How does the author use symbolism in the short story, A Way With Bea?

One example of symbolism can be found in the train, which the author uses to represent separation. Although riding the train literally allows the Teacher to move between her home and the school, the train augments the separation between these two spheres. Indeed, when the Teacher boards the train, she feels as if she is in one country, and when she exits, she feels as if she is entering another. The train is thus symbolic of the segregation the Teacher enforces between her vocational and marital realms.