Webster's Dictionary states the definition of obsess as "to think about something unceasingly," similarly, obsession, according to the same text is defined as "the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea or desire." The protagonist's in both short stories, The Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant, as well at Solid Objects, by Virginia Woolf illustrate these words as they are defined. Mathilde, in The Necklace is inherently obsessed with materialism, wealth, and class, whereas John, in Solid Objects, becomes preoccupied with various objects commonly perceived as trash in order to provide knowledge and insight into his life. Though their respective fixations differ, the obsession itself, similarly led both characters to their ultimate demise within society, one losing any hopes of wealth and status, and the other losing a brilliant career as a politician. While the plots of both stories illustrate the obsession it is the author's...