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. Recurring themes and symbols throughout the novel enhance reading and keep the reader engaged. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is also a suspense novel, linking many 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 greatly established throughout the novel by the recurring symbols of the golden thread, the fountain and the shadow. The Golden Thread is the name given to Lucy throughout A Tale of Two Cities due to its authenticity. morality and love of others. Before Lucy goes to claim her father, she says, “…trembling with impatience to lay that special face on her warm young breast and love it to restore life and hope” (Dickens 32). Lucie quickly discovers that she is going to bring her father home and wants to give him back life, love and hope. In their moving reunion, Lucie immediately manifests her love: “Her cold white head mingled with her radiant hair which warned him and illuminated him as if it were the light of Liberty which shone on him” (34). In Latin, Lucie means “light” and Lucie literally brings her father into the light of freedom. Lucie begins a whole new life taking care of him and sacrificing everything she has for him to make a full recovery. It will take him years to reach middle of paper......rsad, Lorry, Mrs. Pross, Dr. Manette, Carton and others to fight back and sacrifice themselves for Lucie. Dickens uses the symbols of the golden thread, the fountain and the shadow to illustrate a central theme of this novel: sacrifice in the name of love. The golden thread is Lucy, the Fountain represents life and the Shadow, Madame Defarge, brings together the theme, characters and plot of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. After all the trials endured, Lucie is loved and protected until the end of the novel. All the loving people around her perform selfless acts for her and her family. Using all literary terms, through themes and symbols, Dickens connects the plot and all the characters. The many different ways in which the characters sacrifice themselves in the name of love and Dickens's use of powerful symbols combine to make this a very moving and interesting book..