Volume 8
Inventio is a multidisciplinary journal. In many respects, this makes us unique. The papers we publish span all the humanities disciplines and in fact, this diversity of perspectives is a major factor in our consideration of which papers to select. Diversity is applauded today: in most cases rightfully so, as it is a manifestation of freedom and self-determination, as opposed to determination based on blank conformity. In the words of the Second Vatican Council, “only in freedom can man direct himself toward goodness. Our contemporaries make much of this freedom and pursue it eagerly; and rightly to be sure” (Gaudium et Spes, 17). At the same time, the search for truth unifies each paper. Truth accounts for our unity; whilst freedom, our diversity.
The Catholic University of America is dedicated to the exploration of the Truth and diverse methods of understanding and uncovering it. Thus, Inventio’s Student Editorial Board is composed of students from distinct disciplines. The multidisciplinary collection of research we publish offers the university’s undergraduate community the opportunity to gather, from different avenues, a multitude of investigations that themselves are particular fragments of the Truth. Although we were made in the image and likeness of our Creator, our grasp of Truth is imperfect. Thus, our strength in the cultivation of Truth will indubitably differ from one another. Nevertheless, this specialization is healthy. Research is conducted in disciplines and often subdisciplines, investigating finely grained points. The very reason for our gathering together as a University community is for the sake of research: the strength of many diverse and limited perspectives is maximized when these perspectives are added into a whole. We should never forget the point of partial investigations of the Truth: to build an evermore accurate picture of the whole.
Perhaps this drawing together in our journal and University can be likened to adding fractions in mathematics: it is only possible to do so with a common denominator. The numerator can be any whole number. Through a varied numerator, we allow ourselves to calculate abundant possibilities, a healthy plurality. Through a common denominator, unity arises. And our denominator is powerful. The Truth, and the search for it, is worth sacrificing our previous prejudices and preconceptions. The Truth is worth long nights of combing through sources. And the Truth is worth shaping one’s life around it. When given the option, everyone would rather live in the sun-soaked paradise of Truth over the gloomy cavern of mere shadows of the real. And because everyone wants to live in this paradise, freedom and truth not only account for diversity and unity, but they also conform into one another: “the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Celebrating the culmination of one’s research is a rewarding moment of the undergraduate experience. To share the pursuit of knowledge with others is the very reason Inventio is produced and fostered. Journeying from the medicinal qualities of a pet, to Aristotle's overlap with the ancient philosophers, this volume of Inventio celebrates the application of knowledge to the student’s relentless pursuit of the Truth. We hope that by reading this volume you will receive if only a fragment of the Truth these published authors have so unceasingly pursued to share.
Javier-Andrés Mazariegos, Editor-in-Chief
Trinity Ruiz, Associate Editor
Javier-Andres Mazariegos, Editor-in-Chief
Trinity Ruiz, Associate Editor
Essays
By Anna Harvey
In analyzing the Civil War, most historians feel uneasy when researching areas of dissent within the Union. Yet the Civil War Draft Riots of 1863 reveal resistance from the working class to a federal draft, as well as racial tensions within New York, which erupted into violence during the weeklong riots. Following the draft riots, the responses from both mainstream white newspapers in New York City as well as Black-owned newspapers throughout New York and the Union indicated that expectations regarding race and the presence of race within the city differed dramatically. With a history of inciting fear of amalgamation between white and Black New Yorkers, mainstream white newspapers attempted to dominate the narrative of the 1863 draft riots by claiming they were solely a political response to the draft. In response to the riots, however, Black newspapers took a different approach by featuring Black victims’ stories and utilizing the injustices to further pursue rhetoric of American citizenship and loyalty to the Union. These responses to the draft riots would not only contend against popular sensational journalism, but they would also change the nature of Black journalism and Black newspapers’ strategy for future publications.
Joan Didion cemented herself as one of the most incisive American voices of the last century, in her fiction and nonfiction alike. Her keen and cool observations of disorder and contradictions are the byproduct of her methodical attempts to make sense of society and herself. After some time and distance away from her native California, Didion found much about the state to discuss and debrief. In her reflection, Didion came to simultaneously expose and understand what she recognized as a characteristic Californian reliance on mythology, which allowed that state’s native sons and daughters, such as herself, to self-detach or desensitize themselves from various inevitable–though not always immediate–dangers and destruction. Didion noted that the inhospitable environment of, brutal journey to, and pressures of westward expansion in California each required its inhabitants to adopt mirages that provided a baseless sense of control and a protective detachment from reality, without which they otherwise could not live. She asserted that delusion is a necessary element of life in a land that is naturally indifferent–if not hostile–to those living in it.
This essay demonstrates the pre-Socratic influence on Aristotle’s philosophy of physics by analyzing two Aristotelian definitions of Nature. Aristotle asserts that motion is a characteristic of Nature, thus demonstrating the influence of Heraclitus. Aristotle also argues that attributes occur by nature, which allows an object to achieve the perfect form, thus showing the influence of Parmenides. My analysis will demonstrate how Aristotle took principles from both philosophers to define the Nature of beings. As a result, Aristotle uses his “Golden Mean,” or Aristotelian mean, beyond the philosophy of ethics. In the end, these principles of motion and being allow a thing to exist, and are thus both necessary characteristics to define the Nature of something.
The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union through a referendum, commonly referred to as Brexit, in 2016. Part of the rationale included the establishment of a new trade agreement with the United States in hopes of transitioning economic dependence from the European Union to the U.S. The United States, however, has played a large role in the landmark Good Friday Agreement (GFA) of 1998 that created lasting peace in Northern Ireland after the violent sectarian conflict called the Troubles. Brexit has brought the integrity of the GFA under new stress, and as such, the United States officials in charge of negotiating and approving any trade deal have shown they are willing to forego its economic benefit in favor of protecting peace in Ireland. Through a timeline of the US involvement in the GFA proceedings, quotations from officials in all involved nations, and basic economic analysis, this paper will argue that the United States is willing to prioritize Ireland’s peace over its own economic gain, thus deviating from the “special relationship” that binds the United Kingdom and the United States.
by Brady Baylis
On May 17, 1966, in Manchester, England, Bob Dylan played his most infamous show. The day prior, he released Blonde on Blonde, his second purely electric album amid his tour in Europe. Dylan had been at odds with his folk audience, as the folk star had become a rock star with his previous album Highway 61 Revisited and its hit “Like a Rolling Stone.” However, something in the crowd stirred once Bob Dylan began to play his rock opus, culminating when one frustrated fan shouted and gave Dylan his most infamous title: “Judas.” The frustrated anonymous fan represented a sect of Dylan fans who felt betrayed by his shift toward electric rock music. Dylan’s fans grew hostile ever since he tuned his guitar at the Newport Folk Festival. There was a disconnect, however, between what they heard and what Dylan meant to say. The folk purists felt betrayed by Dylan’s new sound but were too outraged to notice how, despite the new rock style, the same Dylan performed and wrote the ballads. While the outward appearance of Dylan changed from folk singer to rock star, Dylan’s music remained consistent, as he merely used his voice, dramatic characters, and mystery in different ways. The fanatics had failed to understand that this was not a new Dylan or a betrayal of his folk roots, but rather Dylan showing an exterior sign of an evolution that would result in many of his masterpieces, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greatest musicians. Although “Like a Rolling Stone” signaled a change in rock, folk, and popular music, the ballad is a masterpiece in its own right. In particular, Dylan fuses rock and folk elements to create a mystical background for one of the most complex stories the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner ever wrote. A critical aspect of the song is Dylan’s instrumental arrangement, as he connects the soaring organ with his signature harmonica and his newly acquired electric guitar. Bruce Springsteen describes the opening drum kick as a door knock that sends the listener back decades to their childhood fairy tales, as the ballad tells the story of the exiled princess, Miss Lonely. Dylan connects his folk ballad tradition with references to the greater literary tradition, such as Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress,” and to the great men of history, as he channels Napoleon’s exiled loneliness. “Like a Rolling Stone” is more than a song; it is an epic drama, built upon the sturdy foundations of genius songwriting and a sublime musical arrangement that channels the deep struggles of human love and heartbreak.
Animals as Healers: Exploring the Use of Therapy Animals in the Healthcare Setting
The human relationship with animals has evolved throughout history, with early Homo sapiens acting in the role of both predator and prey. Today, we live in a culture enthralled by animals. Recent research trends have shown that trained therapy animals help promote psychosocial well-being during stressful periods, such as stays in the hospital, and their presence has improved the healing process. This paper discusses the different types of animal-assisted therapy and their impact on various patient populations, including a reduction in pain stimuli, symptoms of various mental illnesses and disorders such as anxiety and depression, and improvement in language use for patients struggling with communication. Additionally, the paper addresses the differences between emotional support animals, service animals, and therapy animals. By including trained animals as a part of a multidisciplinary team, there is a potential for improved patient outcomes and decreased healthcare costs, which in certain circumstances can further enhance the healthcare system in the United States.
This paper is an examination of the affect and influence of Japonisme, specifically Japanese ukiyo-e prints, on the art of James McNeill Whistler and Mary Cassatt. This influence and inspiration can be seen in the styles used by both American artists; motifs, high perspective, flat planes of color, cropping, oriental objects, and genre subject matter are drawn from ukiyo-e prints. A brief overview of ukiyo-e and Japonisme is provided before examples are given from both Whistler’s and Cassatt’s oeuvres. There are three works from Whistler—Caprice in Purple and Gold: The Golden Screen (1894), Variations in Flesh Colour and Green--The Balcony, (1864-70), and Old Battersea Bridge (1879)—and three works from Cassatt—The Bath, (1890-91), The Coiffure, (1890-91), and The Letter (1890-91). Detailed descriptions of the works are given along with explanations of the precise influence and inspiration of Japonisme. Examples of ukiyo-e prints that exhibit similar motifs and were likely direct influences on the artists are included in these explanations. This investigation of the two artists helps to establish the ways in which Japonisme influenced Western art at its height along with providing insight into its later appearances.
Prompt: In this essay, you will apply the writing skills that you have been honing this semester – drafting and invention techniques, organization and revision strategies, rhetorical and argument analysis, dialoguing with sources, persuasive appeals – in order to present a compelling argument for a particular discourse community.
Prompt: In this essay, you will apply the writing skills that you have been honing this semester – drafting and invention techniques, organization and revision strategies, rhetorical and argument analysis, dialoguing with sources, persuasive appeals – in order to present a compelling argument for a particular discourse community.