2 Vol. 2 Vol. 2 Vol. Vol. 2 The Carthage Vanguard Volume 2 The Carthage Vanguard Copyright © by The Carthage Vanguard http://carthagevanguard.com Originally Published in the United States by Carthage College in 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher, with the exception of brief quotations for review purposes. claim to be true under every circumstance. Academic review is welcomed for the furtherment of education. The Carthage Vanguard Volume 2 Table of Contents Vanguard Staff..........................................................................................................................................................................................4 Letter from the Editor............................................................................................................................................................................5 Letter from the College Provost..........................................................................................................................................................6 Humanities Division The Cult of Destructivity.........................................................................................................................................................7 By Emily Brownell The Power of Cute...................................................................................................................................................................16 By Mary Christopher A Career is a Journey, Not a Predetermined Destination.........................................................................................26 By Cami Christopulos Witch Burning...........................................................................................................................................................................32 By Anesce Dremen Double Standards Regarding Sex and Gender in Steinbeck’s East of Eden........................................................39 By Dana Ehrmann On Winged Words.....................................................................................................................................................................49 By Micole Gauvin Female Characters in August Wilson’s Plays.................................................................................................................59 By Lindsay Phillips An Assessment of the Reader-Novel Relationship in Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone....................................69 By April Schultz Forming a Relationship through Communication........................................................................................................73 By Lindsay Stephan In Defense of the Counterintuitive......................................................................................................................................79 By Allison Von Borstel Natural Sciences Division Curcumin Restores the Growth of Beta-cells in Non-obese Diabetic Mice..........................................................85 By Suresh Graf Polyvalency of Subcluster A2 Mycobacteriophages: the Role of Tail Fibers and Their Amino Acid..........95 By Beth Klein The Effectiveness of Commercial Topical Rubefacient Creams on Handgrip Endurance.............................113 By Jacelyn Peabody, Beth Klein, Alexis Kingery, Beth Klein, Kayla Palmer, Logan Sedig, Phung Nguyen Three Mantis Species Adopt More Cautious Hunting Behavior When Facing Dangerous Prey...................123 By Logan Sedig Social Sciences Division The Façade of Food Consumption...................................................................................................................................132 By Shanthi Cambala, Alexis Hosch, John Noonan, and Nyamaragachaa Bayarsaikhan The Short-Term Effects of Hatha Yoga on Mood States.............................................................................................135 By Samantha Heyne The Dynamic Between Income Inequality and Electoral Participation in the U.S.......................................165 By Megan Von Borstel The Carthage Vanguard Volume 2 The Carthage Vanguard Staff Allison Von Borstel Editor-in-Chief of the Humanities and Social Sciences Jacelyn Peabody Managing Editor of the Natural Sciences Laurel McKenzie Managing Editor of the Humanities Cami Christopulos Managing Editor of the Social Sciences Ben Massat Editor of the Natural Sciences Megan Von Borstel Editor of the Social Sciences Taylor Kloha Editor of the Humanities Mary Weir Copy Editor Jessica Livingston Director of Marketing and Public Relations Edward Prybil Graphic Design Specialist Dr. Joseph Wall Primary Advisor 4 The Carthage Vanguard Volume 2 A Letter from the Editor By Cami Christopulos am honored to provide you the second issue of The Carthage Vanguard. Last year, inspi- ration For this journal arose from a conversation regarding the underappreciated talent Iof collegiate scholars. Today, the Vanguard is an avenue For talented, young researchers to share their work at the undergraduate level. The articles published exemplify the unique perspectives, scholarly ambition, and profound research from our authors. Their research is of exemplary quality and should be celebrated. The staff of this publication is comprised exclusively of students at the small, liberal arts school of Carthage. “The Vanguard” name was created to describe the group’s mission: to create a multi-disciplinary journal by undergraduate students that could publish exemplary work from every corner of academia. While this name’s original meaning (troops moving at in this context as it denotes a group of people leading the way in a new development. The journal did just this in the past year by accepting submissions from undergraduates of other universities nationwide, thus broadening the scope and depth of perspectives and research. A special thank you to our advisor, Joe Wall, without whom this journal would not be pos- sible. Professor Wall has been a key proponent For the journal since its inception, and he embodies the leader we all aspire to become: one who chases his dreams, emanates happi- ness, and proves that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. Thank you For believing in us; I am truly blessed to call you both a professor and mentor. To our team: this journal would not have been as successful without each and every one of you; I am proud of all of your efforts, dedication, and assitance throughout the process. To Gregory Woodward, Julio Rivera, and Dennis Munk, your academic advice was fundamental and much appreciat- ed. To Ed Smeds, our generous benefactor, we extend our graditutde. Your monetary assis- tance for this venture made the efforts for The Carthage Vanguard feasible. This journal recognizes the abilities of undergraduate scholars. I hope you enjoy the arti- cles and catch a spark of inspiration. Thanks again - it’s been an incredible journey. Best regards, Cami Christopulos Cami Christopulos Editor of Humanities and Social Sciences 5 The Carthage Vanguard Volume 2 A Letter from the College Provost ou hold in your hands the second issue of the Carthage Vanguard Interdisciplinary Re- search Journal. As you page through it, you will be as impressed as I am at the range Yand quality of the work it includes. You will have the opportunity to learn from the outstanding work of our Carthage students, now joined in this issue by work from across the country. Undergraduate research is one of the hallmarks of a Carthage education. Through the various activities that Fall under this rubric, students apply what they have learned in the classroom in new and important ways. They gain important insight into the world of work knowledge, upon which the future breakthroughs so important to our world will be based. The Carthage Vanguard speaks to this last Feature of undergraduate education, and in a way entirely consistent with the Carthage undergraduate experience. It is fully operated by undergraduate students, who maintain responsibility For all aspects of the publication. They ensure quality by Following a double-blind review process consistent with the practices of our most respected academic journals. So: enjoy! I am certain that the Carthage Vanguard will continue to be an important part of the intellectual life of Carthage College. Sincerely, David Garcia Provost, Carthage College 6 The Carthage Vanguard Volume 2 The Cult of Destructivity: Mothers and Daughters in George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss By Emily Brownell This examination of George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss focuses its attention on the relationships between mothers and daughters in the novel. The argument is root- ed in a historical context created by a dialogue between Mary Wollstonecraft, with reliance on her Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and George Eliot. The primary relationship examined is Maggie Tulliver’s relationship with her biological mother, Elizabeth Tulliver. However, for the purposes of the argument, the word “mother” is that “we look back through our mothers if we are women” (1989). With respect to other “mothers” such as Mrs. Stelling, the schoolteacher’s wife, and the archetypal “mothers” created in the books that she reads. The historical context for this text fo- cuses on the education of women and Wollstonecraft’s assertion that this education should be expanded in order to cultivate a woman’s mind in addition to her domestic abilities. Ultimately, this system of education, arising out of the Victorian