Welcome to Your Dream House
Homes of the future were predicted to be all about luxury and ease. People hoped that their lives would be made easier by automated tools in the home.
People also were seemingly conscious about the impact on the environment the construction of homes could have. Some believed that people would be
living in communal housing or that all homes would have electric energy, and these predictions proved true. However, some of the more interesting ones,
while not entirely true, have still influenced our present lives.
Rolling Houses
In September 1934, Everyday Science and
Mechanics proposed that people would be living
in rolling, possibly floating, houses. This design
would not only allow for easy construction, but
would also allow people to move their homes in
cases of disaster quickly and efficiently.
Floor-to-Ceiling Entertainment
In the late 70s, with the rise of the popularity of cinema, the mass
commercialization of the home television, and the increasing interest in
pop culture, people strongly believed that those in the future would be
living in homes with floor-to-ceiling television screens serving as the walls,
surrounding the occupants with whatever media their heart desired.
Light as a Feather Homes
In the 1940s, one group of architects
predicted that homes in the future
would be slowly molded and layered out
of super-light “aerogel”, very similar to
the 3D printing today. The homes would
be constructed and transported easily
and would cause less impact on the
environment, proving both cheaper for
the homeowner and better for the earth.
The Bathroom Got Your Back- Literally
In 1899, artist Jean Marc Cote was
challenged to envision the world of the
future and, knowing that many hoped
that the future meant an easier life, and
the labor of getting ready in the morning
would be made simpler, he predicted the
automated bathroom. Mirrors that
adjusted to the angle without human
touch, powders and makeups that were
applied via mechanical arms, and scrub
brushes that automatically reached
those hard to reach places; this and
more would hopefully be found in future
homes to make morning prep much
easier.
The Whole-House Is A Roomba!
In the 1980s, a woman in Oregon named Frances Gabe
invented the “self-sluicing house”, a house that would clean
itself- both wash and dry- enabling women to have more
freedom and removing a bothersome chore. Despite the
alluring idea, many women at the time were outraged by the
idea, claiming it would rob them of their primary duties at
home while their husband was off at work.
QUESTIONS: 1) What was one safety benefit of rolling homes? 2) Why were floor-to-ceiling televisions predicted in the 70s? 3) What process is used today
that was similar to the idea proposed in the 40s? 4) Jean Marc Cote believed people would have an entirely automated what? 5) Why was the “self-sluicing
house” idea rejected by the people it was meant to liberate?
Works Cited:
“7 Houses of the Future, According to the Past.” Angie's List | Join for FREE to See 10 Million Verified Reviews, 16 Apr. 2019, www.angieslist.com/articles/7houses-future-according-past.htm.
Dunn, Thom. “11 Ridiculous Future Predictions from the 1900 World's Fair - and 3 That Came True.” Upworthy, Upworthy, 1 June 2019, www.upworthy.com/11ridiculous-future-predictions-from-the-1900-worlds-fair-and-3-that-came-true.
Frost, Natasha. “All Steel Everything, and Other Predictions from the Past about the Home of the Future.” Quartz, Quartz, 17 Oct. 2018, qz.com/1383674/allsteel-everything-and-other-predictions-from-the-past-about-the-home-of-the-future/.
Uptas, Aušrys. “Here's How People In The 1900s Predicted Future Homes Would Look Like (7 Pics).” Demilked, Demilked, 16 May 2019,
www.demilked.com/house-predictions-future-angieslist/.
Mini Outline of how I would complete this essay
Introduction: Some background information about how future prediction of homes focused on appealing to the consumer as well as being economically
sensible. My thesis statement would be “Throughout the past, the predictions of future homes has been very diverse, but there are common threads
throughout: a home should be practical, a home should be sustainable, and a home should put the homeowner at ease.”
Body Paragraph 1: Explanation of the prediction of homes as practical and focused on providing the homeowner with a sense of security. In this paragraph, I
would discuss the Rolling Homes from the 1930s that would help people avoid disasters and allow them to survive in a variety of situations. I would connect to
how many homes today have security/safety measures in place, but nothing as drastic as a moveable, floating home.
Body Paragraph 2: Explanation of the ideas of homes as sustainable objects with low-environmental impact. In this paragraph, I would discuss the 1940s vision
of molded homes, which would benefit the consumer as well as the planet. I would explain the logic behind this type of home creation and how it would be a
benefit. I would then connect this topic to today’s use of 3D printing, possibly mentioning how certain individuals print objects such as cars or elements for their
home but I do not believe a 3D printed, sustainable home has come to exist yet.
Body Paragraph 3: Explanation of predictions of homes as objects that ease the life of the homeowner. In this paragraph, I would focus on the ideas from the
70s, 80s, and 1899 that go through the house being one meant to relax and relieve the homeowner, removing the need for doing chores or brushing your own
teeth. I would connect this to some of the modern things we have, such as flat screens, mechanical toothbrushes, and objects like the Roomba, which allow
modern life to be less stressful.
Body Paragraph 4: Explanation of other predictions not featured on the poster/visual. In this paragraph, I would focus on ideas such as the whole-house garden
that allows you to live with your walls and ceiling covered in plants to increase oxygen and the toddler maid robot that would care for your children. I would
mention how these are predictions that, similarly to the above mentioned, focus on easing stresses as well as caring for the environment.
Conclusion: Connections of how the future (modern times) would be impacted if these had come true. In this paragraph, I would mention that I just as I have
already touched on some of the similarities, such as flat screen TVs to the floor-to-ceiling screen concept of the 70s, many of these predictions have become
elements of modern technologies and conveniences around the home. However, I would then focus on how, if these predictions had come true 100%, the
future would potentially be a very different place due to less environmental impact, more affordable and sustainable housing, and less stress for people in their
daily lives.
The Man Who Had Something To Say: F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a man with a natural talent for writing and at the early age of 13, he was published. At 23 he reached his fame by writing a novel
about something that truly touched the lives of all around him: post-World War 1 life. Fitzgerald focused on the duality of poor and rich, men and women,
black and white, etc., exploring how these concepts could moralize his readers to learning some lesson about themselves along the way. He gained an
audience who appreciated the authenticity of his stories and his idealism of “the green light”, however some dismissed him as simply a “flapper author,”
writing only to appeal the youthful, party crowd; and as the “Roaring 20’s” faded, Fitzgerald’s popularity between to fade along with the American lifestyle of
luster. Despite the modern popularity of his works, in his time Fitzgerald never felt adequate compared to his fellow authors and continued to push himself,
writing until his deathbed to reach their level of success.
A Focus on Duality- the Morals of His Work
 Ambition vs Loss
 Discipline vs Self-Indulgence
 Love vs Romance
 Money vs Class
This Side of Paradise
 Fitzgerald’s first novel of fame that told the story of a
soldier-in-training’s whose failures in love and college
are not because of his own shortcomings, but instead is
because of the setbacks of modern life.
 This novel gave a voice to the young people, telling their
story and offering them a new perspective on what they
could achieve in life given the limitations they faced.
Fitzgerald and the Flappers
Fitzgerald was often associated with flappers
and flapper culture, portraying many of his
female characters as such. Even after the fad
passed, he continued to use this youthful,
feminine persona in his stories.
Don’t Satirize, Moralize
Fitzgerald didn’t aim to mock the society around him; instead, he
was belligerent and blunt in his portrayal of the world. While this
tended to rub some people the wrong way, it also allowed him to
help readers learn values and lessons relevant to their lives from his
stories.
Gatsby and The Green Light
The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s
most popular work and, while it
can be slightly challenging to
get through, captures the
pursuit of the American Dream
during the time. The Green
Light Fitzgerald refers to
throughout the novel
represents a sense of hope and
prosperity, something Fitzgerald
wanted his readers to value and
hold true, no matter their
position in life.
QUESTIONS: 1) The morals of Fitzgerald’s works focused on the concept of what? 2) Why was Fitzgerald’s novel, The Side of Paradise, popular with young
people? 3) Why did Fitzgerald write about Flappers? 4) Fitzgerald wanted, not to mock the world, but do what with his novels? 5) What did the Green Light
represent for Fitzgerald?
Works Cited:
“F. Scott Fitzgerald.” F. Scott Fitzgerald Society, F. Scott Fitzgerald Society, 6 Nov. 2018, fscottfitzgeraldsociety.org/about-us-2/biography/.
Mizener, Arthur. “F. Scott Fitzgerald.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 Dec. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/F-Scott-Fitzgerald.
The Curious Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Kate O'Connor at http://writersinspire.org/content/curious-life-f-scott-fitzgerald. Accessed on Wednesday, January 22,
2020.
“The Sensible Thing: Biographies.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/kteh/amstorytellers/bios.html.
Mini Outline of how I would complete this essay
Introduction: I would start with a quote by Fitzgerald and provide a brief overview of his life, touching on his early writing, his struggles with confident in his
success, and his famed novels still used today. My thesis would be: “Although he struggled to reach his own personal goals for success, Fitzgerald provided his
readers with literature that embodied his own struggles, encompassed the experiences of the 20s, empowered women, and encouraged them to learn from the
lessons provided within his stories’ pages.”
Body Paragraph 1: Explanation of Fitzgerald’s personal struggles and how they are relevant in his literature. I would connect to his own experiences as a soldier
coming up in many of his stories, as well as his obsession with the roaring 20’s lifestyle and how many elements from this time period influence his books, even
beyond the passing of the decade.
Body Paragraph 2: Explanation of Fitzgerald’s depiction of the world at the time and how it was a real vision of the period. I would connect to how his
characters, while fictional, represent real groups of people and how the conflicts he addresses were ones that people of the 20s would face daily. I would
explain how his writing encompassed the experience of living in the 20s, and how this was relatable and meaningful to many readers, as well as relevant to
readers today.
Body Paragraph 3: Explanation of how Fitzgerald’s novels empower women. In this paragraph, I would connect his idolization of youth and beauty to the
women’s movement at the time, discussing how Fitzgerald’s writing served to support the freedom and liberation of women in the 20s.
Body Paragraph 4: Explanation of how Fitzgerald uses his novels to teach his readers lessons and moralize them. I would explain how the novels reflect real life
and thus the characters and the experiences of the characters serve as an opportunity for the reader to learn through their observation of the events. I would
discuss Fitzgerald’s desires to have all men (and women) become the best they can and reach their dream potential, although not easily achieved, as seen
through many of his lessons taught.
Conclusion: Connections of how information learned my impact the novel. In this paragraph, I might predict that Fitzgerald may have characters who are
morally corrupt paired with characters who are “pure” to teach the readers a lesson about getting ahead in life without greed. I may also predict that Fitzgerald
will discuss many things from the 20s that are out of date but still interesting, as they have led to elements of modern times- for example, I predict he will have
some flappers in this novel, and they are a great representation of the first real steps in the women’s liberation movement.