immigrant students. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure. Fadiman notes that many Hmong believe spinal taps are “potentially crippling both in this life and in future lives. 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. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down essays are academic essays for citation. Fadiman sensed something else amiss in the girl, too, admitting that perhaps her soul really was missing. ) Citation. Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10. Lia. Lia Lee Character Analysis. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down frequently evokes Hmong history to illuminate the circumstances of Lia Lee ’s medical crisis. 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. Dee Korda Character Analysis. This chapter jumps forward in time three years since the end of Chapter 13. 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. 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. Her older sister, Yer, slammed the front door of the Lees’ apartment. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. On November 25, 1986, Lia has a severe seizure at home. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman is an analysis of Western medicine and traditional Hmong medicine in the treatment of a young child with severe epilepsy in Merced, California. Chapter 14 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis Next Chapter 16 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Fadiman writes that Lia. ABOUT THE BOOK Anne Fadiman's seminal work of nonfiction, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, examines the myriad difficulties and complications. 1. A social worker who works closely with Lia and the Lee family. In 2700 B. The best study guide to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Chapter 2 introduces key facts about the Hmong, which place the Lees' behavior in a broader context. Nonetheless, when she came back inside after watching the family sacrifice a pig in the parking lot, the room’s atmosphere had changed. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the story of a Hmong Family, the Lees, their journey to America, and their struggles following their immigration. 20). She remarks that, even though these recordings have already been transcribed. 4. They feared that the communists were more apt to threaten their autonomy. Fadiman writes that Lia was seven when she first met her, which was two years after she had entered a nonresponsive state (her doctors called this a “persistent vegetative state”). For many American doctors and patients, Western biomedicine is accepted as the default setting. One day, while at a school for children with special needs, Lia falls off a swing and has a major seizure. 31). The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. They knew the y wouldn’t approve of swidden agriculture and because the Hmong had sided with the French, they fear reprisals. , a Chinese emperor named Hoang-ti decrees that any Hmong convicted of a crime will be castrated.