Phaeton, himself, is one the biggest symbols in this story. Check it: he goes on this big journey seeking his father the sun, right? Then when he gets there, he becomes determined to become the sun...

The sun is a pretty glaring (literally and figuratively) symbol in this story as well. It's bright, shining, divine, and miles above the heads of the lowly mortals. The mere facts that Phaeton is a...