The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - Essay Example Jurgis is young and energetic; hence it does not take long for him to get a job, just like do Marija, Jonas and Teta, who are their close relatives. The family agrees to purchase a house, but this does not materialize since the deal is simply a swindle; there are too many hidden aspects of the agreement, and the house is poorly maintained and shoddy. Later, we learn that the family’s expenses are enhanced, which forces even Ona to seek employment. It is really difficult to land a job in Packingtown because the working conditions are very hard and unsafe. Besides, there is no disregard for workers’ safety in this region. Moreover, the immigrant community in Packingtown is exposed to corruption and crime, which extremely complicates life in the area. We are informed that Dede Antanas, the father of Jurgis, lands a job, but, this he achieves through corrupt means. Late, the old man succumbs to death since the job he got was too difficult for him (Bloom 25). Winter accordin g to the author is the most dangerous period in Packington, and this even translates into the working conditions. For example, we are informed that the place that Jurgis works in brings risks into his life each time he goes for work. There are too many hardships as evidenced by various events in the novel. For example, Marija and Tamoszius are never able to marry due to financial difficulties. Later, Marija’s financial woes worsen since her factory closes down and she later loses her job. Jurgis is very stressed about these living conditions of his family members, which prompts him to join a union. It is at this union that Jurgis starts to get enlightened concerning corruption, fraud and bribery, three vices that make sure that Packingtown is able to conduct its affairs. Jurgis wants to improve his family woes very much to the point of starting to learn English. At Packingtown, it was easier to adjust to life if one was conversant with English since it was the language that w as used by most people (Bloom 37). From the tale, we learn that, Jurgis’ family members face extreme hardships as they try to settle in Packingtown permanently. We learn that Marija is fired from her job even after regaining it later, Ona gets pregnant and as a result, her job becomes an extremely difficult affair. Later, Ona gives birth to a boy who is named Antanas, in memory of Jurgis’s late father. Her bosses do not even sympathize with her situation since they compel her to resume working after just seven days of leave. Many mishaps in this region have ensured that families are easily ruined. For example, when Jurgis is injured, he is bedridden for a period of three months, unable to perform any work. His accident had been caused by poor working conditions at the factory, but, the factory does not consider this. Instead, they scrap him off from the pay list. Jonas is unable to put up with this misery, hence he runs away from the family without ever informing anyon e of his actions. The family’s problems are compounded because the youngest child of Teta passes on from poisoning. Jurgis does not give up at this point; and instead he takes a very long time trying to look for a job. He is so frustrated that he decides to take up a job in a fertilizer plant that is close to his home. He is forced to do this since he feels

UK Real Estate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

UK Real Estate - Essay Example These market-specific characteristics present reliable indicators regarding the UK economic status. The UK real estate sector forms part of the services sector. The main definition of service sector output pertains to the non-tangible, non-commodity aspects except agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing. The services sector has four broad classification of services based on the national accounts: Distribution, hotels and catering (DHC); Transport and communications (T&C); Finance, real estate and business services (FRB); and government and other services (GOV) (Julius and Butler, 1998). The services sector has grown faster than the rest of the UK economy from 1970-97. For instance, the average yearly rates of growth for the service and manufacturing sectors were 2.6% and 0.7% respectively. Marketed services have registered yearly growth rates of 3% during the same period. Growth has been tremendous in financial services, business services, real estate activities, education and health services, and communications, particularly in computer software and cellular telephony (Gibson and Barkham, 1999). Boltho (2010) projected that the potential output growth averaged 2.9% a year over the last cycle that chalked up a faster growth compared to the previous cycle (2.4% a year; 1986-1997). The acceleration could be traced to exceptional factors: strong net inflows of migrants, a slight decline in the NAIRU (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment), capital deepening and a trend towards high value-added sectors including financial services. The growth of the UK real estate property portfolio is also influenced by the level of technology on shopping trends, evolving consumer preferences, and the UK government intervention in project management and transportation. Real estate investment decisions respond to the current and future needs of the core business (Nourse and Roulac, 1993). A real estate company enters projects to generate a positive net present value for shareholders. This company will have the best opportunities for creating shareholder value within their portfolio of property assets. The opportunities come in the form of valuable development options, the exploitation of present market information and the utilisation of a well-developed property expertise. Amidst the need to attain net present value from property activities are some factors that may be deleterious to shareholder interests. These negative factors cover conflicts of interest between retail and property activity, negative reaction by external par ties such as shareholders, opinion formers, and analysts and an actual lack of genuine property investment expertise. The costs and benefit aspects of diversification into property activity explain the wide variation in property strategy and structure of this sector. The UK's economic cycle has been volatile compared to the other countries of the European Union, reflecting different economic policies, oil price rises and German unification. The UK economy exhibits different trade patterns, oil, company finance and the housing market. The UK government said a period of stability through low inflation and tight fiscal spending is essential so as to enable a sustainable and durable convergence with the rest of the European U