What does the white umbrella symbolize in the white umbrella by Gish Jen?

The white umbrella symbolizes the music teacher. The reason why the narrator threw it down the sewer is because on the way back home they had a car accident and her mom's eyes were close and she thought she was dead, and realizing this she threw it down the sewer
cool story bro its called LOOK SOMEWERE ELSE! jk its an american tradition culture thing. >:[

ignore the thing above,

actually it represents material things, so when the narrator throws it in the sewer she is saying that her family is more important than material things

OR

it can represent what the narrator wants to be, perfect, pure, etc. and that would mean that when she throws it away she is saying that she likes the way she is now.