Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

As a clever reader of his environment, Frank Abagnale relates the characteristics that helped him pull off his crimes. He goes so far as to break down the three elements a successful criminal needs: personality, observation, and research. One might argue, however, that Abagnale possessed many inherent social advantages that significantly aided his success, including his status as an attractive, mature-looking white man. In your view, what were the most critical determining elements of Abagnale’s success as a criminal?

Frank Abagnale notes that in some instances, his ability to get away with scams was determined by the social climate at the time. An excellent example is Abagnale’s successful portrayal of a prison investigator in his escape from the Atlanta federal penitentiary. In this instance, Abagnale mindfully took advantage of tensions already present during the American civil rights movement. Considering its examinations of gender, economy, and social roles, how does Catch Me If You Can reflect the time period in which Abagnale’s crimes were committed? 

Catch Me If You Can contains an in-depth comparison between the harsh prison conditions in France and the Swedish emphasis on prisoner rehabilitation. What function does this comparison serve in the book? What is the author trying to say?

In Catch Me If You Can, Abagnale compares himself to an actor, examining the culture of pilots, doctors, lawyers, and professors as particular social scripts. What do Abagnale’s observations tell us about the culture of these professions and the space they occupy in the American collective subconscious?

In addition to examining the behaviors of various professionals, Catch Me If You Can deconstructs the very specific language they use. Abagnale goes so far as to maintain a notebook of terms in “airlinese” (51) that he regularly consults for guidance. What does Catch Me If You Can tell us about the significance of professional language?

From the first chapter of Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale adamantly insists that beneath his many disguises, he “was always aware” (5) of his true identity as Frank Abagnale. Identity becomes an increasingly complicated subject, however, as the number of his roles (and affiliated crimes) continues to escalate. How would you characterize Frank Abagnale’s perspective on identity? Do you think his perspective remains stable over the course of the whole book, or do you think it changes as new details are revealed?

In Chapter Five, Abagnale describes his interesting decision to serve as a temporary sociology professor at a university in Utah. This decision is backgrounded by the rising popularity of social theorists in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including Erving Goffman, who is known for his discussion of “cynical” versus “sincere” social performance. A “cynical” social performance is chiefly defined by a person’s perspective on the role they’re playing (i.e. they constantly remain aware that they are playing a role rather than expressing their true, authentic identity). Given Abagnale’s fascination with identity, how do you interpret the educational use of his own experiences? Is his teaching a “cynical” performance, a “sincere” performance, or both?

Throughout Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale takes pains to portray himself as a criminal with a conscience, illuminating moments of remorse, performative anxiety, and other ideas not typically associated with con men. In Chapter Seven, he discusses his criminal code, explaining that opposed to victimizing individuals, he selects “corporate targets—banks, airlines, hotels, motels or other establishments protected by insurance” (197). One might argue, however, that Abagnale does target individuals on multiple occasions. Do you believe Abagnale’s behaviors hold true to his code of ethics? Why or why not?