What are the motifs in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman?

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down introduces some elements of traditional Hmong culture. These include the qeej, mortar and pestle, herbs, and nyias. The qeej is a versatile musical instrument. Young Hmong men learned to play it. It was used in courting a girl and later in religious ceremonies. In this book the father figure, Nao Kao, was a skilled qeej player.