Blog Post 2

Chapters 4-6

Summary of Events

The beginning of this section of Stiff begins with Mary Roach investigating the uses cadavers served in implementing and researching safety hazards. UM 006 is a cadaver who participated in a study to determine how much force the human body can tolerate when in a side-impact car crash. During the study, Roach tackled various ethical dilemmas including the use of children cadavers, how researchers can work with cadavers, and the decision to tell the families of the cadavers what they are going to be used for. Due to these dilemmas, many researchers prefer to not use cadavers unless it is necessary. She also mentioned that cadavers were an essential part of innovative safety measures such as the non-face-gashing windshields, collapsible steering wheel shafts, collapsible hoods, lap-shoulder belts, air bags, dashboard padding, and recessed dashboard knobs. In cases where cadavers couldn't be used, animals were used such as in pediatric studies. Cadaver injuries can be investigated by injury analysts to determine their cause of death and/or the cause of an accident. These cadavers can tell the story of the events that transpired in their death such as in the case of the crash of Flight 800. The injuries they sustain such as severe lung damage, ribs puncturing the lungs, ruptured aorta, and the location of specific burns. Injury analysts would then come up with theories about the specifics of the accident and test them using animals. Mary Roach also goes into detail about the requirements needed to accept needed safety measures into business. Many industries would put a price on the human life and use the money to decide of they want to implement the safety measures. Cadavers can also be used to test bullet impact in the body and to develop safety equipment for those working with landmines. Mary Roach mentioned how many researchers would prefer to use dummies or artificial human tissue to replicate the internal processes that occur during the impaction.

"There can be no lonelier state of being than that of being a corpse."

Organization

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is organized by Mary Roach in alternating anecdotes that include history and statistical information. Each chapter discusses important information about the manners in which cadavers have influenced, and continue to influence, our daily lives. In this section Mary's organization style helps the reader understand the past contributions cadavers have made in implementing safety measures and how they are continuing to be used to further protect the human body from other types of injuries such as paralysis and amputations. She begins by introducing the main topic of the chapter and then discussing the history that led to the events of the study, including some personal anecdotes to insert her own input. For example, she introduces UM 006 at the beginning of chapter 4 and then follows it by including historical data and personal comments, "The dead's first contribution to safe driving was the non-face-gashing windshield. The first Fords came without windshields...They weren't trying to affect a dashing World War I flying-ace mien...".

Style and Tone

When the subject becomes too gruesome or too grave, Mary Roach uses humor to alleviate the tension. This is evident when Mary states that landmine tests done on cadavers are "like market-testing Kid Rock singles on a roomful of Perry Como fans". However, she also poses abstract questions such as "Who decides when it's okay to sacrifice human lives to save money?", to encourage the reader to contemplate about certain ethical dilemmas that influence many parts of our lives. This contributes to the overall light, but serious tone of the novel that Roach uses to keep her audience entertained while also teaching them to respect the cadavers and honor their crucial contributions to society.