March 14, 2007
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Life or Soul
I just finish a non-fiction book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, written by Anne Fadiman. The book is about a Hmong little girl who is epileptic. The treatment for her got complicated, ultimately failed, and rendered her in a comatose state. Just being true to the phrase printed on the cover “A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures,” the author deftly takes us through a vast land of Hmong cultures, history, people, and languages and the conflict due to cultural differences. I like Anne Fadiman’s neutral attitude and objective observation when she discusses and portrays the conflict between the doctors and Lia’s parents. I also like her compassion when she has to show Hmong people in a negative light. If I could choose an American author to write about Vietnam, I would like to choose Ann Fadiman to do the job. She is a fabulous writer, and a meticulous reasearcher. She seems to know Hmong people just like a Hmong does. I would dare to say, in academic terms, she may have known Hmong history and cultures a lot more than a Hmong who immigrates to the United States in early age or who is born here.
It is difficult and unjust to talk about this marvelous book in a short parargraph to fit Xanga preference. Also I am very busy with school works at the moment. Dr. J is just like any good teachers, he is extremely demanding! I hope by next week I can write a summary and give you’re a few excerpts.
I avoid to give an excerpt without giving a little background because it may cause misunderstanding. But the end of the book is very good, I have to share.
In the excerpt, Bill is a doctor and Sukey is a psychotherapist. They are discussing the choices that doctor have to make when the treatment is in conflict with a parent’s belief. For example, in certain religion, patient’s parents do not allow to withdraw blood or fluid in the spine of the patients. Lia’s parents many times did not follow the treatment instructions because they think that worsened her illness.—
“You have to act on behalf of the most vulnerable person in the situation,” said Bill, “and that’s the child. The child’s welfare is more important than the parents’ beliefs. You have to do what is best for the child, even if the parents oppose it, because if the child dies, she won’t get the chance to decide twenty years down the road if she wants to accept her parents beliefs or if she wants to reject them. She is going to be dead.”
“Well,” said Sukey tartly, “that’s the job you have taken on in your profession.”
“I’d feel the same way if I weren’t a doctor,” said Bill. “I would feel I am my brother’s keeper.”
“That’s tyranny,” said Sukey. “What if you have a family who rejects surgery because they believe an illness has a spiritual cause? What if they see a definite possibility or eternal damnation for their child if she dies from the surgery? Next to that, death might not seem so important. Which is more important, the life or the soul?
“I make no appology,” said Bill. The life comes first.”
“The soul,” said Sukey.
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What do you say? Life or Soul?
Me? Life first. I have to search for my soul which has been wandering for a while.
Comments (19)
this is such a great book. i had the opportunity to meet with Ann F a couple of years back at a conference and she really is a great historian. Prior to writing the book, she spent a lot of time in the Hmong community. hence why she writes so knowledgeably about the tradition and culture.
about your question, my family practices shamanism and healing the soul is priority. however, because most of my life has been lived inside the western culture, i’d have to say that life is a lot more important than the soul. why heal the soul if the person is going to die? doesn’t that seem futile? why not heal the person then the sould? my parents are often unable to distinguish to two saying that your life is tied to your soul and that in order to gain life, you must repair the soul first.
that sound like a very interesting book…I would find out that book and read more about it…
I have to pick up a book for my sister.
i guess it depends on the stages of one’s life..for a child = life
Life or Soul isn’t a fair question to ask. You can live a life without a soul, like many of us have done here on xanga. But you can’t live a life without a life even you have a thousand souls. Belief is one of the thing that you can’t say it’s wrong or right. When you deal with medical situation doesn’t matter what your belief is it will break you into pieces to watch your loved one struggling for his or her life. When you religously belive in something and never let go which I have seen one of the cases here in MA where the parents (cult members) let their child died because they believed she would help the family after her death, they believed she was born to sacrify. Psychiatrist calls these people crazy. And I said you want to live let the treatment come.
sao ma` da`i qua’… i read later…. just wantto comment you first.. have a good day… I’m so bz today….. errrrr…..
Interesting…… given the fact that I have healthcare coverage. I am already in the former camp.
pre-med student should read this book. Perhaps it will help them during the interview process.
That book reminds me of the movie “City of Angels”
I loved the book, too. It’s been a while since I read it but your excerpt brought it all back. I read it before I got cancer again, when I was living a life I shouldn’t. I didn’t know my soul was suffering. When you posed the question I realized I look at it differently now than when I was reading the book. I was more concerned about my life than my soul in those days. When I see patients in the hospital who don’t know if they’re going to live, they quickly become acquainted with their long-lost souls. You can see it in their eyes. The soul may come first but it’s not until life is passing that we know that.
i’ve been told that it’s a good book, though i only got to the first few pages. should pick it up again, when i’m done w/ the ones i’m reading. as for ur question, a difficult 1 to answer indeed, depending on wat one believes i suppose. i cant answer the question
and i’ve no clue why u’d think that i’m a good cook no1 who tasted my food thinks so, including myself 
I’d love to see your library. You read so many interesting books =)
i wondering is this ..one of the school book that you have to do research? aw oi…. i am behind with skool too…. spring break is not break for me…….
It seems like an interesting book…Life or Soul? It has to depend on certain situation…but Life should always come first
well, it depends on the situation……it could be both too…or life is always first…….then soul comes after that…w/o life..there is no soul…
Since you popped the question. what is your opinion about Life and soul?
That is a hard question to answer.. Buddhish people believe that after live there is death but the soul never die.. It keeps on living. I agree with sis that our soul can be wandering sometime and it takes lots of efforts to find it again for the heart to be content.
Good book! I had to read it for school….Asian American studies. And had great time discussing it from politics to medicine to religion…it was NUTS!!! =D
Have a good weekend Awish.