The film lacks explicit evidence of non-heteronormative identities. The focus on a widow and an orphan suggests a traditional framework of grief and caretaking.

The widow serves as the primary driver of the emotional landscape. Her role suggests a degree of agency in her mourning and connection to the orphan.

The film provides a non-Western perspective centered on Korean social and spiritual structures. This disrupts the Western-centric cinematic canon of the era.

By utilizing a Buddhist temple, the film prioritizes spiritualism over Western secular models. It explores finding home through transient or chosen connections.

The orphan's status implies a systemic vulnerability and social displacement. It remains unclear if these characters possess full agency or serve primarily for pathos.