In Philip K. Dick's "Now Wait for Last Year," the author explores the profound impact of icy, death-inducing forces on a woman's femininity and essence. The quote highlights how the encroachment of coldness affects not just physical forms but penetrates deeply into the emotional and spiritual core, suggesting that such forces can strip away essential aspects of identity.

The passage implies that once this destructive power reaches deeply into a woman's being, it leads to an irretrievable loss of her womanhood. The urgency in the text conveys that no external actions by men can reverse this transformation, emphasizing the devastating permanence of such experiences. Ultimately, the narrative underscores a grim reality of survival and the fragility of identity in the face of overwhelming forces.