Clifton Fadiman Essays

  • Character Analysis: The Chosen By Chaim Potok

    1028 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hey Look a Pseudonym 11/1/15 Ms.Meng Character Study Fan Fiction for The Chosen English I: 8-1 Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction based on Chaim Potok's novel, The Chosen, published by Ballantine Books in 1967. I, its author, do not in any way profit from this story. All rights to the characters belong to the copyright holder(s) of The Chosen. The Wrong Type of Fight My name is Marvin Galanter. I am 31 years old. Despite being short, slightly chubby, and deaf in my left ear, I am an excellent

  • Tod Clifton's Brother: Summary

    993 Words  | 4 Pages

    from Brother Jack in the middle of the night. The narrator is told that Brother Clifton is no where to be found as well as that Ras the Explorer wants to take over the city of Harlem. The narrator is incredibly caught off guard at what he is being told for he thought for sure he was going to be in trouble with the Brotherhood but instead he is handed his news which is cause for concern. Chapter Twenty 55.How did Clifton choose to make his escape, or “to fall outside,” from

  • Feminism Is For Everybody Analysis

    1331 Words  | 6 Pages

    Feminism is a movement that’s purpose is to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression as defined in Feminism Is For Everybody by bell hooks. Gloria Jean Watkins, better known as bell hooks, is an American writer, teacher, and cultural critic. Born September 25, 1952, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, she attended racially segregated public schools as a child and later attended Stanford University on scholarship where she attained her bachelor’s degree. Following her graduation from Stanford, she

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1416 Words  | 6 Pages

    In her book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman describes the story of the Lee family and the conflicting views that arose between Western and Eastern beliefs on providing Lia medical aid. When Laos fell to the communists, the Lees were among the thousands of Hmong who fled the country. They arrived in the U.S. with their seven children and settled in the town Merced. When the Lee’s fourteenth child, Lia, was three months, her older sister slammed the front door of the apartment

  • Book Report On The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1294 Words  | 6 Pages

    The “Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman is the story of a refugee family from Laos in the United States. The story develops over the tragic case of one of the family’s daughters named Lia, who suffers from epilepsy. The book describes the Hmong’ beliefs and medical Western practices in medicine and how it influences Lia’s life. In addition, the book relates the barriers of becoming part of a new culture, the Western perspective in medicine, and the misunderstanding between the

  • Li Bai's Shadow Summary

    553 Words  | 3 Pages

    Do you believe in spirit guides? How about imaginary friends? Li Bai’s Shadow is a young adult book that is based on these concepts. It was written by Lee J. Mavin and focuses on Li Bai, a historical figure who lived during the Tang Dynasty of China. He was a wine drinker, a wanderer, and a famous Chinese poet. In the present era, he attaches himself to Caitlin, a motherless Australian girl who suffers from OCD. Having been her imaginary friend since she was an infant, the spiritual poet accompanies

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1806 Words  | 8 Pages

    contrast to Lia’s Western medicine diagnosis of epilepsy, her parents interpret epilepsy, or quag deb peg in the Hmong language, as both a serious and dangerous disease and a sign of distinction, indicating that she could potentially become a shaman (Fadiman 20-21). On the other hand, the physicians are continuously trying to prevent and treat Lia’s seizures,

  • The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Analysis

    674 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fadiman believes Lia’s life was “ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding” (Fadiman 1997). The Lee’s were not the only ones suffering from not understanding, the doctors were struggling with it as well. A clear example is found in chapter thirteen when the doctor has

  • Book Review Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    864 Words  | 4 Pages

    Anne Fadiman, author of the book, ‘The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” reveals the negative effects of no cross-cultural communication in the medical profession. Lia Lee and her family had no previous experiences in an American hospital, America no less. This proved to be difficult, leading both sides (Hmong family and doctors) to misinterpret what both are doing and saying. This book summary summarized the book, the qualifications of the sources used, and critiques the book as a whole. The

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1938 Words  | 8 Pages

    After reading “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman, is an interesting book because it talks about the Hmong culture and their believes in medicine. A lot of cultures have their own way with handling medical issues, whether it is with some sort of herbs or whatever that culture uses to help the sick. In the book it’s about a little girl that suffers from having seizures and how the family is trying to use their cultural believes but also uses Western medicine to stop the seizures

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

    1617 Words  | 7 Pages

    In Anne Fadiman’s book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, two cultures clash with each other in the struggle to save Lia Lee, a Hmong child refugee with severe epilepsy. Although Lee and her family live in the United States, and thus receive medical care from Westerners, her family believes that Lee’s condition is sacred and special. The following miscommunications, both culturally and lingually, between the American doctors and the Lee family leave Lia Lee in comatose at the end of the book

  • Review Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1983 Words  | 8 Pages

    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

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    807 Words  | 4 Pages

    and You Fall Down is a tragic true story written by Anne Fadiman, who spent over five years in the middle of a fight between Hmong culture and American medicine. The book is about a young Hmong child named Lia Lee. At 3 months old she started showing signs of severe epilepsy. Her American doctors had a strict and rigorous treatment plan, but were baffled when the family refused to follow it because of their culture and beliefs. Anne Fadiman originally went to the Lee’s hometown of Merced California

  • The Little Lizard's Sorrow: A Study Of Vietnamese Culture

    671 Words  | 3 Pages

    I am a 13 year-old student at Old Donation School, and during class, I have been studying Vietnamese culture and different short stories from that culture. I am writing this letter to you so that you would consider my original composition. The original composition, which is called Sự công bằng or The Fair, is a fable that is based on the archetypal concepts of the Vietnamese culture. It is about a young boy named Dinh, who really wants to get this dragon lantern from the fair, but there are some

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    905 Words  | 4 Pages

    Task: Name: Course Name: Course Code: Lecturer: Date:   The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book written by Anne Fadiman about a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of the two cultures. It was first published in 1997. The author writes about Lia, a Hmong girl, who suffered from epilepsy that was recognised as qaug dab peg meaning the spirit catches you and you fall down in Hmong. Lia, unlike her older siblings, was born in the Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC) and

  • The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Lia Lee

    1369 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Spirit Catches You ​The Spirit Catches you and You fall down centers on Lia Lee, an epileptic Hmong Child who is caught in-between care of her loving parents and the responsibility of her caring doctors. Her parents are traditional Hmong’s who are hesitant towards American medicinal methods compared to Hmong traditional methods. While on the other side stands her American doctors, who were educated in American Universities and are for the most part are very much against treating Lia with

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    565 Words  | 3 Pages

    ‘The spirit catches you and you fall down’ was published in 2012 by essayist and reporter Anne Fadiman. This introductory book review analyzes the way in which different cultures perceive illnesses and diseases. It focuses on the story of the Lees a Hmong family, who moved to the United States and experiences difficulties with language, culture and biomedicine method of healing, which contradict to Hmong’s way of healing. The chapters describe the differences between the ways childbirth is conducted

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Annie Fadiman

    1144 Words  | 5 Pages

    fall down by Annie Fadiman is a story about Hmong girl named Lia Lee, who is epileptic. Lia Lee suffered from seizures and eventually becomes vegetative for the rest of her life. The story is about a series of episodes of miscommunication, misinterpretations, disagreements between Lia’s parents and the medical team who is treating her. According to the Hmong culture they referred to the condition as the “quag dag peg,” which means the spirit catches you and you fall down (Fadiman, 2012). It first happened

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1149 Words  | 5 Pages

    The author of this book is called Anne Fadiman. It is based on a story of a Hmong child known as Lia Lee who suffered from epilepsy. The demise of this condition shows the harm that can be contributed by absence of cross-cultural communication especially in the area of medicine. At the age of three months, the elder sister to Lia known as Yer banged a door which caused Lia to have the first seizure. Lia’s parents, Nao Kao and Foua had the believe that the loud sound made by the door led to the fleeing

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

    1777 Words  | 8 Pages

    down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman presents a case study of a young Hmong girl, Lia, and her journey with Epilepsy in America. Lia at the age of three months began to seize, the family had diagnosed her with qug dab peg which also means the spirit catches you and you fall down (Fadiman 1997:20). However medical doctors had diagnosed her epilepsy (Fadiman 1997:28). Throughout the book she describes the history of the Hmong people, from their