The Actress In High Life an episode in winter quarters

Sue Petigru Bowens short tale The Actress in High Life is set in a military barracks in the middle of the 19th century. The narrative centres on Lieutenant Goring a young actress who visits the camp to provide a performance for the troops. The male campers take to Goring right away while the female campers are hostile and envious of him. Goring who is already betrothed to another lady in the camp is not happy to just entertain the troops; instead she sets her eyes on Carter. As a result of Fannys pursuit of Lieutenant Carter there is tension and drama in the camp and there is simmering hatred and rivalry among the officers and troops. The narrative examines the intricate power relationships between men and women as well as the difficulties women experienced in the 19th-century society that was mostly male. In the end Fanny is able to win Lieutenant Carter over but the narrative closes on a depressing note since it is obvious that her experience at the camp had tremendous influence on the people she met. The Actress in High Life is a provocative examination of gender roles and relationships in the setting of a military community overall.