As Buck transforms over time into a wild dog, his visions of the caveman strengthen. The caveman represents dog's primordial master, but also alludes to Buck's yearning for his primeval past. In his final vision, Buck and the caveman hunt and scavenge in unison, symbolizing the perfect harmony of man and beast in the wild. It is a relationship that is pure and untainted, but also ancient and foregone. The ephemeral and dreamlike nature of Buck's encounters with his primordial master signal the irretrievable quality of this forgotten past.