Sacrifice, even when it comes to one's ultimate goal, is crucial to survival as a productive race. In the book Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, he illustrates the hardships of early 19th century lifestyles. With the resurrection of an evicted man, the novel sprouts from a broken family that recovers and grows. This novel incorporates many grand gestures and adventures, such as the French Revolution, treason trials, and sacrificing one's life in the name of love. At the beginning of the book, Jarvis Lorry and Miss Lucie Manette meet and travel together to save Lucie's father, Doctor Manette. The book jumps to the moment when Lucie has revived her father, and the two are attending a trial of Charles Darnay, accused of treason. Sydney Carton, a foolish drunkard, saves Darnay from condemnation. Charles' uncle, the Marquis Evremonde, is killed by revolutionaries in France under the name "Jacques". A year later, the two men declare their love for Lucie, but she marries Charles. Charles then admits to Mr. Manette that he is the descendant of those who imprisoned him, and Mr. Manette has a nervous breakdown, but quickly recovers. Darnay travels to Paris and is arrested for emigration by the revolutionaries, only to be rescued and arrested again for the wrongs of his father and uncle, who killed a man and raped a woman, then blamed Mr. Manette, causing his incarceration. he is free. Awaiting her husband's death, Lucie waits sadly at an inn when Sydney overhears Madame Defarge plotting to kill Luce's daughter and Lucie herself. In a desperate act of love towards her friends, Sydney plans a course of action to save her friends: she planned the Manettes' escape from the inn in a carriage, then... middle of paper... . he literally gives up everything, including his own life, for the sake of keeping his family together. Another example of said theme is when Defarge is forced to renounce his loyalty to Manette when he has to further his involvement in the Revolution. This theme of sacrifice uses the idea that one must give up small things for the greater good, even if it hurts to do so. A Tale of Two Cities is the adventure of a loving family seeking happiness, but ultimately stuck in the challenges of freeing everyone from the unfortunate mistakes made by Darnay's family. This novel is a whirlwind of twists and shocks as the characters begin to develop and the French Revolution gets underway. The Manette family grows significantly over the course of the book, finding true happiness. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. A tale of two cities. London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. Kindle ebook file.