What did Lia have in the spirit catches you and you fall down?
Lia’s doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg–the spirit catches you and you fall down–and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices.
What does the title The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down mean?
epileptic seizure
‘The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down’ is the literal translation of the Hmong terminology for an epileptic seizure. The journalist Anne Fadiman takes you through the maddeningly frustrating journey of a loving Hmong family and their dedicated western doctors.
Who is the narrator in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down?
Anne Fadiman
Anne Fadiman: author and narrator of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, writing about her experience with Lia and her family. Throughout the story, she stresses the importance of cultural competence in the doctor-patient relationship (and in the greater medical establishment).
Who are the main characters in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down?
Lia LeeNeil ErnstPeggy PhilpNao Kao LeeFoua Yang
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down/Characters
Who is Neil Ernst?
One of Lia’s primary doctors (along with his wife, Peggy Philp) at Merced Community Medical Center. Neil is a highly intelligent and inquisitive pediatrician who specializes in infections, asthma, and allergies.
What is QAUG dab peg?
But for traditional Hmong who have retained their animistic beliefs, epilepsy (qaug dab peg, literally translated as “the spirit catches you and you fall down,” which became the title of my book) is caused by a malevolent spirit called a dab, who captures someone’s soul and makes him or her sick.
Who is May Ying Xiong in the spirit catches you?
Fadiman’s interpreter, or—in Sukey Waller’s words—“cultural broker.” May Ying is a twenty year old clerk-typist at the Merced County Office of Refugee Services when Fadiman first meets her.
Who is Neil and Peggy in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down?
Is The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down based on a true story?
The story of Lia, the severely brain-damaged daughter of Hmong refugees who had resettled in California, became the subject of Ms. Fadiman’s first book, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” published in 1997.
Is Lia Lee alive?
Lia Lee died in Sacramento on Aug. 31. (Her death was not widely reported outside California.) The immediate cause was pneumonia, Ms.
How do the Hmong view epilepsy?
The Hmong name of epilepsy is qaug dab peg, which translates to “the spirit catches you and you fall down*” illuminates the Hmong belief that those who are epileptic are gifted with the ability to enter the spirit realm.
What did the Lees believe about Lia’s illness?
They were especially concerned that anything would compromise her health and happiness. Jeanine Hilt, a social worker who worked with the Lees, said that they considered Lia an anointed one and her illness more of a blessing than an affliction.
How do the Hmong think about seizures?
What were the Lees beliefs about Lia’s illness?
The Lees were no different than any other Hmong in their attitude toward Lia’s illness – a mixture of concern and pride. The Hmong are exceptionally well known for the gentleness with which they treat their children. They consider them as the most treasured possession a person can have.
How does The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down End?
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. As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings.
Who is Lia in the spirit catches you?
Who wrote the spirit catches you and you fall down?
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 author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down.
Who is Lia Lee in the spirit catches you and you fall down?
A little girl who is part of Merced, California’s population of Hmong immigrants. 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 author of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down.
Who are the doctors in the spirit catches you and you fall down?
Anne Fadiman: author and narrator of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, writing about her experience with Lia and her family. Throughout the story, she stresses the importance of cultural competence in the doctor-patient relationship (and in the greater medical establishment). Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp: Lia’s primary care doctors at MCMC.
What is the antagonist in the spirit catches you and you fall down?
Antagonist: The most immediate antagonistic force in The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down is Lia’s epilepsy, though Fadiman is more interested in exploring the miscommunication across cultural divides that render her doctors and parents unable to work together to treat her illness.