The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

Picture being displaced in a country you know little about except for the fact that it’s safer than yours. You and your three children have successfully escaped persecution and are subsisting off of government aid. However, you don’t understand the Native language and you differ tremendously when it comes to cultural beliefs. You do know that when anyone is ill, it is because their soul is out of balance with their body, but the Natives in this country constantly resort to temples for intimate examinations that you consider taboo. When the Natives do receive medicine though, they typically get worse, but the doctor just prescribes more medicine. Then one day, one of your beloved children attends a mandatory examination and is diagnosed with cancer.
However, your child’s response to the medication has been quite erratic but the doctor insists that the routine is followed. Not only are you growing frustrated, but you’re losing faith in Native medicine and so you take matters into your hands by reverting to your own cultural practices. This reluctant attitude similarly reflects the case study from Anne Fadiman’s book, The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down, regarding cultural distinctions between the Hmong and Americans in the United States. There is an infinite difference between the Hmong and American biomedical community as the cultural taboos, differing cultural views towards illnesses and weight are perceived differently, which provokes a higher potential for unsuccessful treatment and can lead to preventable devastating