The Uncanny, a prelude

I had some heated conversations this weekend about the sense of revulsion and antipathy some people - both non-natives and expatriates - experience when dealing with Northeastern Pennsylvania. Working from several statements made by people with varying levels of these reactions, I came to the conclusion that this is actually an example of the concept known as the Uncanny. Unfortunately, as my familiarity with this concept is limited to a single hearing of a radio program and a cursory review of the Wikipedia article, I think I need to do a bit more reading on this subject.

On my way home from work this morning I heard about the terrible tragedy at a coal mine in West Virginia. Like Northeastern Pennsylvania, West Virginia has broken its collective back to supply the rest of the country with a cheap source of energy, and in return has earned the scorn, ridicule, hatred and contempt of people across the nation.