The Transcendentalism Movement: The Tiny House Movement

The bungalow design was influenced by a variety of social and economic trends that expanded the middle class and became a powerful means of transformation in American society. Arts and Crafts promoters associated the bungalow design with creative manual work, independence, and a way to return to manhood of common work practices. The bungalow

Of the scores of utopian concepts within the 1800’s, most remarkable of the influx was the birth of Transcendentalism. The roots of their religious philosophy extend much farther back into American history, but in essence, rests in the context of Unitarianism. It’s origins also reach overseas to Romanticism, from which they drew inspiration from. Transcendentalism was an important movement that shaped the course of American literature, it’s assertions commonly taking shape in novels, poems, short stories, and essays, the most famous of authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Transcendentalists sought for their sentiments to be present in the United States, to redefine man in response to the changing context of America. Since it’s emergence in the 1820’s, Transcendentalism had lasting religious, social, and political implications on the order of society.

In the short story, George and Lydia Hadley, and their two children Peter and Wendy, are living in a smart house, where almost everything gets done for them. The quote, “But I thought we that’s why we bought this house, so we wouldn’t have to do anything?” shows how little they have to do to have everything nice and keep a good home. The children have grown up not doing anything; they do not even paint their own pictures. The children do not do their own laundry, make their own beds, or bathe themselves. Their lives are so simple, and all they spend their days doing is “looking, listening, and smelling.” The children enjoy not participating in life, but merely spectating it. Peter and Wendy not only get this literally, but they also figuratively get the freedom to come and go as they please. Now, they may enjoy all of these things, but each thing or freedom which Wendy and Peter receive is another piece of power that the parents once had

Moving out into the the woods and off the grid isn’t for everyone. For a few families, this is a way of life. This lifestyle showcases many beliefs of transcendentalism, many that are still abundantly present in society today. Transcendentalism is shown in the way people live and in the television shows like “The Boonies”. In “The Boonies”, transcendentalism appears in the ideas of Idealism/Individualism and in Nature.

Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.

Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement developed in the early-19 century. This literary movement based on the importance of God, man and nature, allowed numerous authors to become known. Nowadays, in a society full of innovations and in which nature is becoming less and less important, some people still feel the need to live far from the cities, in the wilderness, and still appreciate the simple things of life. Chris McCandless was one of them and decided to live a simple life by following the basic ideas of transcendentalism.

Living fully but simply is the key to life in a transcendentalist point of view. Transcendentalism is focused around nature and the beauty of the world rather than the horrible insights of society and the government. Chris McCandless in the movie, Into The Wild, goes on an adventure with a mindset like a Transcendentalist and seek happiness in nature. Chris is on the way to Alaska to hide away from society and the government by trying to live by himself in the forest with little supplies. McCandless gets some ideas right about Transcendentalism but also gets ideas wrong which leads to his ultimate demise.

From the 1960s to the 1970s, the Hippie Movement was apart of the counterculture era. This was an age of renewal and change amongst society. People known as Hippies focused on pursuing a life different from the one proposed by mainstream culture. Hippies followed transcendentalism, which influenced their idealism of their understanding of nature and society. They often used drugs such as psychedelics, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and marijuana to experience spiritual and artistic awareness as well as self-fulfillment. They created a new culture of teenagers and young adults who dressed and acted differently from those before them. Hippies focused on experimentation and redefining themselves. Hippies helped influenced music, television, film, literature, and the arts and changed the societal norms.

The Shakers were the most successful religious community. They were established in 1787 in upstate New York and exceed more than 5,000 members. They were founded by Mother Ann Lee who claimed that Christ had told her to go with her followers to America to form a utopian community. They believed in spiritual equality for women and men. Oneida was a community found in upstate New York 1848 by John Noyes. They abandoned traditional marriage and formed single holy family of equals. Complex marriage is notorious due to Noyes. Owen hoped to create a new moral world so he established New Harmony. They believed in women’s rights for education and they abandoned differences between sexes. They influenced labor movement, women’s rights advocates, and educational reformers. The Brook Farm was established not so far from Boston by the New England transcendentalists. They hoped to demonstrate that intellectual and manual work could coincide harmoniously. Brook Farm had around 2,ooo residents including

On September 6, 1992, a group of moose-hunters discovered the remains of Chris McCandless’ body, which, through abject starvation, had withered and decayed in the unforgiving Alaskan bush. Upon discovery, Chris’ corpse became a symbol of misguided passions and misinterpreted values and inspired many to explore and document his story of demise. In Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, the story of Chris, attempting to achieve ultimate freedom and independence is told. On this journey, it is evident that Chris McCandless’ shunning of society was unjustified because he took the transcendentalist ideas expressed in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance and radically misinterpreted them. Because of his analytical error, McCandless was unable to attain freedom and independence, despite his support for these values; egotism overcame individualism, and McCandless’ hubris and extreme risk-taking resulted in foolish isolationism and rendered his journey useless.

This consequently led to the creation of the “unplanned suburbs”. These suburbs were makeshift homes built by individual families using scrap materials. “The job of self building typically involved the entire family” and could take months, if not years to complete (Nicolaides and Wiese 2006:214). For many poor Americans building a home was a long process that involved the whole family and came with a lot of sacrifice.

From the 1830s to the 1850s, many of America’s societal problems emerged and were realized by American thinkers. As a result, their dissatisfaction for their current way of life created the Transcendentalism movement, which championed qualities such the use of the imagination, in oppose to the Unitarianism use of logic, and individualism, to “transcend” human potential. About one hundred years later, Zora Neale Hurston would write her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, which would revive these same transcendentalist ideals in the 1930s. Through Janie and her connection with the natural world, Hurston incorporates elements of the transcendentalist movement to model the potential of women who defy complacency.

The increasingly popular tiny house movement has been mooted as a potential solution to some housing affordability issues. The movement originated in the US in the late 1990s, largely in response to housing affordability problems, the global financial crisis and the desire to live more sustainably. At the time, the tiny house movement was very small and localised; in the past decade, it has become increasingly mainstream.

Second, micro homes, known by many as Tiny Homes, are homes considered to be under 500 square feet. Banks won 't finance tiny houses––any house smaller than four hundred square feet is difficult to mortgage––and, in addition to being tricky to occupy legally, the houses are excluded from many R.V. parks because they 're too tall (Wilkinson, A. 2011). All Micro Homes are designed the way a normal family home would be designed. A Micro Home has the necessities such as: A bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room. The households are mainly built for single individuals who are just starting off on their own, does not want to live in a fancy home, or a person who is unable to be

Are Tiny Houses a key to Nantucket's housing shortfall? Many believe tiny houses are the solution to Nantucket's shortage of homes. While the opponents would suggest tiny homes will make Nantucket look like a trailer park. Though that may not be the case, a few modifications onto the house and it could look like a cottage. The best solution for this crisis are tiny houses because they provide a home that anyone can build and because of not having a mortgage and the mobility it provides. .