There is a view that says that the contemporary tendency to emphasize Buddhist precepts and wishing for gokuraku ojo (peaceful death) suppressed creativity in story telling as seen in the fact that a scene in which the old lady argued against criticism of the tales of the time, and a rumor that Murasakishikibu, who wrote "Genji Monogatari," descended into hell under mogokai (a Buddhist admonition not to tell a lie) was included.
また、当時の物語に対する批判（『源氏物語』を書いた紫式部が妄語戒によって地獄に堕ちたとする風説）に老婆が反論する場面が盛り込まれるなど、仏教戒律を重んじて極楽往生を願うという当時の社会風潮が物語としての創作性を抑制したとする見方もある。