I'm not exactly sure what you mean, as characters don't necessarily have one specific meaning per say,
The story of Noah and the Ark comes from the Bible, in Genesis 6-9 where it says that Noah was a just man, and walked with God, even when all the world around him was full of wickedness, therefore God saved him and his family from destruction.
There are many things that people can take away from this story, for instance, doing what you know is right, even when those around you are doing wrong. Other verses in the Bible use Noah as an example of trusting God even when it doesn't make sense, God's mercy in never flooding the whole earth again, and God's salvation of the righteous from the destruction of the wicked.
Hopefully that helps answer your question.
“But the enterprise in which I’m about to embark on is fraught with imminent peril.”