How does the author use symbolism in the novel, We Were the Lucky Ones?

The light bulb that Jakob breaks during his wedding to Bella is a symbol of the fragility of life and the deprivation the Jews are facing in Lvov at this point in the novel. As the rabbi explains, a glass is broken at a Jewish wedding as "a symbol of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, of man's short life on earth" (71). During World War II, the lives of millions of Jews were tragically snuffed out like a light, making the choice of a light bulb in this moment even more appropriate. Furthermore, the narrator notes that the light bulb has a broken filament, and that "a functioning light is too precious to break now" (71). This is an indication of lack of household supplies available to the Jews at this time.