Henke contends that in Ulysses, Joyce has portrayed an open marriage which works. Leopold's acceptance of Molly's adultery and Molly's acceptance of his impotence give rise to a situation in which the conjugal bond has lost its erotic compulsion; assumptions of domestic ownership and female chastity having been overcome, both Leopold and Molly are "free to relate as complete human beings." Others may feel that this freedom is illusory and that Henke makes a virtue of necessity.