Describe symbolism in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot

The Cats, like their human counterparts, represent a wide range of character types. Growltiger, "The Terror of the Thames," is a villain, a bully, and a killer, but he has his sentimental side; while courting the Lady Griddlebone, he is attacked by the Siamese and made to "walk the plank." This results in worldwide rejoicing, but there is also a note of sadness in the loss of this larger-thanlife villain who seems to have some of the appeal of gangsters in American movies of the 1930s.