Language and power
By instructing Ludo in several languages, Sibylla passes along a unique inheritance, because Ludo's world is powerful and expansive. Most people can read and write in their own language, but few are raised to read and write in Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Norse, and the other minor languages she taught him. Language is a symbol in the story for the powerful instruction that came from Sibylla in the hopes of making Ludo into a force to be reckoned with.
Mathematics as a symbol
Similarly, Sibylla instructs her son in higher mathematics. This serves as a symbol for Ludo's ability to problem solve, because he can understand systems, he understands derivative and integrative logic, and most importantly, he can calculate precise replies to threats. This serves him in combat later when, surprisingly, his ability to think clearly about numbers lends itself to his success in battle, since he must calculate threats, as in chess perhaps.
The symbolic allusion
By attaching so sincerely to The Seven Samurai, Ludo aligns himself with an allusion to another work of art. The allusion serves as a bridge between him and the domain of his fantasy, the realm of the samurai. In Japanese culture, these samurai represent an attempt to restore law and order (although there are also evil samurai), so symbolically, the attachment symbolizes his desire to be a force for good in some community.
The symbolic quest for father
Ludo goes on an archetypal journey to identify with his father, but after pursuing and pursuing, he finds that none of the men are suitable to be his father. In general the quest for one's father can be seen as a quest for one's own identity, so this series of characters represents Ludo's high character, because he feels that the men are not noble enough to have given him birth. This also symbolizes pride for better or worse.
Yamamoto
When Ludo finally finds a father figure, he finds a man who is appropriately detached from filial piety. Instead of finding someone who loves him deeply, someone to throw a baseball with, for instance, Yamamoto symbolizes the opposite. He is a good father figure for Ludo, not because he cares about making Ludo great, but because he allows Ludo to make himself into who he wants to be. Yamamoto symbolizes Ludo's own higher self, the goal of his development.
