Are you a fantasy fan or does science-fiction strike your fancy? Although we can all agree that sci-fi is way better (come on, space battles vs. jousting? duh), Nao Kao and Foua Lee might land on the mysticism side of the fence. If sci-fi stems from Western science, then the fact that the Lees are anti-that in general—instead preferring the spiritual (and decidedly unscientific) traditions of their Hmong culture—has quite the impact on their views.
This isn't a problem until their daughter Lia has several major seizures that require hospitalization. And as it turns out, you encounter a lot of science in the halls of a hospital. The resulting conflict illustrates a larger cultural difference between the Lees and their doctors—or, in other words, the difference between Game of Thrones and Star Trek.
Questions About Science
- Would Lia have gotten better if Nao Kao and Foua followed the doctors' orders?
- What does Blia Yao mean when he says that Hmong culture is "non-Cartesian"?
- How is Dwight Conquergood able to reach a middle ground between Hmong mysticism and Western science?
- Has living in America change the Lees' view of science?
- Is Star Trek actually better than Game of Thrones?
Chew on This
The biggest barrier between the Lees and Lia's doctors is that the doctors view the world through the lens of science, while the Lees view it through a lens of mysticism.
Dwight Conquergood manages to convey scientific ideas to the Hmong only because he uses their own culture and ideals as a framework for teaching them.