Sex with a "wooden image"

In 1984, by George Orwell, Winston describes his life with Katharine, his ex-wife and says he could have lived with her, had it not been for one thing, the sex. Winston says "As soon as he touched her she seemed to wince and stiffen. To embrace her was like embracing a jointed wooden image... It was extraordinarily embarassing and, after a while, horrible." He tells us how having sex with Katharine became a chore instead of a pleasure. How each night she would say it is time to do "our duty to the Party". Having to live through that and not having the ability to get divorced was a traumatical event for Winston. Going each night, dreading the event to come, should not have to be tolerated by a man. Just thinking about being a man, with a wife, and having to go through that pain every week is beyond thinkable. How Winston got through that time period with Katharine is unimaginable, and must have taken every single ounce of his strength, and for that I congratulate him. It seemed that his whole relationship with Katharine was nothing, she just wanted to have children to help the Party, all of this affecting his future moves and thoughts.