Ben's transformation from a human into a salamander is a metaphor for the gradual decline observed in Alzheimer's patients. Caring for an elderly person or a loved one with a condition that impairs cognitive abilities can place enormous strain on the caregiver. Like Annie, caregivers often feel the need to become the "rememberer," both emotionally by preserving their loved one's memories and personality, and practically by managing tasks such as paying bills, scheduling appointments, and organizing medication. Readers recognize that, unlike someone with dementia or Alzheimer's, Ben has consciously chosen to stop thinking, thus transferring the responsibility of thinking for both of them onto Annie. Early in the story, Annie asks Ben, who is now a sea turtle, “Ben . . . can you understand me?” Toward the end, when Ben is a salamander, she asks again, “Ben . . . do you remember me? Do you remember?” She receives no reply, leaving her burdened with decision-making. The stress is evident in this passage: “Now I come home from work and look for his regular-size shape walking and worrying and realize, over and over, that he’s gone. I pace the halls. I chew whole packs of gum in mere minutes.” Eventually, Annie reaches her limit and decides to let Ben go, releasing him into the ocean, similar to how caregivers may ultimately choose to stop life-prolonging interventions and let nature take its course. In Bender's narrative, the caregiver experiences more suffering than the patient, and her final decision arises from her desire to avoid further pain: “I cannot bear to look down into the water,” she says, “and not be able to find him at all.” Ben, liberated from thought, finds peace, leaving Annie to endure the pain. Bender poignantly captures the emotional burden of being the "rememberer."

Ben tells Annie that they both think too much, remarking, "and the world dries up and dies when there’s too much thought and not enough heart." Bender's use of language is fascinating because as Ben regresses, he transforms from a land mammal (an ape) to an aquatic creature (a sea turtle and then a salamander). By letting go of thought, Ben seems to have counteracted the drying-up process.

As the story progresses, readers learn that before turning into an ape, Ben had bought a book on civilization from a bookstore. It appears Ben was captivated by the evolution of civilization, where the emphasis gradually shifted from religion to science as scientific knowledge began to explain the stars, planets, and other natural phenomena. This shift from religious to scientific thinking highlighted rationality over superstition and intuition. While often seen as a positive development, many, including Ben, feel it has disconnected people from their emotions. Ben longs for a life led by intuition and instinct, free from overanalyzing; he takes Annie outside beneath the stars and tells her, "Look, Annie, look—there is no space for anything but dreaming."

The growing interest in meditation, where one seeks to clear the mind of cluttered thoughts and simply be present, indicates that Ben is not alone in his desire. Ben’s struggles raise an intriguing question: although people generally view the increasing complexity of the human brain as evolutionary progress, could it eventually become harmful? Has the rise in intellect been matched by emotional growth, or has emotional development lagged behind? Some might argue that the persistent existence of war and crime suggests humans have advanced more intellectually than emotionally. Bender’s narrative underscores the challenge of finding balance between emotion and intellect. In his attempt to abandon thought, Ben regresses in all areas, ultimately becoming a simpler life form (a salamander) and continues to decline. Most people would prefer a balanced approach; one might say that humans need to be like amphibians, capable of thriving both in the depths of their emotions and on the solid ground of their intellect.