Plot introduction
There are five characters, two relatives, three strangers, but all female. There is a homeless woman, a hotel receptionist, a hotel critic, the ghost of a hotel chambermaid, and the ghost's sister. These women tell a story, and it is through this story that unbeknownst to them their lives and fates intersect. The catalyst of their story is the Global Hotel.Explanation of the novel's title
The title of Ali Smith's novel ''Hotel World'' is a metaphor for life's passage through time, and the moments which escape us all too quickly. Every hour of every day, a hotel somewhere is checking in a new guest, or “life”, just as quickly as one is checking out. In titling her novel ''Hotel World'', Smith not only references the homogeneity imposed on society through hotel corporations, but also emphasizes an impermanent or indefinite state in life. The question then arises of what life would be if we were mere observers, watching countless lives check in and out of this same predetermined world, this hotel world. Does the presence or absence of those we love shape the moments that mould our world?Plot summary
Hotel World is divided into five sections. The first section, “Past” tells the story of Sara Wilby The second part, "Present Historic", is about a homeless girl (Else) begging for money outside the Hotel. The “Future Conditional”, the third section of the novel, Lise, a receptionist. The fourth part is “Perfect” with its far from perfect character Penny. The fifth section of the novel titled “Future in the Past,” is entirely Clare's memories on the life and death of her sister Sara. “Present” is the title of the last part of the novel.Characters in "Hotel World"
Hotel World is told from the perspective of five different women who as fate would have it cross paths and in doing so affect each other's lives through moments spent together. Each character is unique in that they each signify a different stage of the grieving process, a theme prevalent throughout the entire novel. Sara Wilby – a teenage hotel chambermaid who has fallen to her death in a hotel dumbwaiter. She is the daughter to her parents Mr. and Mrs. Wilby, and also older sister to Clare. Elspeth Freeman – an older homeless woman suffering fromMajor themes
Grief
The sudden death of Sara Wilby transforms this novel into a healing process. It both signifies and addresses each stage in grieving.Passage of Time
In one moment one life has ended. In one night a woman's status has changed. In six months depression deteriorates the mind. And through the course of time, a sister's acceptance is gained. All these individual experiences characterize moments endured by Smith's characters in her novel Hotel World. The experience of these moments and the passage of time that they represent express the theme that time truly is of the essence. Just as quickly as these moments shape a life, they leave a life too, never returned. When then don't we live when given the chance, and why is it that in dying one never feels more alive? Smith addresses these questions through her formal writing choices. Her sentence structure or complete lack of structure, the immediacy she imparts on her text, the words she chooses to forget, and the way she structures her novel's chapters as grammatical tenses of time all communicate the sense that time is passing. Moments pass by, memories are made then forgotten, people continue to check in and out, and time is the only thing keeping track. “What a life. What a time. What I felt. Then. Gone.” (3).Sexuality/Sexual awakening (lesbian)
Though it never comes to fruition in the novel, Sara Wilby's sexual awakening when she meets the girl in the watch shop—and the girl's shared interest in Sara, which is only conveyed briefly near the end of the novel—reveal a very internal coming out process for both women as each recognizes in herself her potential as a sexual being attracted to the same sex. Sara Wilby's early reluctant awareness of her attraction, and her subsequent somewhat obsessive observing of the watch shop girl, echo the recurring theme of watching and observing in the novel, and simultaneously convey the hope and complexity associated with recognizing one's queer self.Societal Acceptance
Smith uses unique characteristics for each woman giving her novel the feeling of being an observation on society.Homogeneous Society
Smith explores the idea of a homogeneous society by focusing her plot on the world of a hotel. A hotel corporation implies a sense of sameness. Regardless of location, the service provided, the architecture of their buildings, and the ideal life they attempt to sell, hotel corporations all mimic each other. Forcing a false reality on its visitors, hotels act as a pause in time. Continually checking in and out, guests never achieve a sense of permanence in their stay, thus never find a home in a hotel. While hotels strive for homogeneity, there is nothing real or pure behind their corporations. Smith is not only critiquing this but also commenting that if homogeneity was achieved in actual society there would be no purity left.Hierarchal Society
Smith implies there is a hierarchical structure to society, by setting her entire novel in a luxurious hotel.Literary significance and reception
Acclaimed as a truly inventive novel, ''Hotel World'' received much praise for its unique storyline and distinct formal choices. Garnered as a rare novel filled with hope and despair, ''Hotel World''’s characters, linguistic choices, and thematic elements are what have set it apart as a genuinely modernist -- and some would argue postmodern -- piece of literature.Allusions and references
Ali Smith includes several quotes and short poems at the start of the book which are reflective of the themes of the novel. * Muriel Spark says “remember you must die” (in her 1959 novel ''Awards and nominations
*Shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction 2001 *Shortlisted for theAdaptations
Recently adapted to the stage by Kidbrooke secondary school and performed at Greenwich Theatre and theReferences
Sources
*External links
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