Riverside Hotel serves as a waystation and organizing point in Claire Daniels’s Reno divorce trip: the lawyer arranged by Cy Goldman brings Claire and her daughter there before explaining how Claire can stay in Nevada while her film work continues.

Place in the Divorce Plan

After meeting the lawyer, Claire and her daughter are taken to Riverside Hotel. The lawyer tells them that accommodation has been arranged in a bungalow at a dude ranch where no questions will be asked, and that Claire’s stand-in can report for duty whenever Claire wants to check out. The account distinguishes the hotel from the bungalow: it identifies Riverside Hotel as their immediate destination, while the longer stay is planned elsewhere.

Narrative Role

The hotel marks the practical machinery behind Claire’s attempt to obtain a divorce in Reno. Cy Goldman has instructed the lawyer to look after her, and the lawyer presents the lodging and stand-in arrangements as part of that service. The plan allows Claire to pursue the required stay without abandoning her work altogether; the scene then moves on to the formal filing of papers and the pair’s public outings on Virginia Street.