What is an example of symbolism in the novel, East Indian?

The Man Who Would Not Die, a man whom legend has it could not be hanged, is a symbol of Tony's own perspicacity and endurance in the colonial world. Although nobody else appears to encounter him, the Man Who Would Not Die frequently appears to Tony in visions, encouraging him at times when nobody else appears to be able to assist him. Eventually, Tony begins to feel that he has come to embody the man himself.