Book Report /Lit. Analysis of Anna Karenina free essay sample

Anna Karenina Humanitarian and philosophical insight is usually the intent and achievement of both classic and modern literature. Tolstoy’s drama Anna Karenina embodies this sentiment flawlessly. It is inspired in its depth and intricacy, daring in the complexity of its characters, and powerful in its commentary on the influence of sociality and propriety in contrast to human nature and intrinsic behavior. Oblonsky, a Moscow man of high society, cheats on his wife and nearly disbands his family; Anna, his sister from Petersburg, intercedes on his behalf with his wife and in the process meets the count Vronsky. Constantine Dmitrich Levin, a childhood friend of Oblonsky’s, comes to Moscow to propose to Katya (Kitty) Scherbatsky, whom Vronsky has been courting, and is consequently turned down by Kitty. Vronsky abandons Kitty to follow Anna home, as he has fallen in love with her, and persuades her (without much difficulty) to cheat on her husband; resultantly, they enter into a passionate love affair that eventually becomes destructive. We will write a custom essay sample on Book Report /Lit. Analysis of Anna Karenina or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Almost directly after being rejected, Levin retreats to his home in the country to continue his book on farming techniques, completely unaware of Kitty’s situation, while she is devastated. Karenin, Anna’s husband, begins to suspect of her affair; when he confronts her about it, she denies it completely and makes him feel foolish for suggesting it, and his suspicions are therefore confirmed. When Anna finally declares her fallacy to him, Karenin unsurprisingly becomes despondent and is determined to have revenge on Anna by forcing her to come back to him and keep up old pretences and appearances. Meanwhile, Dolly (Oblonsky’s wife) goes out to live in the country while Oblonsky is away on business, and convinces Levin that Kitty, in truth, does love him. He eventually proposes to her again, and is this time accepted. In Petersburg, Karenin evicts Anna when she breaks his conditions of magnanimity, and is about to divorce her formally when she falls deathly ill during and following childbirth and he miraculously forgives her for everything; unfortunately for him, once she recovers, she still hates him, and (without letting Karenin divorce her) she leaves with Vronsky and begins traveling abroad with him. Vronsky and Anna eventually make it back to Russia, and find a place in the country, and she obtains a divorce from Karenin; Vronsky and Anna as a couple are deteriorating and she eventually kills herself out of despair. Levin and Kitty, despite an initially rocky marriage, financial hardship, and Kitty’s near death in childbirth, live happily ever after. Anna is kind, beautiful, compassionate, and full of life – she is altogether perfect, and thus she is false. The selfish (occasionally to the point of cruelty) element of her nature begins to display itself after she meets Vronsky. When she is informing her husband of her affair, she is blunt and brutal enough to say, â€Å"I was, and I could not help being in despair [in my love for you]. [†¦]. I love him. I am his mistress; I cannot endure you, I am afraid of you and I hate you. â€Å" (231) However, she can’t be completely condemned; she is an extremely complex character, and one can’t help but to sympathize with and pity her for her plight. Through the kindness she shows to those around her, both above and below, and her touchingly profound love of her son, we, as an audience, come to appreciate the ambiguity and convolution of her character and position. On the one hand, she demonstrates definite cruelty to and hatred for her human and injured, if somewhat insensitive and slightly contemptible, husband and on the other, her beatific and untainted love for her son and the kindness and compassion she shows to her brother’s wife. Vronsky is shallow and fashionable, the epitome of Tolstoy’s commentary on reputedly high society. In the beginning of the novel, he is courting young Kitty, believing himself to be quite in love with her (as she is with him), and yet â€Å"[m]arriage had never presented itself to him as a possibility†. 71) Even from the beginning, Vronsky possesses no desire to be tied down in any way: he is the bachelor, through and through. Especially given Vronsky’s superficial disposition, it is by no means difficult to ascertain the original source of his fascination with Anna: â€Å"It was as though her nature was so brimming over with something that against her will expressed itself now in a radiant look, now in a smile. She deliberately shrouded the light in her eyes but in spite of herself it gleamed in the faintly perceptible smile†. 71) However, this vivaciousness and beauty, and particularly her consciousness of it, began to grate on him; he would feel, sometimes, that she would use her loveliness to manipulate him and soften him. Now that he knows her completely and her element of mystery is lost, Vronsky realizes his ebbing appreciation for her charm and mystique: â€Å"But he felt utterly different towards her beauty now. In his feeling for her now there was no element of mystery, and so her beauty, though it attracted him even more than before, gave him now a sense of injury†. 575) As Anna’s jealousy, misery, and craving for love grows, Vronsky becomes progressively more estranged from his initial sentiments, eventually ending in Anna’s ultimate despair at losing both the man she loves and the son she loved so dearly. Though somewhat awkward and uncomfortable around members of sophisticated society, Levin is a kind-hearted man with a strong sense of morality and high ideals. His brother, Ko znyshev, is a philosopher highly educated and positively revered in urbanity, respected throughout many circles as a brilliant man of the world. Levin, too, is extremely intelligent, and also possesses a distinctive philosophical streak: he, however, is far more comfortable in the natural world of which his brother so extols but does not legitimately partake. All the same, he is highly successful in his own right. Levin is driven by constant introspective questioning in relation to his work on the farm, and later his love and familial life with Kitty. A rather unconventional book exploring the relationship of the Russian peasant to farming techniques occupies most of his time, but he occasionally finds solace in manual labor with the peasants. As a result of his general avoidance of societal conventions, Levin’s surprise at figuring out that his and Kitty’s relationship was not in fact totally unique in its interactions, altercations among those, was an interesting baring of Levin’s naivete. The novel closes with Levin’s finally contented and closed philosophical musings, tying together Tolstoy’s illustration of the goodness of a life close to the earth. Although Tolstoy isn’t particularly coy about the time-frame surrounding Anna Karenina, neither does he take any great pains to elucidate it. There is a general impression of many ideas present around the time of the American Industrial Revolution and the First World War, but very few direct references. A slightly skewed allusion, however, is made by Levin’s brother (Nikolai the sickly) to symbols of Fascism, a possible indication of time-period and yet another hint of the atmosphere: â€Å"He pointed to a bundle of iron bars tied together with string, lying in a corner of the room. ‘Do you see that? That’s the beginning of a new enterprise we’re embarking upon, a productive association [†¦]. You know that capitalism is strangling the worker. † (102) This underlying tone of political instability is personified nicely by the confused court-election proceedings that Levin attends, and further captured by the consistent, subtle hints at a recent transition from the medieval institution of serfdom. The most effective insertions of these hints occur almost unnoticeably, such as when Levin and the peasants are mowing, and â€Å"they had cut the whole of the big meadow, which used to take thirty men in the time of serf labor†. (274) Moscow and Petersburg are the representatives of the high society and the busy but fairly frivolous lifestyles of the members of that society. In the city, we find that the characters within, especially those that originate from elsewhere, experience hardship and unhappiness within. Levin and Kitty, when they go to Moscow for Kitty to give birth, provide an unexpected exception to this general rule: though they nearly go bankrupt and Kitty almost loses her life to her unborn child, the city (at first) gives respite from Levin’s previous fits of jealous unreasoning. The idea of a peace attained through agriculture and a connection to natural world – â€Å"He thought of nothing, wished for nothing, except not to be left behind and to do his work as well as possible†. 273) – seems to crop up rather frequently in Karenina. The dangers and disadvantages of social, economic, and industrial â€Å"progress† are well-characterized by the constant aversion of Levin’s hired laborers to work with new methods and tools, the general unhappiness of those who are â€Å"progressives† like bro ther Nikolai and Golenishchev, and the railroads as perpetrators of harmful events (such as the â€Å"bad omen† of the killed railway worker at Vronsky and Anna’s first meeting, Vronsky’s initial stalking of Anna, and Anna’s eventual suicide). The peace and happiness that can be achieved by surrendering to a higher power, whether it be religion like Karenin’s, in his newfound Christian fervor, the acceptance of the inevitable, where Levin comes to acknowledge death and determines to live as though he had no purpose but to perpetrate goodness. Conversely, Anna is utterly destroyed when she tries to fight against her own nature and against propriety. Tolstoy expresses a somewhat conformist message for his time, but communicates it in a rather profound manner nonetheless. Tolstoy’s overall commentary of the â€Å"high and noble† society he illustrates seems to be critical, but he captures it thoroughly in all its intricacy, uncertainty, and bewilderment.

Free Essays on Patriarchy In Romeo & Juliet

in the scene threaten her disownment and possible death: An you’l... Free Essays on Patriarchy In Romeo & Juliet Free Essays on Patriarchy In Romeo & Juliet Patriarchal Politics in Fair Verona The imagery in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet reflects and often supports the time period’s stereotypes of men and women and their certain function and responsibilities in society. Shakespeare’s figurative language throughout the play portrays women with the following traits in relationship to men; silence, obedience, sexual chastity, patience and humility. This patriarchal potency is the root of conflict in the play and ends up causing the â€Å"star cross’d lovers’† demise. The role of women in Verona is made clear early on in the play. In the first scene you witness a conversation between Sampson and Gregory, both Capulet kinsmen. When Sampson says â€Å"†¦therefore women, being the weaker vessels†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å" we see a definite distinction between who they consider inferior and superior. He then says, â€Å"I will be civil with the maids. I will cut off their heads.† To that he adds â€Å"or their maidenheads.† By saying this he assumes a patriarchal role of divine judge while comparing rape with execution, implying that either one would be a just punishment. This quote shows how important it was for a man in Verona to hold power over his inferiors, specifically women. The patriarchal power structure in the Capulet family, where Juliet’s father controls the action of each family member, places Juliet in an extremely vulnerable position. She is unable to speak of her true feelings or even vocalize her opinion on marriage. When her father enters late in Act 3 Scene 5 the plays central conflict is made obvious. By this time Romeo and Juliet have performed their marriage without any parental consent, which was an offense against her demanding father. After consummating this new union Juliet is brokenhearted and anxious after Romeo leaves the scene, she then has to deal with her father’s verbal lashing. His last words in the scene threaten her disownment and possible death: An you’l...

Noble Gas Core - Definition in Chemistry

Noble Gas Core - Definition in Chemistry Noble Gas Core Definition A noble gas core is an abbreviation in an atoms electron configuration where the previous noble gass electron configuration is replaced with the noble gass element symbol in brackets. Writing an electron configuration using the noble gas core can save you a lot of time! Examples Sodium has an electron configuration of: 1s22s2p63s1The previous noble gas on the periodic table is neon with an electron configuration of: 1s22s2p6 If this configuration is replaced by [Ne] in sodiums electron configuration it becomes: [Ne]3s1 This is the noble gas core notation of sodium. With a more complex configuration, the noble gas core becomes even more helpful. Iodine (I) has a standard electron configuration of: 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p65s24d105p5 The noble gas prior to iodine on the periodic table is krypton (Kr), which has the electron configuration: 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p6 This is the noble gas core for iodine, so the shorthand notation for its electron configuration becomes: [Kr]5s24d105p5

Healthcare Systems Around the Globe Research Paper

Healthcare Systems Around the Globe - Research Paper Example The French have were found to have the most efficient healthcare system in a report released by the World Health Organization in the year 2000. The report was notorious within the United States as the country was found to have the highest expenditure, however, was ranked 15th in its overall efficiency (Folland, 2006). This paper will make a comparison between the French and American healthcare systems. Health Statistics and Costs: Comparison between U.S. and France Firstly, the analytical data obtained from the two countries illustrates the difference in their efficiency. According to the report released by WHO in 2011, France has a population of approximately 65 million and a life expectancy of 81,8 years (World Health Organization, par 1). Females in France have a slightly higher life expectancy of 85 years whilst the males have an expectancy of 78,5 years. This places the country 10th in the world. The United States has a slightly lower life expectancy with females at 80,67years a nd males at 74,89 years (World Health Organization, par 1). The United States is ranked number 33 in the world life expectancy rankings. The United States has a mortality rate of 8,25 per 1000 population whilst France has a rate of 4,10 (World Health Organization, par 1).The leading causes of death in France include lung cancer, coronary heart disease, breast cancer, stroke and Alzheimer’s. ... Health Care Financing: Comparison between U.S. and France Healthcare in the United States is financed through both private and public sectors, whilst the funding in the French healthcare system is largely controlled by the government (Shi and Douglas, 2009). The French government funds approximately 70% of an individual’s healthcare costs and in cases of long term care all the patient’s costs are covered. Citizens may also obtain supplemental coverage from private insurers who are frequently nonprofit organizations. The French government spends approximately 11,2% of the country’s GDP on healthcare. The United States spends 15% of its GDP on healthcare and when considering cost per capita, this equates to almost double the amount spent by France (Shi and Douglas, 2009). In addition, citizens in the United States spend more money on pharmaceuticals and hospital care than the French. Healthcare Administration: Comparison between U.S. and France Healthcare in Americ a is overseen by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The provision of health insurance by the American government is carried out through Medicaid and Medicare which were established in 1966. As mentioned above, the French healthcare system is largely controlled by the government through the French National Health Service. This service refunds patients their healthcare costs and the citizens are expected to contribute depending on their income. Health Care Personnel and Facilities: Comparison between U.S. and France The United States has one of the lowest physician per capita ratio with approximately 731Â  000 physicians, equating to approximately 2,5 physicians per 1000. There are approximately 26,669,603 nurses which equates to

Seminar Paper for One of Us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seminar Paper for One of Us - Essay Example Thus, anatomy as a whole can dictate who can do something and who cannot. Dreger notes that sometimes anatomy helps in maintaining order by protecting the vulnerable and restricting privilege. Almost on a daily basis, people change their bodies ever so slightly in order to fit the identity that they wish to present socially. Dreger provides myriad instances that reveal just how much anatomy matters in somewhat unexpected ways (Dreger 2). She points out that even in the Holy Bible, priests were required to have perfect bodies similarly women were not allowed to join priesthood. This can also be illustrated in the case of the conjoined twins who visit a bar only for the bartender to demand for identification from one of the twins who seemed physically younger than her twin. However, Dreger reveals that â€Å"hearing the bartender’s request, the other twin turns around so that she’s the one facing the bartender. Because the second twin appears older, the bartender reconsiders and decides to serve the drink without seeing the proof of time† (Dreger 1). Additionally, anatomy has also interfered with other legal formalities like in the case of the dwarfs whereby their dwarfism prevented the bartender from asking for their identification to verify in the quest of trying to avoid embarrassi ng or devaluing them. Among the examples that Dreger implies when talking about the problems that will be along anatomy identity lines in the 21st century include the issue of racism that has been vibrant in the past years and is expected to continue. Dreger (9) expresses that based on anatomy, one is either black in which the â€Å"whites are seen as inherently superior to all other races†. Subsequently, Dreger also seems to address the issue of scientific innovations and research activities that are on the raise in this 21st century. These innovations such as Botox, a medically antiwrinkle treatment, imply that the world still continues to value anatomy

Stillness Seeking :: Personal Narrative Photographer Essays

Stillness Seeking Onto the terracotta patio I step silently Past lavender climbing twisting vines The honey drops sunlight sprinkled Golden My mother a paintbrush in her hand She touches color to canvas Soft yellow orange, light Emerges My father beyond resting seated A cat slumbers purrs on his shoulder A pen in his hand he touches white page Reflects light reflects Together Creating When I saw Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring about five years ago at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., I felt something about the painting that I had never felt before when looking at artwork. I felt as if this girl, this young woman in the painting was real, hiding in the museum behind this canvas. She was in the flesh. Her skin was still dewy from three hundred-something years ago, the light across her face still glowing. She was in the round, her eyes followed mine, she was real. She was about to speak, she was in a moment of thought, she was in reflection. This girl was not crimson red or titanium white, she was flesh. Vermeer caught her, a butterfly in his hand. She was not just recorded on canvas, she was created on canvas. She was caught in a moment of stillness. Vermeer creates moments in his paintings. When viewing them, we step into a private, intimate setting, a story. Always, everything is quiet and calm. I realize now it is no wonder I had such a strong reactio n to Vermeer the first time I saw him: he is a stillness seeker. This morning I wake early from the light that creeps underneath my blinds and my bed next to the window. I wake floating on the streams of light, heated, like white wax spilled across the floor, dripping, soft. In bare feet I walk down the stairs, cold on the wood, and find my father in the kitchen, also awake early. Together, we leave the house, the house that my parents built with windows like walls, windows that show the water on either side of the island. We close the door quietly so as not to wake the sleepers. We walk down the pine-needle path, through the arch of trees, the steep wooden steps to the dock nestled in the sea-weed covered rocks. We sit silently on the bench, watch as the fog evaporates from the clear water. The trees and water are a painting in muted colors, silver and grays and greenish blue, hazy white above the trees.

Affirmative Action: Preferential Treatment Essay

During the college process, students are advised in multiple ways on how to properly present themselves to draw the appeal of colleges. Whether it is by highlighting their awards, accomplishments or talents, students are constantly working on improving their resume. They were told that with good grades, extracurricular activities, and heart-warming essays that they would find success in being admitted into a prestigious university. However, there are various other factors that determine whether one is accepted or denied. An important and often scrutinized factor is the use of affirmative action in admissions. While affirmative action should not hold the weight it does in admissions currently, it seems that people are unaware of the other preferential treatments given to certain students. Afï ¬ rmative action in favor of underrepresented minorities has been a controversial topic debated and scrutinized by scholars, the media, and the public for many years. Two other preferential admissions programs have been less controversial but in widespread use; one involving giving an admissions boost to applicants with athletic skills and the other one to children of alumni, commonly known as â€Å"legacies†. As these various categories suggest, entry into selective institutions of higher education has never been decided purely on academic criteria—before or after minority afï ¬ rmative action came into effect. As the term â€Å"affirmative action† encompasses the ideal that institutions promote diversity and growth by including historically excluded groups in their admissions, legacy admissions and athletic admissions are considered â€Å"affirmative†. (Massey and Mooney 99-117) They do originate from very different motivations, but they bring non-academic criteria that impact the admissions process. Therefore, by attaching the label â€Å"afï ¬ rmative action† to legacy and athletic admissions, it is deliberately underscoring the fact that minorities are not the only social group to benefit from such a policy. Supporters of affirmative action claim that minority students, generally speaking, start out at a disadvantage in their college or job application process. They usually come from lower income families and, in turn, have fewer opportunities than those who go to private school. Some inner city youths had grown up in environments filled with crime, violence, and discouragement. Genuine, hard-working minority students are every bit as capable as white students, but because of these disadvantages, they may not have the same paper qualifications. Affirmative action evens the playing field a bit. (Massey and Mooney 99-117) Nonetheless, it was designed to end discrimination and unfair treatment of employees/students based on color, but it in effect does the opposite. Whites who work harder and/or are more qualified can be passed over strictly because they are white. Contrary to many stereotypes, many minorities fall into the middle or upper class, and many whites live in poverty. (Fletcher) Unfortunately, the way things are set up now, a poverty-stricken white student who uses discipline and hard work to become the best he can be can be passed over by a rich minority student who doesn’t put in much effort at all. Supporters also claim that some stereotypes may never be broken without affirmative action. For decades blacks were considered less capable than whites. It took affirmative action to give blacks the opportunity to show they are every bit as capable. However, if you were to ask Colin Powell, Barack Obama, or Oprah Winfrey how they got to where they today, I doubt they would respond with affirmative action. (Fletcher) It sets the idea that a minority cannot achieve full potential without the help of affirmative action and undermines their own abilities. Another claim supporters of affirmative use is that it draws people to places they would never have gone elsewise, bringing under-privileged students to Ivy League institution. But if a student is admitted on a lower basis, he will have less incentive to do well or have the inability to keep up with the work. Why work for that 4.0 GPA when he got in with sub-par grades? In this way, affirmative action is likened to students who are given a boost for being â€Å"legacies†, having a parent(s) attend the school previously. A survey conducted by H. M. Breland found that afï ¬ rmative action for children of alumni is practiced widely at both public and private institutions (Howell and Turner 325-351). A later survey conducted by Daniel Golden (2003) revealed that 23 percent of freshmen enrolled at Notre Dame were the children of alumni, with corresponding ï ¬ gures of 14 percent at Penn, 13 percent at Harvard, 11 percent at Princeton, and 11 percent at the University of Virgini a (Howell and Turner 325-351). These numbers seem to be relatively modest; however, they belie the relatively small amount of applicants legacies hold. When documenting the number of applicants, it is easily seen that children of alumni benefit from greater admissions rates. According to studies by William G. Bowen and Derek Bok (1998), legacies had a two to one admissions advantage over non-legacies. Likewise, Cameron Howell and Sarah E. Turner (2004) document a similar advantage at the University of Virginia, where only 32 percent of regular applicants were admitted compared with 57 percent of alumni children. As a result, the freshman class of 2002 was 7 percent legacy, compared with 3 percent African American, even though the state is 20 percent black. (Massey and Mooney 99-117) The unfairness that follows legacy admissions is what many feel towards affirmative action as well. By giving blacks/Hispanics an obvious advantage in the admissions process, it breeds resentment and underestimation of them. In the same way legacies are generalized as â€Å"dumb rich kids†, recipients of affirmative action are seen as undeserving. (Massey and Mooney 99-117) It seems to say that they wouldn’t have been able to be admitted into the school elsewise, thus increasing the pressure put onto these students. The consequences translate to students being unable to handle the workload. By turning away highly qualified Asian/white students in favor of less qualified black/Hispanic students, it is not fair for either race. According to Dr. Richard Sander, Professor of Law at UCLA, blacks are two and a half times more likely than whites not to graduate and are four times more likely to fail the bar exam on the first try. (Fletcher) To fulfill their thirst for diversity, colleges often recruit students from below the median. As a result, they are ill equipped to handle the pressures of such a rigorous school and have a smaller chance of graduating. It is not to say that affirmative action is not needed. A homogenous population would make for an unproductive and unmoving student body. Diversity is needed for growth and experiences that differ. In this way, you can see the clear advantage of affirmative action over legacy admissions. Despite affirmative action being flawed, the advantage is at least given to, who is supposed to be, the disadvantaged party. Legacy admissions should have no place in the college admissions world. It is giving an advantage to students who are probably are not in great need of it if their parents attended a prestigious university Supporters of legacy admissions claim that donations from alumni contribute to building renovations and technological upgrades, as well as supporting financial aid programs for many financially disadvantaged students. (Golden) Legacy students are also thought to better understand the sense of tradition of the university and embody the values that the university has traditiona lly supported. That sounds good, but how true is it? Three elite schools that are big on legacy preferences – Harvard, Princeton, and Yale – rank near the bottom when it comes to the percentage of students from poorer families they have, according to Professor Jerome Karabel in his book The Chosen: The Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. (Steinberg) Good students from poor families are often deprived of admission because of the legacy tradition — they are less frequently helped by the additional funds that the legacy tradition brings to the school. Contrary to what legacy defenders argue, it is doubtful that dropping legacy preferences has any significant impact on donations to a university. Texas A&M and the University of Georgia are among the large universities that have abandoned legacy preferences and neither has suffered a detectable decline in support. (Howell and Turner 325-351) In addition, Massey and Mooney found that, â€Å"In schools with a stronger commitment to legacy admissions, the children of alumni were more likely to drop out. Ironically, the only evidence we find of a skills mismatch is for the children of alumni. The greater the gap between a legacy student’s SAT and the institutional average SAT, the lower the grades he or she earned, though the effect size was modest. (99-117) They compared the number of hours studied per week, the â€Å"psychological performance burden† reported by students, grades earned by students through the end of their sophomore year, and the likelihood of students dropping out of school by spring of their junior year. The study concluded that legacies who were given a greater admissions bonus earned lower grades once admitted, a fact which surprised many, including some admissions officials. (99-117) However, although affirmative action and legacy treatment are both found to be large non-academic factors in the college admissions process, athletic skill is one often overlooked and not discussed. It is common knowledge that the number of students who excel in both academics and athletics is too small for schools to fill spots with only student athletes who meet usual admissions standards. Athletes were shown to have had a 48% better chance of admission than regular students with similar academic achievements in high school and similar standardized test score in studies done during 1999. In comparison, â€Å"legacies,† bore only a 25% better chance of admission and minorities stood only an 18% better chance of admission. (Ferris, Finster, and McDonald 555-575) The simplest method to view the different standards used for recruited athletes is to acknowledge the statistics of Division I athletes in â€Å"high profile† sports, such as football and basketball at public universities. These students have SAT scores that average almost 250 points than their non-athletic counterparts. While not as extreme, athletes participating in other sports such as golf, tennis, and swimming average about 100 points less than regular students on standardized test scores. (Dolinsky) The way that a majority of these student athletes gain admissions is through â€Å"special admit† programs designed by the school to accept a group of applicants who do not meet the standard criteria. From 2003 to 2006, more than half of the â€Å"special admits† scholarship athletes at San Diego State University had lower standardized test scores and high school GPAs than other admitted students. In the San Diego State admissions process, students with insufficient credentials may be accepted based on other factors such as socioeconomic background, local residency, and other special talents. However, between fall 2003 and spring 2006, of the 248 â€Å"special admit† students admitted by San Diego State, only 105 were given admission intentionally. The rest of the students granted admission had been the result of various processing errors and of those 105 that were given intentional admission, they were all athletes. (Ferris, Finster, and McDonald 555-575) If there is one thing that is clear, it is that the preferential treatment given to athletes in the admissions process does have its consequences. One potential consequence of admitting student athletes with academic credentials below their peers is the risk of academic underperformance by these athletes. (Dolinsky) Similar to those shown with students of affirmative action, statistics are clear in showcasing that athletes are underperforming once they arrive on college campuses. Recently, as more athletes got into schools through advantages in the admissions process, their collegiate GPAs began to suffer, with a majority of athletes placing in the bottom quarter of their classes. In contrast, only 9% of athletes finish in the top third of their class. (Espenshade, Chung, and Walling 1422–1446) To further exhibit the correlation between preferential treatment in the admissions process and academic underperformance, a study shows that student athletes generally choose so-called â€Å"easy† majors—such as social sciences—rather than the â€Å"harder† majors such as math, science, and engineering. One argument for explaining academic underperformance, other than the fact that athletes arrive at college with noticeably lower academic credentials, is that student athletes face the rigors and responsibilities of playing a sport, practicing, and trying to divide time between athletics and academics. However, this argument may have little merit as statistics show that an analogous group to student athletes—students who participate in several extracurricular activities—do not underperform at the level of student athletes. (Dolinsky) Although this analogy may not account for different types of students who are athletes as compared to those students who are heavily involved on campus, the comparison tends to show that the time that athletes spend with their respective sports does not prove, in itself, to be a clear reason for academic underperformance. Additionally student athletes already receive a multitude of benefits not given to normal students. Often times, they are given priority registration, extra tutoring, and even separate housing. With the benefit of these extra luxuries, athletes should be able to properly their manage their time to balance academics and their sport. It is not difficult to see the correlation between underperformance at the high school level and underperformance at the college level. Nor is it difficult to see the correlation between the admission of athletes having below-average test scores and high school GPAs and underperformance at the college level. Perhaps this is an unfair stereotype, but there is a reason that this stereotype exists and there is evidence to back it up. What is the price that is paid? One example is Dexter Manley, former professional football player for the Washington Redskins. Manley testified in front of the United States Senate that he could not read, despite being admitted and staying at Oklahoma State University for four years. (Espenshade, Chung, and Walling 1422–1446) By admitting students who are not qualified to handle the workload of an undergraduate institution, the ones that are hurt the most are some of the ones who â€Å"benefit.† Through each of these policies, certain students are given a â€Å"pull† in the college admissions office over other students. In comparison, these three programs are very similar in how they offer students an advantage in the system. Each program requires that you fulfill a certain requirement, which is the basis for their policy. They are all affirmative action policies that factor in something non-academic into your rejection or acceptance. With racial affirmative action being the most controversial and widely discussed, it has seemed that the other two have slipped underneath the radar. All three contribute to a discrepancy in the student body that will continue to grow unless awareness is created. Although in a perfect world, students wouldn’t have to worry about such factors, we live in a society where the slightest differences can make or break you. Whatever the effects of afï ¬ rmative action in raising or lowering the odds of academic success, the students should be aware and know exactly what they are going to get themselves into. Works Cited Dolinsky, Anna. â€Å"Affirmative Action for Athletes? Jan 12, 2001.† The Yale Herald. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . Espenshade, Thomas J., Chung, Chang Y. and Walling, Joan L., Admission Preferences for Minority Students, Athletes, and Legacies at Elite Universities. Social Science Quarterly, No. 85 (2004): 1422–1446. Ferris, Eric, Finster, Mark and McDonald, David. â€Å"Academic Fit of Student-Athletes: An Analysis of Ncaa Division I-A Graduation Rates.† Research in Higher Education Vol. 45. No. 6 (Sep., 2004): pp. 555-575. Fletcher, Michael A. â€Å"Washingtonpost.com: Affirmative Action Special Report.† Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. The Washington Post, 18 June 1998. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . Golden, Daniel. â€Å"The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition.† CLassroomEdition.com. The Wall Street Journal, Apr. 2003. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . Howell, Cameron. and Turner, Sarah E. â€Å"Legacies in Black and White: The Racial Composition of the Legacy Pool.† Research in Higher Education Vol. 45. No. 4 (Jun., 2004): pp. 325-351 Massey, Douglas S., and Mooney, Margarita. â€Å"The Effects of America’s Three Affirmative Action Programs on Academic Performance.† Social Problems Vol. 54. No. 1 (February 2007): pp. 99-117 Steinberg, Jacques. â€Å"‘Affirmative Action for the Rich’ – NYTimes.com.† College Admissions Advice – The Choice Blog – NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .