Sharing a room with a cadaver is only mildly different from being in a room alone. They are the same sort of company as people across from you on subways or in airport lounges, there but not there. Your eyes keep going back to them, for lack of anything more interesting to look at, and then you feel bad for staring.
In "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," Mary Roach explores the intriguing relationship between humans and cadavers, highlighting how their presence is often seen as just background noise. Sharing a space with a cadaver evokes a similar sense of isolation as sitting alone among strangers in public places. People are physically present yet emotionally distant, leading to a unique form of companionship that prompts reflection and curiosity.
The quote captures the discomfort and fascination that arise when faced with such a stark reality. Just as one may awkwardly glance at fellow passengers in a subway, the act of observing a cadaver stirs a blend of intrigue and societal taboos, suggesting that our perceptions of life and death are profoundly intertwined in shared human experiences.
