Nationalism, the Social Purity Movement, and the Church have a long history of influencing sexuality in Ireland. Joyce criticizes these oppressive forces on sexuality by using Bloom, the cuckold, who is suffering from sexual frustration and trying to overcome it. Bloom has not slept with his wife, Molly, for ten years following the death of their son, and she is about to satisfy her sexual desire with Boylan. Joyce focuses on Bloom`s frustration, because the ways in which he deals with his frustration can be viewed as a form of resistance against Irish society, which overemphasizes purity and fidelity. Bloom values sexual desire as an essential tool for life. He masturbates to fulfill his sexual desire, which can be a challenge to Christian tradition. Furthermore, he does not punish Molly for her adultery, but treats her with generosity. After getting inspiration from the case of Parnell and O`Shea, he realizes that real love is to step back to allow another person`s desire. By doing so, unlike the Catholic church which brought down Parnell by reason of morality, Bloom seems to demonstrate that human sexuality is not sinful but natural. In this way, Joyce not only reveals the narrow-minded views of Irish society, but criticizes the various kinds of oppressive force which suppress valuable sexual desire in Ireland.