Many times in our lives we come in contact with people who are trying to be something they're not. When I think of `fake' identities two stories come to mind. "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant and "Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield. Both these stories deal with women who are nearly obsessed with lives that aren't their own. Both stories illustrate a woman who has entered into this `false reality.' By comparing and contrasting the characters and setting, we are able to take a look at the similarities and differences. Although these both deal with similar women, they also have great differences. Miss Brill is content with leading this false life once a week but Mathilde in "The Necklace" refuses to be happy unless she is given all the riches in the world.

In both of the short stories we begin to picture a woman who is...