Throughout this novel, Bruce appeared to want to live through his daughter’s life. For instance, Alison and Bruce’s life have always been about femininity versus masculinity, “It was a war of cross-purposes” (Bechdel 98). As Bruce was trying to expose his feminine side by using Alison as a proxy, Alison was trying to make up for the lack of masculinity her father showed. She noticed that her father’s taste are much more effeminate than her own. Thus, ties back to his obsession of beautifying the house. Conceivably because of Bruce is ashamed of his hidden identity, he uses Alison’s body as a body he will never have and enforce femininity upon her. Some of Bechdel’s illustration displays that Bruce forced Alison to wear barrettes in her hair