An Analysis Of Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down

Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down recounts the hardships of the Lees, a Hmong refugee family from Laos, with the Western/American healthcare system in Merced, California in treating their daughter, Lia, who has epilepsy. Nao Kao and Foua, the parents, believe Lia has a condition called “quag dab peg”, which translates to “the spirit catches you and you fall down.” This is a condition that is well esteemed and honored in Hmong culture because it suggests that the person with the condition may be destined to become a “tvix neeb,” or divine healer. When Lia was three months old, her older sister, Yer, abruptly slammed the front door in the Lee’s apartment. Following this incident, Lia’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body began to spasm and she fainted. The Lees firmly believed that, as a result of the frightening noise of the slamming door, Lia’s soul wandered from her body and was lost. The Hmong believe it is the soul—that which is essential for health, happiness and growth—that is lost when a person becomes ill. The Hmong people regard health as spiritual, and use natural remedies and participate in ceremonies performed by shamans to remove illness from the body. Since Lia was the favored daughter of the Lees, they worried …show more content…
Because of the Hmong’s aid in this war they were offered refuge in America, which many took advantage of due to the hatred, violence and instability in their country after the war. Instead of receiving the respect and true freedom they deserved in America for their bravery and sacrifices during the war, they were disrespected and were forced to become dependent on programs such as welfare for basic needs such as food. These institutional structures, in turn, deny the Hmong of the independence and self-sufficiency that is deeply rooted in their