What is an example of symbolism in the collection, Table For Two?

The signatures that Timothy absent-mindedly copies—and later forges—in "The Ballad of Timothy Touchett" are a symbol of the ways in which lesser artists tend to copy the work of those more talented ones who came before them. Although Timothy fancies himself a novelist, he cannot write a single word, and instead hopes to channel or access the genius that his idols displayed by simply copying their signatures and learning everything he can about their writing routines. Timothy's fixation on this activity, and the dark path it leads him down, is a symbol for the misguided belief that great art comes through emulation; in attempting to mime the originality of his favorite writers, Timothy completely misses the point.