Between the Strange and the Familiar: A Journey with the Motel

Abstract

The tension between the roadside motel’s uncanny and familiar features ensures it a memorable place in contemporary culture. The motel’s uncanniness has developed into a kind of mythology, which has been employed to great effect by popular media, particularly film. In this role the motel is frequently portrayed as a “between” that is structured by its being neither fully home nor fully elsewhere. This article explores how the motel’s betweenness allows it to transcend its own liabilities and afford visitors a unique opportunity to discover what it means to become heimisch (homely) within its walls.