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

‘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 in Hmong society compared to the western society. As well as the struggle the Lees family has with the cultural differences in diagnoses and treatment of their ill daughter. This methodology used in Anne Fadiman book involves real life events being

Foua would have squatted on the floor of her house, which was made of dirt. She would manage not to let the baby touch the floor by holding the baby head while it was about to be born. After the birth her husband Nao Kao would bury the placenta near their house, as it is believed that the placenta serves as a jacket which when a Hmong die they would need it to continue their journey to be reunited with its ancestors. All Foua children were born this way except for Lie. In the MCMC hospital Foua was on steel table and in a sterilize environment, where doctors would conduct procedures to help speed up the labor. After the birth the baby would be taken to a special room where they would examine and give some injections to prevent infections. The placenta was most of the time incinerated. Also the mother and the baby were required to stay in the hospital for tree days. This contradicts to the Hmong believes since on the third day of a baby's life a naming ceremony called bu plig is usually conducted. Until the ceremony the baby was not considerate part of the human race. Lie “bu pig” ceremony had to be postponed, but eventually took place with the presence of an elderly from the Yang clan