Niels Hendrik David Bohr Essays - Physics, Science And Technology

Niels Hendrik David Bohr Niels Hendrik David Bohr Niels Hendrik David Bohr was one of the foremost scientists of the 20th century. The Nobel prizewinning physicist was known for his development of the theory of atomic fission that led to the development of the atomic bomb. He was born on Oct. 7, 1885, in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father, Christian, was a professor at the University of Copenhagen and his brother, Harold, was a great mathematician. He entered the university in 1903. In 1907, he earned his PhD went to England to study with J.J. Thomson and Ernest Rutherfurd. He returned to Copenhagen in 1916 as a professor at the university. He became the director of the university's Institute for Theoretical Physics in 1920, to which he attracted many world-renowned physicist. In 1922, he won the Nobel Prize for his work on the atomic structure. When he visited the United States in 1939, he brought the knowledge that the German scientists were successful in splitting the uranium atom. In the winter of 1939, Bohr worked at Princeton Uni versity, were he developed the theory of atomic fission that led to the first atomic bomb, and then returned to Denmark in 1940. In 1943, he was still in Copenhagen when the Nazis occupied his country. He left Copenhagen, because of his Jewish background, and went to Los Alamos, North Mexico, were he helped scientist who were working on the first atomic bomb. Before he left, he dissolved his golden Nobel medal in acid. In 1945, after the war was over, he returned to his country, and precipitated the gold from acid and recast the medal. Bohr worked very hard on the peaceful uses of atomic energy and organized the first Atoms for Peace Conference in Geneva in 1955. He was awarded the first Atomic Peace award. He died on November 18, 1962 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Biographies

A Cetainty essays

A Cetainty essays The mind, which has grasped a right theory of knowledge, and has experienced it, that mind is on the road to certaintythe only kind of certainty that is open to the consciousness soul because it has begun to cross the threshold between the objective and subjective worlds. Our perceptions and memory are only reliable to the point of how we judge. We see from our own perception and memory. What the mind perceives is realty. Your life can be greatly affected by the way you think. One thing about perception it doesn't have to be off by much to give you a false picture. We may be looking at the picture through cockeyed glasses. It is very difficult to get an accurate rendering of the true story. We justify and defend our perceptions and memories. We permit our self to judge by what is certain in our perceptions and memories. My experience has been we can see the glass half empty or half full. I chose to see the glass half full. Certainty, is an established fact? To be certain is having no doubt and being positive. One thing we can be truly certain about is one day we will leave this life and earth as we know it today and that is certain. ...

3 Examples of Bad Letters of Recommendation from Teachers

3 Examples of Bad Letters of Recommendation from Teachers SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While you may have seen examples of really impressive recommendation letters, what about the really bad ones? What exactly do bad letters look like, and what makes them so subpar? Bad recommendation letters can be hard to put a finger on, because they aren't necessarily critical or disparaging about a student. Instead, they might leave a poor impression because they come off as unenthusiastic, unspecific, or simply too short. The examples below represent letters that would do very little to help a student's college application and, worst case scenario, could even hurt it. By knowing what weakens a letter or leaves a negative impression in the minds of admissions officers, you can make sure your letters don't contain any of these features.First up... The Unenthusiastic Recommendation Dear Admissions Committee, I'm writing to recommend Jamie to your undergraduate program. As a student in my th grade English class, he performed well above average. Jamie is a hard worker and is well liked by his peers and teachers. I've been impressed with him as a student. Jamie has a strength for discussing books, and he participated well in my class. In his group projects, Jamie listened to his peers and was respectful of their input. Along with his three classmates, he earned an A on a group presentation about the various types of conflict inHamlet. Jamie is a conscientious student and rarely missed an assignment. With his strong effort and respectful attitude, Jamie leads by example. Jamie took a variety of courses in high school and was especially interested in psychology and history. He balanced his time well, participating in both the Interact Club, and, in his sophomore and junior year, the track team. No one ever has a bad word to say about Jamie. He's an all around good kid. I'm confident that Jamie will be an asset to whatever college he attends next year. He's a good student, kind friend, and was a pleasure to have in class. He has my recommendation. Please feel free to contact me for any further information at unimpressedteacher@gmail.com. Sincerely, Luke WarmEnglish TeacherHumdrum High This letter has positive things to say about Jamie, so what exactly makes it so bad? The Break Down This letter isfine, but it barely goes above the minimum to recommend Jamie. While Mr. Warm says that Jamie is respectful, conscientious, and a hard worker, he sounds completely unenthusiastic about him. He neither reveals deeper insight into Jamie's character, nor uses excited language to highlight his points. Jamie's English teacher doesn't even qualify that he "highly" recommends him. His mediocre ranking of Jamie as "well above average" further suggests his lack of enthusiasm. Besides the generic language that leaves little impact in the mind of the reader, this letter also contains some questionable phrases. By saying that Jamie "leads by example," his English teacher may be indicating a lack of concrete leadership positions at the school, whether on purpose or not. Furthermore, by focusing on how others perceive Jamie, the teacher removes a lot of his own personal perspective from the letter. Admissions committees want letters from teachers who know a student well and can speak to his good qualities. A letter that seems distant and impersonal is less effective. Even the example the teacher uses, of Jamie getting an A, is less personal because it refers to a group project. It neither highlights Jamie's individual skills, nor provides a very interesting story. This letter provides little insight into Jamie's character or personal qualities. While the teacher says generally positive things, he doesn't sound too impressed with Jamie or like he took the time to write a strong letter. He doesn't have much specific to say about Jamie, so the recommendation letter does little to differentiate him from other applicants. Overall, this letter won't do much to help Jamie's application. Another example of a bad recommendation letter is one that just presents facts and figures. For all intents and purposes, this kind of letter could be written by just about anyone with a copy of the student's resume. This letter's almost all facts and figures. The Resume Repeat Dear Admissions Committee, It is my pleasure to recommend Tabitha, who excelled in my junior year AP Biology class. A hard worker with an interest in the natural world, Tabitha earned an A for the course and received a 5 on her AP Biology exam. Most impressive to me is that she did all this while balancing her responsibilities as Class Treasurer, hospital volunteer, and literacy coach. Tabitha goes above and beyond with her activities and somehow succeeds in all of them. As Class Treasurer, Tabitha organized fundraisers and raised over $2,000 for the junior year prom. She advertised events through the school and worked with students and faculty to organize attendance. Beyond this, she volunteers two days a week at the local hospital, where she spends time with patients and helps visitors navigate their way around. Tabitha doesn't just use her skills with people at the hospital; she also has worked with children for the past two years, helping them build their literacy skills. All this while juggling a full class schedule that included three AP classes. Tabitha excels in and out of the classroom. She won the Tisch Library Award in sophomore year for academic achievement, and her impressive performance in my class earned her the 2014 Biology award. She was one of the top scorers in her class on the PSAT, and she earned a 4 and two 5's on her AP exams so far. Tabitha is a top student whose grades, awards, and involvements speak for themselves. I highly recommend Tabitha for admission to your undergraduate program. She is an active student who will continue to contribute greats things to her college. Her achievement in school is all the more impressive considering her busy schedule and extracurricular and professional involvements. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at resumereader@gmail.com. Sincerely, Reita RationScience TeacherBelabor Boarding School At least Tabitha's letter sounds a little more enthusiastic than Jamie's. But it's still not especially strong. Let's look at exactly what makes it ineffective. The Break Down It sounds like Ms. Ration is impressed with Tabitha's accomplishments. Tabitha seems to be a highly achieving student with impressive grades and extracurricular involvements. However, admissions committees already know about all her grades, awards, and involvements from the rest of her application. This letter repeats a lot of information that the admissions committee already has on file. Plus, by trying to include everything that Tabitha does, it actually says very little. It's all breadth and no depth.A strong letter woulddive deeply into specific skills or qualities, rather than skimming over a lot of different points with a general overview. A recommendation letter should personalize a student and give deeper insight into her intellectual capacity and character. It should be from a teacher who can highlight something specific about a student. Her science teacher may know little about Tabitha's work as a literacy coach. She could speak much more insightfully about Tabitha's skill for scientific inquiry and interest in medicine. This letter also uses no anecdotes or examples to illustrate something meaningful about Tabitha, relying instead on facts and figures. Perhaps the most telling example of where the letter writer went astray is when she says that Tabitha's accomplishments"speak for themselves." In fact, recommendation letters are required because grades and statistics don't fully speak for themselves. Recommenders are supposed to speak about a student in a revealing, meaningful way. They should help distinguish the student from other applicants and talk about her passions and motivations (in other words,why she does what she does). Instead, this letter focuses on what Tabitha does. As a highly achieving student, Tabitha might be applying to a selective school along with lots of qualified applicants. They may share similar grades and accomplishments, so the recommendation letters are especially important for providing something beyond the resume. Unfortunately, this letter doesn't do that. It could be written by almost anyone with a record of Tabitha's school and community involvement. Finally, a recommendation letter that's too short immediately gives a bad impression to admissions officers. They can see right away that a teacher didn't spend much time on it. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. The Short Letter Dear Admissions Committee, It is my pleasure to recommend Ethan for admission to your college. I had Ethan in my th grade math class. He was a strong student, worked well with others, and impressed me with his consistent effort. In addition to taking a challenging course load during junior year, Ethan took part in the Amnesty International Club and contributed to the school newspaper. He wrote a compelling article about the current state of civil rights in America. Ethan has my strong recommendation for college. He's bright, motivated, and has strength of character. I'm sure he will do great things. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at cantbebothered@gmail.com. Sincerely, Shirley RushedMath TeacherAbrupt Academy Just by looking at it, you can see what makes this recommendation letter so weak. Besides its short length, what else makes it ineffective? Is that it? Is there more on the back...? The Break Down Like the other two examples, this letter doesn't say anything bad about Ethan. But overall, it's lacking. For one thing, it's way too short. A recommendation letter should be a full page in length. Second, the article mentions some of Ethan's strengths - his consistent effort, his newspaper writing, and his apparent interest in issues of human rights. But the short letter doesn't take time to delve into these qualities and paint a fuller picture of Ethan. The teacher mentions a compelling article about civil rights, but doesn't explain what it said or why Ethan was motivated to write it. There are a few points here that could tell the reader a lot more about Ethan if the recommender had described them more fully. As it is, the letter offers little information or insight. As part of Ethan's application, it would be quickly forgettable. Strong recommendation letters take time and thought to craft. Apart from what I already discusses, what other features weaken all three of these recommendation letter examples? What Else is Wrong with These Letters? Another thing that none of these letters do is customize to the college or program the student is applying to. Often, teachers provide one letter for students to upload to their Common Application and send off to all their colleges. While this is fine for the most part, it can strengthen an application if the letter is customized to the specific school, especially if it's a selective school. If a student is applying to an Ivy League school like Harvard, then she should strive to make every aspect of her application as strong as it can possibly be. This includes obtaining recommendation letters that are customized to Harvard and attest to her ability to succeed in such an academically rigorous environment. Again, the letters don't have to be customized, but it's a good idea for them to be if the school is especially competitive. It's more important that they are enthusiastic, use powerful language, and tell meaningful and memorable stories that reveal a student's unique qualities and help differentiate her from other applicants. None of the above letters accomplish this, unfortunately. Whether you're a teacher writing a letter or a student getting one for your college applications, what can you do to avoid having a letter like the ones above? This is a close call. Avoiding a bad recommendation letter doesn't have to be. What Can You Do to Avoid a Bad Letter of Recommendation? If you're writing recommendation letters for your students, make sure your letter isn't weakened by word choice that is lukewarm and could be made stronger unnecessary repetition of data from a student's resume a focus on academic ability without much mention of personal qualities statements not backed up with specific examples generic or cliche phrases. As you revise your letter, be on the lookout for words that could be made stronger or examples that could be made more specific. If you find yourself in need of more information or material, talk to the student about her interests and goals and what qualities she hopes you'll highlight in her letter. Students should share information with their recommenders, as well as let them know what would go into their ideal letter. If you're a student applying to a writing program, let your English teacher know that you'd love her to talk about your writing skills. If you're an aspiring future engineer, ask your physics teacher if she'll speak to your problem solving abilities. This helps your teacher make your letter more specific and effective. As letters take time and effort to do well, students should ask their teachers early - especially ones who get slammed with recommendation requests senior year (English teachers tend to get a ton of requests). Both students and teachers alike need to put serious time and thought into their recommendation letters to get strong ones. These references are a very important part of the college application. The best ones require planning, effort, and communication between students and their recommenders. What's Next? Now that you've read these examples of bad recommendation letters, check out these examples of strong reference letters (coming soon). For more on writing strong recommendation letters (that don't end up sounding unenthusiastic, repetitive, or uninformed), check out this in depth guide. Do counselor recommendation letters differ from teacher recs at all? Read about how school counselors can write strong recommendation letters for the students on their caseload. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Adult Education Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adult Education Organizations - Essay Example The research outlines some of the criteria for changes where most of them focus on the effectiveness of the prevailing leadership style. According to the article, change occurs for various reasons. For instance, in education, organizations or learning institutions may be looking for alternative means to improve the quality and strengthen their reputation. However, the study also recommends that a successful change initiation depends on certain criteria that lay the basis for the transformation of all organizations. One of the criteria for leading change is open communication that results in effective coordination between the staff and executive management. Nonetheless, the article suggests that the inclusion of people in the early stages of the decision-making process is also necessary for leading change. Another important criterion for effecting change is creating an environment that motivates the staff to accept the change. From the above criteria, it is evident that one of the met hods for initiating change in the educational sector is creating enthusiasm among the staff to accept the transformation. Creating enthusiasm is a way of motivating the staff to accept the changes. Another important method for implementing change is training the staff on important aspects of change management and initiation. The training focuses on equipping staff with the right knowledge on effective change management and implementation. The article strongly emphasizes on leadership as the primary determinant of change initiation and implementation.

Historical Roots of the Conflict Leading to Genocide in Rwanda Essay

Historical Roots of the Conflict Leading to Genocide in Rwanda - Essay Example There is a consensus about the multiplicity of the factors involved in the conflicts in Africa. Rwanda’s 1994 genocide case is not exception (Villier qtd. in Gaparayi 4).There are several views when it comes to defining the causes of conflict, major focus of this paper is to identify and analyze the historical roots of the conflicts that led to genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Brief Overview of Factors In order to identify the cause of conflicts that led to genocide in Rwanda, some argue that its root cause is embedded in pre-colonial political and social structures of Rwanda (Kangura 1995; J-J. Maquet 1961) while others argue that it initiated by the imposition of colonial powers which was a system of ethnic identity and political/administrative structures that led to division in Rwandan society (qtd. in Gaparayi 3).Moreover, colonial imposition was conserved by two Hutu regimes since independence which finally led to the conflicts and 1994’s genocide (Fundi qtd. in Gaparayi 3). Ethnic and Social Identities and Roots Rwandan people are composed of two major groups, Hutu and Tutsi. Hutu are in majority comprising nearly 85 per cent of the population, Tutsi are 15 per cent while a third minority group Twa or pygmies comprise 1 per cent of total population. Hutu are considered to be settlers from south and west while the Tutsi people came to Rwanda after Hutu people from the north and east. These two groups organized themselves in semi-autonomous communities and established links through trade, marriage, and other social engagements. According to estimates, nearly half of Rwandans today have both Tutsi and Hutu ancestors. Therefore, a group of scholars believe that the difference among them were social and economical rather than their ethnic identity (IJR 7).Despite similarities and shared culture, there are several factors that separated Tutsi and Hutu throughout history and kept the tension building. Tutsi Oppression Irrespective of their origins, these groups lived on same hills and shared simila r social and political culture where identities are divided more into clans rather than ethnicity. It continued until the second of half of nineteenth century. Tutsi King Rwabugiri (1860-95) intervened into the Hutu and Tutsi’s autonomous relationship by introducing a form of feudal labor. According to this setting, Hutu access to land was allowed in return for labor. On the other hand, it exalted Tutsi status to cattle farmers. However, historical evidence suggests that these differing lines between Hutu and Tutsi continually blurred. It is because laborers acquired upward social mobility and status of Tutsi by getting cattle though marriages, barter, and trade. At the same time, some Tutsi became Hutus because of their declining economic conditions (IJR 7). Colonial Roots The Rwandan conflict was historically

George Orwell Biography :: essays research papers

Eric Arthur Blair was born on June 25, 1903 and from the start, he was a very pragmatic boy. born in India from a family that was considered upper class, he was able to observe plenty of poverty around him and the way the British enforced Imperialism on the Indians. At a young age his mother and two sisters moved back to England in seek of a quieter life. Blair was always good at school and earned a scholarship to Eton College, a prestigious British School. After his studies, his family could not afford a University so he went back to India to become part of the Indian Imperial Police. He had bad experiences as a policeman and he grew to hate Imperialism so he moved back to England in hope of becoming a freelance writer. It was in this period that he adopted the Pen name George Orwell, no one really knows why he changed his name. In December 1936 he grew tired of writing and decided to spice up his life by joining the Spanish Civil war as a militia man. In this war he joined the rebe ls and fought hard against the Spanish communist government but unfortunately got shot in the neck and grew a strong hatred for the communist government and turned Anti- Stalin. All these experiences had serious impact on his life and changed his idea of belief. While in the Indian Imperial Police he saw the harsh true reality of Imperialism so he became anti- Imperialist. While fighting In spain, his grim experiences led to him hating communism and Stalin. Orwell’s response to the British Occupation of India led to the novel Burmese days, a book about denouncing Imperialism. In response to Orwell’s experiences of communism and, he wrote the book Animal Farm which is an allegory to the events of the Russian Revolution In which the working animals are poor and the leaders are pigs who gloat in vanity.

Divine Power and Divine Retribution in Jose Saramago’s Blindness Essay

Divine Power and Divine Retribution in Jose Saramago’s Blindness Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Often, writers in literature pilfer from the world of reality in their quest to present compelling characters and gripping plots. Nonetheless, others replicate the real world in an abstract sense to sensitize or communicate the malicious and malignant threats, epidemics and plagues prevalent in the world. Such episodes of these phenomena inflict mass threats and destructions, nefarious villains as well as innocent victims who apparel and enthrall novelists. In some instances, divine retribution follows the nefarious villains as well as grapples the ignorant innocent victims. This is well presented by Jose Saramago in his epic novel, Blindness. This paper explores divine power as well as divine retribution in the book Blindness by Jose Saramago arguing that divinity intervention follows in instituting justice. Besides, divinity intervenes to punish ignorance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indeed, the novel does not state explicitly that the onus of the swiftly hitting epidemic is resultant from the hands of a divine power such as God. However, the author does not resist writing on a divine power, God. This is because Jose Saramago introduces and trails the action of the churches in supplementing the government’s effort to contain the situation. Moreover, there are multiple references to church leaders all observable in the novel. Besides, Jose Saramago’s presentation in the novel suggests that divine retribution followed a nefariously villainous person. He or she was inflicted or struck with blindness. Additionally, it is interesting to note that literal authors cannot write a masterful work in a spiritual, religious or cultural vacuum. Deductively, it is evident that Saramago alludes to divine intervention and divine retribution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interestingly, the Blindness novel depicts a thrilling plot with an incessantly straying narrator from presentation of dialogues and facts to reflection on moral academic and ethical analysis at great lengths. Divine intervention and retribution features at the onset of the story in the first page. It is here that the author dexterously delineates in detail the expected features at an ordinary road intersection. These include flickering of lights and pedestrians crossing the road. Everything is a routine, and the events unfold as usual. However, a car at the intersection does not move or give way to the traffic behind, in spite of the flickering green light, creating an unusual situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is innate to this situation and goes on to consider rational motives behind the car’s stillness. He states, â€Å"there have to be some mechanical flaws, a loose accelerator, a stuck gear level, suspension problems† (1-2) and many other listings of things that could have gone wary. This situation does not go unnoticed because a bystander comes to the attention of the driver. He opens the door catching the attention of the driver as well as the reader. It then dawns to the reader that the driver was struck with blindness. This is rather bellowing and discomforting. It is not incidental that blindness just hit the driver cum blind. The cause of the blindness can only be explained in terms of divine retribution or intervention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Saramago twists and turns the novel literally betwixt calamities. The â€Å"Good Samaritan† that came to the aid of the blind man later emerges that he is a thief. On driving the old man home, he steals his car. It is rather ironical that the good natured helper turns to be an immodest, insensitive and hands down thief. Indeed, it is immoral for an able person to take advantage of a handicapped person and exploit them taking advantage of their helplessness. The reader is appareled by the thief and only wishes for divine punishment. Therefore, the thief’s catching of blindness comes as a sigh of relief to the reader for what he or she considers as an immoral and ungracious act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The scene of people being struck with blindness becomes an incessant phenomenon in the following pages. The narrator trails the lives of victims, and it emerges that they all had crossed paths one way or another. It is here that the narrator philosophizes divine retribution and intervention as calamity strikes the nation ravaging and resulting to outbursts among people with â€Å"I’m blind, I’m blind† uproars. In a series of skits between philosophical argument and conventional wisdom, the narrator presents a vivid account of the actions and motives of the escort and the car thief. Finally, blindness strikes these characters long before the narrator can conclude on the cause of the plague. Interestingly blindness strikes immediately without any bouts to announce its arrival. Divine retribution causes a fierily spread of the plague without a scientific explanation or physical symptoms. Blindness strikes swiftly, strange ly and impartially. For instance, the doctor realizes that he too is blind while watching television. The plague replicates in nature and strangeness to ancient floods and plagues that were acts of divine retribution such as in the bible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A clout to divine retribution is protracted from the doctor’s wife. She is the only victim of blindness who separates human flaws and godly affairs thereby attributing the epidemic to divinity. According to her, â€Å"this is unbearable filth of the soul of a human. Of the human body† (279). According to the narrator, â€Å"she said, as if to correct this metaphysical thought, then she added, it is all the same† (Saramago 279). The reader is left the quarry of the thoughts of divine power and retribution. Arguably though, why does divine power not punish the malicious and nefarious villains, as well? Thomas Talbott in his article, â€Å"Punishment, Forgiveness and Divine Judgment† argues that retributivist punishment theory. He justifids punishment by questioning if the punishment befits the error or crime committed. Therefore, punishment is not a rehabilitation or crime deterrence tool but a justice and equalit y feature (Talbott, 154).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just like other narrations, the Blindness narrator is obsessed with the behavior of people when put under extreme conditions. It is interesting to see the huge and expansive wary and panic among people following the blindness plague. Indeed, such a mega scale panic and social disarray contends the prevalence of a divine power with much stronger abilities than man can think. Different institutions in the society fall and crumble thanks to the plague for fear of the plague. The military cannot contain the massively and swiftly spreading plague create a heat of battle and confusion amidst the crisis. The government is also initiated into the crisis. It imposes a quarantine effort to control the contagion unsuccessfully resulting to collapse of the media, military and businesses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Divinity fabling is also evident in the identity of the characters in the novel. For instance, the author does not give them real names but rather opts to identify them in generic form. For instance, there is the blind man, the Good Samaritan cum the car thief, the doctor, the doctor’s wife among many others. The book begins with the first blind man trailing him as his eyesight elopes while at an intersection, in his car. The first blind man is rescued by the Good Samaritan who takes him home. Later on, the good Samaritan steals his car and eventually loses sight. Indeed, divine retribution strikes and the thief is blinded just like other noble souls. The level of blindness infliction is as a resultant of divinity. It trails people who have crossed paths. For instance, the doctor was struck with blindness. Interestingly, he had attempted to treat the first blind man. People who had sat at the waiting room also got struck with blindn ess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Saramago presents the proclamations of the churches and the church leaders, as well. They preached the end times claiming that the world was coming to an end. The narrator states, â€Å"they were proclaiming the end of the world†. He adds that they preached, â€Å"redemption through the visions of the seventh days, through penitence, †¦the purity and sanctity of the lymph, the black cat’s blood, the sleep of the shadow, the logic of anthropophagy, the rising of sea, painless castration and mainly divine tattoos..† (Saramago, 298). This presents the existence of divine power that claimed the people. References Cooper, Kate, and Thomas Talbot. â€Å"Punishment, Forgiveness and Divine Judgment.† Retribution, repentance, and reconciliation: papers read at the 2002 Summer Meeting and the 2003 Winter Meeting of the Ecclesiastical History Society. Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: Published for the Ecclesiastical History Society by the Boydell Press, 2004. 154. Print. Saramago, JoseÃÅ' . Blindness: a novel. New York: Harcourt, 1998. Print. Source document