For the majority of the 20th century, women were viewed as subordinates to men. In James Joyce's short story, "The Dead," the author effectively uses the character of Gabriel's internal battles and his altercations with female characters to represent the clashing ideas of femininity and masculinity. Throughout the novel, his interactions with female characters demonstrate the toll that his ego undergoes. These separate interactions eventually lead to his breaking point which can be seen as the climax of the story; his epiphany. There are three main encounters that are representative of this idea; his encounter with Lily at the very beginning of the novel, his encounter with Miss Ivors on the dance floor, and what eventually took him over the edge--his encounter at the end of the novel with his own wife Gretta. From a feminist perspective, there are definitely elements in this novel that realize the oppression of women. As Margot Norris wrote, the text should be read with two voices in mind; Gabriel's "loud" male narration and the "silent"  female countertext that does not succeed in making itself heard. However, what is not recognized is that while the female text is not emphasized, the actions and dialogue of female characters are the driving force behind the dominant male narration. This raises a conflict between the characters in the novel and the themes of masculinity, feminism, and dominance. While the male voice is certainly the most prominent, the female voice brings Gabriel's insecurities to light, and causes him to question his identity. The first example of this is Gabriel's interaction with Lily, the caretaker's daughter, at the very beginning of the novel. Before he shows up to his aunt's dinner party, Gabriel is depicted as a man of importance because of the anticipation and eagerness centered about his arrival. The fact that the text focuses on him even before his arrival sets the stage for introducing him as a dominant character long before his narration begins. When he finally arrives with his wife Gretta, he follows Lily to the coat closet to take off his jacket. He smiles at Lily and admiringly thinks about how much she's grown since he knew her a few years ago. He then asks her a question about her love life which Margot Norris describes as a "suggestive advance toward Lily (Joyce 200) which prompts her to respond very harshly, making Gabriel feel like he was shot down. Lily's sudden response may have been due to previous experiences with men with bad intentions, but nevertheless Gabriel took her retort personally. Joyce writes that "Gabriel coloured as if he felt he had made a mistake and, without looking at her, kicked off his galoshes and flicked actively with his muffler at his patent-leather shoes" (Joyce 23). He immediately feels embarrassed and ashamed. He tries to rectify the situation by giving Lily some money which she