Of course I'm oversimplifying and the story deals more with personal identity than cultural or national identity - and this theme is easily translated to It seems like I can only bring myself to read magazine articles and plays these days. Fugard makes Apartheid look like Big Brother from 1984. A strikingly simple play set in an industrail hub of South Africa, this play deals with identity in a world controlled by bureaucracies and institutional racism. I can't pay attention any longer than that. It seems like I can only bring myself to read magazine articles and plays these days. Join thousands who've already signed up for LitCharts A+. The Island By Athol Fugard Pdf Reader Get PDF downloads, quotes explanations, Teacher Editions, and more. The Island – Athol Fugard Background Athol Fugard was born to an English father of mixed European descent and an Afrikaner mother.