# The Power of Dreams and Illusion in The Black Opal

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

Characters are sustained by dreams—Michael's vision of a perfect opal, Paul's fantasies of wealth, Sophie's hopes for a singing career—which both comfort and lead to disillusionment or tragedy.

## Where it surfaces

- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-iii): Paul dreams of leaving the Ridge with Sophie for a glamorous life in Sydney, a fantasy the other men dismiss as naive.
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-xii): Michael's dream of a perfect opal sustains him; his brief fantasy of single-handedly changing the world is contrasted with his humble reality.
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-xv): The moonlit garden and orange blossoms create a dreamlike escape for Sophie and Armitage, while Arthur Henty's poetic fantasy of Sophie as a 'fairy's child' underscores the allure and danger of romantic illusion.
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-i-xvi): Sophie's pursuit of a singing career in America embodies the power of dreams, while Michael's illusions about controlling her fate are shattered.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-vi): Potch's dreamlike perception of Sophie—feeling the dream is more real than reality—highlights the theme of dreams blurring with reality.
- [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_opal_se/chapters/part-ii-ix): The newspaper clipping describes Sophie's meteoric Broadway career and her mysterious retreat; Sophie's memories of the Warria ball and her longing to recapture youthful joy illustrate the power and fragility of dreams.

## Links

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