Basic Trope: Sex is a necessary evil for the purposes of baby-making, or perhaps ensuring your spouse's fidelity by fulfilling their needs, not something to be enjoyed.
- Straight: Alice has sex with her husband, Bob, but really only for purposes of giving him the son he's always wanted.
- Exaggerated: She actively records her menstrual cycle and only has sex on days when she can possibly become pregnant.
- Downplayed:
- Alice only has sex to fulfill Bob's needs and when she wants a child, but when she does, her needs are fulfilled together with him.
- Alice endures sex with Bob, due to that fact that she enjoys seeing him in the relaxed post-orgasm state.
- Justified:
- Alice is a lesbian or asexual, who either is unaware of her sexual orientation or doesn't want to admit it because of the scandal it would cause.
- Alice and Bob live in a society where Sex Is Evil, even for married couples, and thus must be reserved for baby-making and nothing else.
- Alice was forced to marry Bob in an Arranged Marriage, and he is rather unattractive and/or significantly older than her. Bob himself only does the strict minimum in bed because he doesn't find her desirable at all.
- Alice experiences pain during sex, due to hormonal changes, trauma, hang-ups about her sexuality or her relationship with Bob, health problems, structural issues, medications, or any combination thereof.
- Alice isn't the biggest fan of sex, but is willing to do it because she genuinely loves Bob and doesn't want him to be frustrated.
- Inverted:
- Alice enjoys sex as much as Bob does, and sees it as something to be enjoyed for its own sake, rather than as a means to an end.
- Alice's libido exceeds Bob's stamina.
- Bob is thinking about something not related to sex, so as to keep himself from finishing before Alice is satisfied.
- Alice and Bob are trying to make a baby, but they both enjoy it too much.
- Gender Inverted: Bob is the one enduring rather than enjoying sex with Alice.
- Subverted: It's an Arranged Marriage, Alice isn't very attracted to Bob, and she goes into their wedding night extremely apprehensive, but dutiful. However, Bob once they get into private, Bob starts joking and flirting with her, they start connecting for the first time all day, he's very attentive, and she finds herself surprisingly turned on.
- Double Subverted: However, once Bob sees the first flickers of interest from Alice he thinks his job is done and then starts ignoring her and perusing his own pleasure. Despite her initial interest, Alice finds herself enduring rather than enjoying the rest of the act.
- Parodied:
- Alice literally thinks of England: Big Ben, the British flag, Benedict Cumberbatch...
- Alice shouts "England" during sex with Bob. Bob makes it more awkward by shouting "Bolivia".
- Zig Zagged: Alice starts off thinking she'll like it, but the experience ends up not being as impressive as she'd hoped. When Bob wants a second round she begrudgingly agrees, only for it to be more fun this time, up until something awkward or unpleasant happens.
- Averted:
- Alice enjoys sex with Bob, for its own sake.
- Alice and Bob are in a Sexless Marriage.
- Alice and Bob adopt children instead of making one.
- Enforced: ???
- Lampshaded: "Tell me when you're done Bob dear, so I can put my legs up. It's better for fertilization."
- Invoked: Bob, wanting to have sex, convinced Alice to have children.
- Exploited: Bob, insecure with women, marries the conservative Alice knowing she's been taught to only have sex for babies.
- Defied:
- Sex Is Liberation
- My Girl Is a Slut
- Alice and Bob know they shouldn't be enjoying sex but who says anyone has to know about how much they actually love doing it? They keep the usual prude front outside the house so as not to get in trouble but what they do behind closed doors, they keep mum about it or just shrug in indifference when asked.
- Deconstructed: ???
- Reconstructed: Bob grows fed up with seeing Alice unresponsive in bed and eventually tells her to explain to him what she would enjoy since Bob is a much more considerate husband than he seems.
- Discussed: "I detest the man, but we do need a child to seal the peace deal and make sure my people survive. I'm doing this for my country. Nothing more."
- Played For Drama: Bob gets what he wants by force.
Back to Lie Back and Think of England
