# Isolation and Self-Governance in The Black Opal

> Theme guide for The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard.

The remote Ridge community governs itself by popular custom and a code of freedom, resisting external authority and corporate control, valuing leisure and independence over wage labor.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-i): The funeral on the plains and the mother's wish for Sophie to grow up in the quiet of the Ridge emphasize the isolated, self-contained community.
- [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-iv): The Ridge as a self-contained world where Michael and the community try to manage their own affairs.
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-vii): The Ridge's self-contained society, with its own gossip and norms, is highlighted through Mrs. Watty Frost's prejudices and the miners' discussions.
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-viii): The Ridge operates as a self-governing entity, with popular custom and opinion at Newton's bar serving as the seat of government, and external laws respected or disregarded as the community sees fit.
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-ix): The encounter on the dusty road and the wild, open plains emphasize the isolated setting and the characters' self-reliant lives.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-ii): The debate over handling rats reflects the isolated community's struggle to maintain order without effective external law enforcement.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-iv): The Ridge community's independence is highlighted by their refusal to sell to Armitage and Son.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-v): Sophie's return to the remote Ridge as a place of peace and refuge underscores the isolation and self-contained community.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-vi): The quiet, remote setting of the goat-yard and the twilight underscore the isolated yet self-sufficient life of the characters.
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-xi): The Ridge's declaration of independence and the miners' preference for freedom over material comforts are central to the conflict with Armitage's capitalist plans.
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-xiv): The Ridge's independence is threatened by John Armitage's scheme, and Sophie and Potch are committed to fighting for their principles.
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-xvii): The Ridge community's self-imposed isolation and values are tested by Arthur's intrusion, underscoring the tension between personal desire and communal duty.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/themes/isolation_and_self_governance
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/themes