The identities of the main characters Matilda Laimo from Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones and Nomi Nickel from A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Towes are influenced by their own histories and by the people around them, who also shape them as individuals. Both novels teach us that our identity is revealed when we face difficulties in life. Identity is shown to come from a mixture of factors such as time, culture, religion and where one lives. The identities of Nomi and Matilda will be explained in more detail. To understand a person's identity, we must also understand that the people around them can influence them, as in the case of Matilda. The beginning where Mr. Pip began to shape Matilda in her growth as a person was introduced by the following quote: "It was the first chapter of Great Expectations which is incidentally the greatest novel by the greatest English author Charles Dickens” (Jones p. 21). “I knew everything about leaving. Thanks to Mr. Pip, I know how to leave a place. I knew you don’t look back” (Jones p. 222). This quote shows how certain events or people can influence a person's life, that is, the influence of Mr. Pips on Matilda. These are examples of how one person's influence can affect someone else's life. Although Travis had an influence on Nomi, in this case he had a negative influence as he states: "But before that, before the hospital and the field, sometimes I set a track on fire in the parking lot of the Kyro Motor Inn” (Towes p. 229). Another example of negative influence is when she admits, “It's sad, but I don't know what I'll do without my cigarettes” (Towes p. 85). In this case, Travis tricked Nomi into smoking. These are great examples of how people influence others, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Clearly, in Nomi's case, Travis' influence is