In "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," author Mary Roach explores the emotional challenges faced by medical professionals working with cadavers. The passage highlights a moment of disconnection an anatomy student experiences when she realizes a cadaver's arm is around her waist, illustrating how such encounters can disrupt the clinical detachment necessary in their work. Roach conveys the unexpected sense of humanness that cadavers can evoke, often leading to uncomfortable reflections on mortality and the nature of being human.

This struggle to maintain a professional distance emphasizes the complexity of working with bodies that were once living individuals. The student’s observation about a “disconnected hand” symbolizes the difficulty of reconciling the clinical aspects of dissection with the lingering humanity of the deceased. Roach's narrative delves into these moments, capturing the profound impact they have on those who engage with human remains, challenging the strict boundaries between science and emotion in the field of anatomy.