On a post-apocalyptic desert island with one man and one woman, it's very likely that they would form a relationship regardless of looks, status or ideology.
The woman would be very unlikely to kill the man in his sleep unless he were utterly repulsive physically or a depraved psychopath (and even then, perhaps not). Along with natural and/or conditioned moral aversion to killing, her fear of failure and retribution from the man, the primary negative consequences of killing him would be to become as lonely as it's possible to be and far more at the mercy of nature (harder to acquire food, build and maintain a fire or shelter, kill or ward off dangerous animals, injury and illness become far more serious). If she wanted to become a mother or became/may have become pregnant, that would be another key factor against killing. Even if she had some desire to kill him, the fear of regret in the isolated unknown could easily deter her: “It could be worse”, "I can kill him later if I must", "Maybe things will improve over time" etc.
This extreme survival scenario would promote the formation of a strong bond between them, as well as her vulnerability, dependence, gratitude, obedience and even reverence towards him if he were competent. There wouldn’t be much to do on the island in terms of entertainment (compared to modern society: no vibrators, dildos, porn or romance novels, nor any softer sex substitutes like video games, TV/film, drugs or junk food), their brains would become far less desensitised to natural pleasures and their most obvious release from boredom would be each other. In the absence of others, negative comparisons, social judgements and artificial personas would fade, increasing attraction and commitment while reducing anxiety and inhibition.
Survival instinct and its relation to sexuality is key: increased sexual pleasure is a natural compensating factor in a brutal or coercive situation, especially if she feels that “no one is coming to save me”. It's nature's way of overriding her inhibitions, aesthetic preferences and morality to minimise risk and ensure survival and reproduction. So his dominance increases raw intensity and stimulation for her, even (or especially) if it's a hard “no” initially.
Woman: “I’ll kill you if you do this.”
Man: “Try then, because I may as well die if I don’t.”
Woman: “Why are you doing this?”
Man: “You’re beautiful, your body is perfect. I need you more than I need life.”
Any man (within reason; 5-foot tall, one-eyed, morally degenerate Sartre would be an exception to this rule on the island, despite his lurid exploits in society) is "good enough" for virtually any woman but society “distorts” this. The 1974 film “Swept Away” illustrates this principle well.
As a man, I am the protagonist of my story, the arbiter of value and am more than good enough.
Additional observations:
Obese women often form relationships with obese men because they find it preferable to being perpetually single. This is not because they inherently have lower standards than slimmer women; it's because they perceive their value as being lower and are thus more willing to compromise. If a woman becomes obese, her standards likely fall (probably significantly over time) and vice versa. Standards adjust hugely based on circumstances: just as isolation and scarcity lower selectivity, changes in self-perceived value do the same in the modern world.
Apparently in the aftermath of WW2, German women (who were raised to value chastity and patriotism vastly more than modern Western women) commonly prostituted themselves to victorious American, British and Soviet soldiers, trading sex for small amounts of food and cigarettes. And this was with others around to judge and potentially punish them.
The woman would be very unlikely to kill the man in his sleep unless he were utterly repulsive physically or a depraved psychopath (and even then, perhaps not). Along with natural and/or conditioned moral aversion to killing, her fear of failure and retribution from the man, the primary negative consequences of killing him would be to become as lonely as it's possible to be and far more at the mercy of nature (harder to acquire food, build and maintain a fire or shelter, kill or ward off dangerous animals, injury and illness become far more serious). If she wanted to become a mother or became/may have become pregnant, that would be another key factor against killing. Even if she had some desire to kill him, the fear of regret in the isolated unknown could easily deter her: “It could be worse”, "I can kill him later if I must", "Maybe things will improve over time" etc.
This extreme survival scenario would promote the formation of a strong bond between them, as well as her vulnerability, dependence, gratitude, obedience and even reverence towards him if he were competent. There wouldn’t be much to do on the island in terms of entertainment (compared to modern society: no vibrators, dildos, porn or romance novels, nor any softer sex substitutes like video games, TV/film, drugs or junk food), their brains would become far less desensitised to natural pleasures and their most obvious release from boredom would be each other. In the absence of others, negative comparisons, social judgements and artificial personas would fade, increasing attraction and commitment while reducing anxiety and inhibition.
Survival instinct and its relation to sexuality is key: increased sexual pleasure is a natural compensating factor in a brutal or coercive situation, especially if she feels that “no one is coming to save me”. It's nature's way of overriding her inhibitions, aesthetic preferences and morality to minimise risk and ensure survival and reproduction. So his dominance increases raw intensity and stimulation for her, even (or especially) if it's a hard “no” initially.
Woman: “I’ll kill you if you do this.”
Man: “Try then, because I may as well die if I don’t.”
Woman: “Why are you doing this?”
Man: “You’re beautiful, your body is perfect. I need you more than I need life.”
Any man (within reason; 5-foot tall, one-eyed, morally degenerate Sartre would be an exception to this rule on the island, despite his lurid exploits in society) is "good enough" for virtually any woman but society “distorts” this. The 1974 film “Swept Away” illustrates this principle well.
As a man, I am the protagonist of my story, the arbiter of value and am more than good enough.
Additional observations:
Obese women often form relationships with obese men because they find it preferable to being perpetually single. This is not because they inherently have lower standards than slimmer women; it's because they perceive their value as being lower and are thus more willing to compromise. If a woman becomes obese, her standards likely fall (probably significantly over time) and vice versa. Standards adjust hugely based on circumstances: just as isolation and scarcity lower selectivity, changes in self-perceived value do the same in the modern world.
Apparently in the aftermath of WW2, German women (who were raised to value chastity and patriotism vastly more than modern Western women) commonly prostituted themselves to victorious American, British and Soviet soldiers, trading sex for small amounts of food and cigarettes. And this was with others around to judge and potentially punish them.
