What is an example of symbolism in "Contents of a Dead Man's Pocket"?

The primary symbol in this
story is the yellow paper that is so very important to Tom. It contains the development
of his idea that he is so eager to submit to his boss. We are told little about his idea
for "a new grocery-store display method," though it took two months to accomplish,
because, as Tom comes to see, it isn't as important as his life and happiness. Tom's
idea, as we come to see, is as ephemeral as the wind and thus can be destroyed by
something as commonplace as the wind. We also come to see along with Tom that if he
chases ideas and lets his life slip by him, his life may truly slip by
him:

he
watched scenes in his mind like scraps of motion-picture film--he ... saw his upper body
arc outward, arms flailing. ... He saw himself falling with a terrible speed as his body
revolved in the air, ... moaning
softly.

This all-important
"creased yellow sheet, covered with his own handwriting," which Tom wants to transfer
into an Interoffice Memo to give to his boss "tomorrow," granted, contains gems of
thoughts that may or may not come back to him in time if lost to the wind and heights.
We can say that this paper symbolizes the
two avenues of Tom's life, indeed, in a
third sense, it symbolizes the sum of his life: "All they'd
find in his pockets would be the yellow sheet. Contents of the dead man's
pockets."

The first avenue it
symbolizes is the one leading to his happiness and personal fulfillment, also symbolized
by Clare (not "Claire"; a scrambled spelling of clear, as in
clear-sighted). This first avenue of symbolism is a reverse one: as
the yellow sheet goes scuttling along the ledge, Tom turns his back on his personal
happiness and life to chase it: "He understood fully that he might actually be going to
die." The second avenue is his dreams, goals and
aspirations: "[when] I'm known as the Boy Wizard of Wholesale Groceries." The yellow
sheet hovering above an ignoble death is his future, and he is chasing
it.

This complex symbol represents (1) that which is taking
him from his personal happiness and fulfillment (2) and that which may very well lead to
his literal death and his spiritual death (should he survive his ideal). This complex
description of this symbol is confirmed by the resolution when he takes his topcoat and
hat to go join his wife at the movies:

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As he saw the yellow paper, the pencil flying,
scooped off the desk and, unimpeded by the glassless window, sail out into the night and
out of his life, Tom Benecke burst into laughter and then closed the door behind
him.

The questions raised
are, does this scenario and symbolism still apply to and is it acceptable to today's
culture? After all, men's hats are no longer required; maybe these distinctions are no
longer required, acceptable, appreciable or even possible as the world's economic
situation plummets further downward.

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Then, glancing at the desk across the living
room, [Clare] said, "You work too much, though, Tom--and too
hard."