# Obsession and Fascination with Opal in The Black Opal

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

Black opal exerts a powerful, almost mystical hold on characters like Michael, Paul, and the Armitages, driving their dreams, actions, and moral dilemmas, often blurring the line between reverence and greed.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-i): Paul's overwhelming excitement about the opal strike overshadows his wife's death, highlighting the obsession with opal.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-iii): The men display a worshipful appreciation of black opal, and Paul is childlike in his fascination with the stones.
- [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-x): Dawe Armitage's passion for black opal and the mesmerising effect of the stones on beholders highlight the theme of obsession.
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-xi): Armitage admits the opal business has 'got' him; Dawe hoards stones like a child; Snowshoes loves opal more than money; the story of opal corrupting guards illustrates its mesmerizing power.
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-xii): Michael's dream of finding a great black opal and his reverence for beautiful stone are explored.
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-xiv): Sophie's necklace, made from opals given by miners, and the opal earrings and brooch she wears highlight the central role of opals in the community's identity and personal adornment.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-i): Michael is deeply captivated by the beauty and mystery of the opals, spending time in rapt contemplation of their colors and fire.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-iii): Michael's mesmerization by Paul's opals and Potch's knobby reveals the hypnotic power of opal, leading to moral decay.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-iv): Dawe Armitage travels from New York solely to see Potch's opal, treating it with reverence and awe.
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-vii): The broken opal serves as a symbol of luck and loss, central to Sophie's guilt and Potch's forgiveness.
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-xiii): Michael's inability to return the opals to Paul, despite his intentions, illustrates the seductive power and witchery of the stones over him.
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-xvi): Michael admits the opals 'got hold of him,' deferring their return and feeling reluctant to part with them, showing the stones' corrupting allure.
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-xvii): Arthur's obsession with Sophie parallels the consuming allure of opal, driving him to destructive extremes when his desires are thwarted.

## Links

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