what is a symbol in the road?

I like the can of Coca-Cola as a symbol. Earlier in the book the man finds in in a broken machine. This is a novelty and a treat. The boy has never tried one which gives us an idea how long the world has disintegrated. The Coke represents the Capitalist consumer system that has long ago been destroyed. It is a system that many claim makes us human and can't be destroyed.

"Coins everywhere in the ash. He sat and ran his hand around the works of the gutted machines and in the second one it closed over a cold metal cylinder. He withdrew it slowly and sat looking at a Coca-Cola." (pg 35)