what the symbol here?

I'm not sure what the context of your statement is. What particular story are yoy referring to?

Finally my mother comes downstairs, all dressed up, and my father being engaged in
conversation with my grandfather becomes uneasy, not knowing whether to greet my mother
or continue the conversation. He gets up from the chair clumsily and says “hello” gruffly. My
grandfather watches, examining their congruence, such as it is, with a critical eye, and
meanwhile rubbing his bearded cheek roughly, as he always does when he reflects. He is
worried; he is afraid that my father will not make a good husband for his oldest daughter. At
this point something happens to the film, just as my father is saying something funny to my
mother; I am awakened to myself and my unhappiness just as my interest was rising. The
audience begins to clap impatiently. Then the trouble is cared for but the film has been
returned to a portion just shown, and once more I see my grandfather rubbing his bearded
cheek and pondering my father’s character. It is difficult to get back into the picture once
more and forget myself, but as my mother giggles at my father’s words, the darkness drowns
me.

paragraph7 .In Dreams Begin Responsibilities the sohrt story