Something that is simultaneously itself and a sign of something else

Something that is simultaneously itself and a sign of something else is called "Symbol".
For example darkness, coldness or silence is in themselves something but in a literary world they are also used as the symbol for death. Or like warmth, it in itself is something but represents life also in literature. 

a small town is a good definition for new france in 1750. new france was the area colonized by france in north america. the area is nowadays the city of quebec in canada.

no because it could make the world a terrible place to live in.