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Analysis Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

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A young Hmong man presents a five-minute oral report in French. The topic he chose was a recipe for la soupe de possion: Fish Soup. He extensively detailed the whole ordeal in a ‘in order to, you must ‘manner. His complex example of something simple extended to forty-five minutes long oral report. The ending results of his presentation left the classroom black board with factors, options and a flowchart written in French with Hmong. When the class was over he confessed to the students that he hoped to have provided enough information. He then wished his classmates good luck in preparing fish soup the Hmong way. The professor of French who shared this story with Anne Fadiman said: “Fish soup. That’s the essence of the Hmong.” The students …show more content…

During the Vietnam War several Hmong’s relocated to America as political refugees. There was an enormous culture shock from both the Hmong and Americans and misunderstandings due to language barrier. Struggling to adapt to a new society with different norms the Hmong were highly underestimated. The author’s encounter with the Hmong patients were very heart felt, she grew especially close to the Lee family whose daughter had been diagnosed with a disease with radically different meanings for Western physicians. The Hmong had viewed epilepsy as state of being not necessarily psychological defect or even series of events. “Their seizures are thought to be evidence that they have the power to perceive things other people cannot see, as well as facilitating their entry into trances, a prerequisite for their journeys into the realm of the unseen” (Fadiman 21). Known as the quag dab peg ‘when you fall the spirit catches you’ are said to be the “most treasured possessions a person can have” (Fadiman 22). Which was considered to be a calling to become a host of a healing spirit. The author kept up to date through Lee’s tragic experience with translation complications, inequality and culture shock. Little did she know that she would be witnessing a “collision” as one doctor called it. Both sides would be wounded, but neither seemed to know the occurrence that led to the accident or how to avoid another

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The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman introduces the reader to the Hmong culture and to the Lee’s family experience with western medicine. Throughout the book it talks of the past interactions of the Hmong and Americans, showing reasoning why the Hmong already mistrust Americans and western medicine. Following World War II, the Hmong culture was rejected and ridiculed by the Chinese for not assimilating with their culture, causing many to move to the U.S. Upon arrival, they were still ridiculed, harassed, and violated. In the Hmong’s eyes, they deserved respect and welfare for their sacrifices in the war.

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