The Spirit catches You
The two cultures
1. Do you think the author was evenhanded in her presentation of Hmong culture and medical culture? I absolutely believe that the author was evenhanded in her presentation of the two cultures. Throughout the book it was clear that she tried to look at everything from as many perspectives as possible to accurately portray the Hmong culture and medical culture.
3. Over the centuries, the Hmong fought against many different peoples who claimed sovereignty over their lands. What role has this tumultuous history played in the formation of Hmong culture? The history of the Hmong people is one of the more predominant factors in the formation of the Hmong culture. Through all the fighting and migrating that the Hmong had to go through as a group resulted in a culture, in which everyone is extremely close and unified. Even after the majority of their population left the Chinese land to move to Indochina, they were again in conflict with the French and underwent even more fighting and rebellion. Surely, the nature of the Hmong culture was significantly influenced by the fact that their history of non-stop aggression and need to be independent. As one could easily imagine, this kind of history lends itself to the formation of a culture that consists of a closely-knit community that has a lot of pride. This is made especially clear with how everyone does their best in trying to help the Lee’s with Lia.
4. How does the Hmong folktale about how Shee Yee fought with nine evil dab brothers, told at the end of chapter 12, reflect Hmong culture? This folktale demonstrates the essence of the Hmong culture on several levels. In the fighting, the themes of determination, never giving up, and being smart in one’s judgment reflects some of the underlying premises the Hmong culture.
5. What do traditional Hmong consider their most important duties and obligations? What do American doctors consider their most important duties and obligations? Fadiman clearly
1. Do you think the author was evenhanded in her presentation of Hmong culture and medical culture? I absolutely believe that the author was evenhanded in her presentation of the two cultures. Throughout the book it was clear that she tried to look at everything from as many perspectives as possible to accurately portray the Hmong culture and medical culture.
3. Over the centuries, the Hmong fought against many different peoples who claimed sovereignty over their lands. What role has this tumultuous history played in the formation of Hmong culture? The history of the Hmong people is one of the more predominant factors in the formation of the Hmong culture. Through all the fighting and migrating that the Hmong had to go through as a group resulted in a culture, in which everyone is extremely close and unified. Even after the majority of their population left the Chinese land to move to Indochina, they were again in conflict with the French and underwent even more fighting and rebellion. Surely, the nature of the Hmong culture was significantly influenced by the fact that their history of non-stop aggression and need to be independent. As one could easily imagine, this kind of history lends itself to the formation of a culture that consists of a closely-knit community that has a lot of pride. This is made especially clear with how everyone does their best in trying to help the Lee’s with Lia.
4. How does the Hmong folktale about how Shee Yee fought with nine evil dab brothers, told at the end of chapter 12, reflect Hmong culture? This folktale demonstrates the essence of the Hmong culture on several levels. In the fighting, the themes of determination, never giving up, and being smart in one’s judgment reflects some of the underlying premises the Hmong culture.
5. What do traditional Hmong consider their most important duties and obligations? What do American doctors consider their most important duties and obligations? Fadiman clearly