The Volkswagen
The Volkswagen is a symbol for marriage. Taken as a whole, the story should make the reader thing of love, because after all it is Jacques quest for meaning that makes him pursue friendship and companionship, and it was love that made Jacques learn the hard lesson of doing what one can for one's loved ones, and therefore, the Volkswagen that carries Jacques and his newfound companion, Pitsemine, is actually commitment and sacrifice. They agree to be loyal to their adventure, and that sets the stage for their journeying. In the Volkswagen, they learn about each other by having long, fun conversations as they journey.
Pitsemine as the divine helper
There is a beautiful romance in this novel between Jacques and Pitsemine, made all-the-more beautiful by the fact that the couple didn't form out of desperation, but out of genuine interest in the other's experience and journey. They found that their journeys were compatible. Pitsemine's journey was to know someone and to be known, and to partner with them. Not only is Pitsemine a divine helper to Jacques, Jacques is a divine helper to Pitsemine.
The archetypal wanderer
Jacques is an archetypal character, because he is an extreme example of what makes a character tick. Clearly, he is motivated to discover the meaning of his human life, and he even frames his existence in that pursuit by becoming a writer. How does he earn his living? He goes through life cycles paying attention as he goes, and when he comes to a climactic revelation, he stops and writes it all down. His life is a symbolic manifestation of wanderlust, the ineffable feeling that one simply must adventure to find meaning in life.
"Theo"
Theo's name means "God," which is either a funny coincidence or a symbol. If taken as a symbol, then what Jacques discovers when he sees Theo dismantled by fate might seem blasphemous, but it actually isn't, because Jacques is learning the full weight of love in his mourning for Theo. He regrets not doing more for Theo, so Jacques encounters a kind of moral judgment, but the standard was surprising—all that mattered was whether he did what he could do for his loved ones. In other words, "Theo" is a symbol for Jacques newfound decision to prioritize his loved ones in his life.
The language barrier
Of course, the language barrier of the novel's plot doesn't actually have to be taken as a symbol, because the frustration of not being able to communicate is already obvious to anyone who has ever been somewhere where they don't speak the language. But it is a symbol, actually. It refers to the way the characters struggle to relate to one another, as if there is a language barrier on certain types of communication. So, one character feels something but is unable to say it to the other in a perfect way. The language barrier is a reminder to the reader that some things just don't translate from one person to another.
