Symbolic scenes are scenes that reveal in a visual poetic way the essence of a conflict.

“One picture is worth ten thousand words"
(Chinese proverb.)

This is absolutely true and it counts especially for symbolic scenes. You don’t always have to be able to lay your finger on the meaning of each symbol and what it stands for as if it is e sentence to be translated from one language into another. Most important is that the feeling if the scene is being communicated.