Paragraph 4 of "The Honey Hotel" sees the author demonstrate Maria's keen understanding of the hotel's appeal as well as her mastery of word play. Maria didn't just write, she "staged scenes" and "conjured charming mirages," making her seem to have a wizardry that spellbinds the reader into imagining exactly what she wants. The author is showing us that Al is overcome with images & emotion from Maria's writing and cannot wait to convince her that she should write reviews of his hotel. The phrase "white-washed walls, embroidered gowns and orange trees laced with sunlight" show Maria's deep understanding of the idyllic but comforting charm the hotel offers. Finally, Al being "entranced by the sensitivity not only furthers the notion of Maria being a wizard with words (entranced usually meaning in a trance or stupor) but foreshadow's the pieces reveal that Maria, not Mr. Head, is the M.R. Head who wrote the essay.
After seeing how impressed Al is, it's no wonder he is disappointed by Mr. Head and is willing to pull out the stops to impress him, which is the dominant impression of paragraph 6. Al is crushed that someone who he thought wrote about embroidered gowns is now calling them "tatty bits of cloth." It gives the impression that Al thinks Mr. Head is just hard to impress, not an uncultured swine. This why Al spends "an unnecessary expense" he wants to make sure he gives his all to impress Mr. Head. The "rainbow of produced he procured" isn't just good parallel word play, it's indicative of Al's attempt to offer the hidden paradise he is trying to sell tourists on, so Mr. Head is inclined to write about it. This is why he stocked ingredients "fresh from the market" - what better way to immerse Mr. Head in the local charm Al thinks he loves?
After seeing how impressed Al is, it's no wonder he is disappointed by Mr. Head and is willing to pull out the stops to impress him, which is the dominant impression of paragraph 6. Al is crushed that someone who he thought wrote about embroidered gowns is now calling them "tatty bits of cloth." It gives the impression that Al thinks Mr. Head is just hard to impress, not an uncultured swine. This why Al spends "an unnecessary expense" he wants to make sure he gives his all to impress Mr. Head. The "rainbow of produced he procured" isn't just good parallel word play, it's indicative of Al's attempt to offer the hidden paradise he is trying to sell tourists on, so Mr. Head is inclined to write about it. This is why he stocked ingredients "fresh from the market" - what better way to immerse Mr. Head in the local charm Al thinks he loves?