SOURCE: Wilcox, Leonard. “More Versions of the Pastoral: Postmodernism in the New Zealand Context.” Journal of Popular Culture 19, no. 2 (fall 1985): 107-20.

In the following essay, Wilcox discusses postmodernism as it is expressed in New Zealand's literature, contending that it is closely related to the country's concern regarding ideas of national and cultural identity.

Foreskin's Lament, a play by New Zealander Greg McGee, was greeted enthusiastically by critics and audiences when it first appeared here in 1981. One reason for its great appeal was its provocative exploration of Rugby and Rugby culture. But beyond this the play spoke to New Zealanders because McGee's treatment of Rugby offered a trenchant exploration of New Zealand identity and an issue central to it—the “provincial dilemma.” This dilemma is embodied in the character of Foreskin, the protagonist of the play. Foreskin finds himself, as a representative post-colonial subject, caught between two worlds: the...