Looking for Alaska is the figurative language because you can't actually look for Alaska
Answer: Symbolism takes something that is usually concrete and associates or affixes it to something else in order to give it a new and more significant meaning.
I don't think he would neglect his children, or allow elders to make all the decisions, I believe that he would encourage his children to play on his own. I would go with he encourages children to play on their own.
