Dickens was a great author, as demonstrated by the way he used the literary devices of setting, foreshadowing, and imagery, in A Tale of Two Cities. The recurring themes and symbols throughout the novel enhance the reading and keep the reader engaged. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is also a novel full of suspense, uniting numerous characters between London and Paris during the French Revolution. There are many symbols and themes throughout the book, but the theme that made this book most meaningful in my opinion is the theme of sacrifice in the name of love. This theme was represented through symbols, where the characters in this novel risked and even took their lives for their loved ones. The theme of sacrifice in the name of love is strongly present throughout the novel thanks to the recurring symbols which are the golden thread, the fountain and the shadow. The Golden Thread is the name given to Lucie in A Tale of Two Cities due to her genuine morals and love for others. Before Lucie goes to claim her father, she states, “…trembling with longing to lay her special face on his warm young breast, and love him back to life and hope” (Dickens 32). Lucie soon discovers that she will bring her father home and wants to restore his life, love and hope. In their emotional reunion, Lucie immediately shows her love: "His cold white head mingled with his radiant hair, which felt and illuminated her as if it were the light of Freedom shining upon him" (34). In Latin Lucie means "light" and Lucie literally brings her father into the light of freedom. Lucie begins a completely new life caring for him and sacrificing everything she has to bring him back to full recovery. It will take years for it to reach the center of the card...... RSad, Lorry, Ms. Pross, Dr. Manette, Carton and others to defend and sacrifice themselves for Lucie. Dickens uses the symbols of the golden thread, the fountain and the shadow to illustrate a central theme in this novel: sacrifice in the name of love. The golden thread is Lucie, the Fountain represents life and the Shadow as Madame Defarge, bring together the theme, characters and plot of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. After all the hardships Lucie has endured, by the end of the novel she is loved and protected. All the loving people around her perform selfless acts for her and her family. Using all the literary terms, through themes and symbols, Dickens ties the plot and all the characters together. The many different ways in which characters sacrifice themselves in the name of love and Dickens' use of powerful symbols combine to make this book very moving and interesting..