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.
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. This is evident in the recountment of a Hmong American that returns to visit Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand, after establishing herself in the United States. Most of the book is written with a focus on the Western doctors lacking understanding of Hmong language, customs and culture which in turn made it difficult for them to treat patients such as Lia. They struggled to explain procedures, while practical to them, appeared harmful and life-threating to the Hmong.
In her brilliant and award-winning book, The Spirit Catches You & You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman skillfully demonstrates the cultural 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 sever epilepsy. Both Lia’s parents, as well as the doctors present, wanted what was best for her. However, the lack of understanding between them led to a tragedy. Fadiman did an outstanding job at demonstrating that cultural understanding is essential but lacking in the modern biomedical system. She successfully illustrated the way hospital bureaucracy often detracts from the desired end results of helping patients get well according to their definitions as well.
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.
Introduction Poetry has long been revered as a medium through which to explore the intricacies of the human experience, delving into themes such as nature, love, and the complexities of existence. Within the vast landscape of poetic exploration, Li-Young Lee's "From Blossoms" and Louise Glück's "Ithaca" stand as luminous exemplars, each offering a unique perspective on the profound connections between humanity, the natural world, and the enigmatic nature of love. In this essay, we embark on a journey through these poems, uncovering the layers of meaning, imagery, and emotion that resonate within their lines. Li-Young Lee's "From The Blossoms" At the heart of Li-Young Lee's "From Blossoms" lies a celebration of life's sensory richness and transient beauty. The poem opens with a scene of abundance, as the speaker describes ripe peaches "coming nectar at the roadside" – a sensory feast that evokes the
Imagery and tone plays a huge role for the author in this poem. It’s in every stanza and line in this poem. The tone is very passionate, joyful and tranquil.
The overall effect of the poem is a quiet reflection. The poem leaves the reader with a feeling of self-analysis, prompting them to consider their own experiences and search for the deeper meaning within them. It also allows the reader to consider the beauty and mystery of the natural
Wyatt Tucker Mrs.Briglia Block 1 28 March 2023 “Initiation” It could affect peoples realization that they don’t need a group for finding their true self. “Initiation”, by Sylvia Plath, is about a girl in high school trying to join a sorority, but is getting put up with task to see if she’s worthy like making her go buy them sandwiches and sending a handsome man out to talk to her to intentionally make her fail, but then she had later on realized that she doesn’t need them or the sorority to be herself. In “Initiation”, by Sylvia Plath uses symbolism , conflict, and indirect characterization to show when one is searching for an identity, it can lead to them finding their true selfs. In the story “Initiation”, Plath uses setting by showing when and where the story taking place.
The countless types of trees and the warm sun in the horizon gave a peaceful and soothing mood. I felt relaxed and forgot about the stressful things in life. The quote “Every natural action is graceful” by Emerson in his essay, Nature, reminded me of how each object in nature is elegant and beautiful, no aspect of it is
as in her final moments the narrator recalls her earliest connection to the landscape. A key theme throughout the poem is the importance of embracing nature, emphasized by the metaphor of the “fine pumpkins grown on a trellis” which rise in towards the “fastness of light”, which symbolizes the narrators own growth, flourishing as a fruit of the earth. Through her metaphors and complex conflagration of shifting perspectives, Harwood illustrates the relationship that people can develop with landscapes, seeing both present and past in
The poem, written by Sara Teasdale, was written as a response to World War I. The poem’s main theme is the idea that nature will always outlast humanity.
There is a hero in almost every story. A hero doesn’t always necessarily involve physical strength, it can be defined many other ways. A hero is someone who is idealized for their noble qualities, courage and outstanding achievements. In Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein, the hero in the story is Victor Frankenstein. Victor sacrifices his family, his life, and other peoples lives for his pursuit of creating life, and attempting to cure diseases.
The calming light that speckles onto the ground through the leaves of the tree enchants the speaker. It captivates the poet to become under nature’s spell by its enchanting beauty. The power and mystery behind nature is unbelievable as humans continue to explore the wonders of how nature works at its
Additionally, “defining the wood with one feature prefigures one of the essential ideas of the poem: the insistence that a single decision can transform a life” (Robinson). This one feature, the yellow leaves, and in it the sole definition of
In this grand poem, Whitman glorifies the unity of all people and life. He embraces the geographical diversity as well as the diversity of culture, work, as well as sexuality or beliefs. Whitman’s influence sets American dreams of freedom, independence, and self-fulfillment, and changes them for larger spiritual meaning. Whitman appreciates hard work as well as being simple and non-egotistical. His major ideas are things such as soul, good health, as well as the love of nature.
