Life In Frank Abagnale's Catch Me If You Can

In Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale states, “A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself” (Abagnale 9). Frank Abagnale was a man of many names and identities. Frank Abagnale also held the names of Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo (Abagnale 5). Frank Abagnale was known for being one of the most hunted con men, fraudulent check writers, master forgers in history, and the world’s greatest impostor (Abagnale 5). Abagnale was an airline pilot, assistant state attorney, pediatrician, college professor, FBI agent, and was known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states of the U.S. as a criminal (Abagnale 5). In Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale tells of the incredible

In his writing, Frank Abagnale states, “There was no pressure on me to leave, although I wasn’t happy. The situation on my dual home front hadn’t changed. Dad still wanted to win Mom back and Mom didn’t want to be won. Dad was still using me as a mediator in his second courtship of Mom, and she continued to resent his casting me in the role of Cupid. I disliked it myself. … I had no plans to run away. But every time Dad put on his postal clerk’s uniform and drove off to work in his old car, I’d feel depressed” (Abagnale 12). As this can be seen Abagnale struggled at a young age due to the divorce of his mother and father. He had always felt that they were a really close family and he loved his mother and father. Therefore, when they were divorced it tore him apart, he simply just could not handle it. Abagnale finally reached a point to where he had to move away from his family because he could not deal with the depression of it. After moving away Abagnale did not know what to do. What is a sixteen year old boy supposed to do in New York City, when he is all by himself? Abagnale simply turned to the easiest and simplest option, so that he could live and survive. Abagnale realized this was something he had to do and he went on to a life of crime. Later in his writing, Frank Abagnale states, “I could have survived on $110 a week, but I couldn’t live on that amount. … Within a few

One can not say that Abagnale is the most perfect man in the world, but Frank Abagnale most certainly is not a bad man. Abagnale never physically injured or hurt another person in any of his various crimes. Abagnale only tricked and deceived others, which has limited impact. Frank Abagnale was also able to help others in several instance, as well. He never financially hurt individuals, but simply businesses that could easily recover. Abagnale felt guilty for his crimes as a youth and wished that he did not have to complete them. However, Abagnale was pushed into the life of crime and had no other choice. Abagnale was never seeking to financially or mentally hurt others, but was simply taking advantage of opportunities, as well as doing everything he could to live. It is important for everyone in the world to know that Frank Abagnale is a kind hearted person that should never be viewed as an overall negative individual. Frank Abagnale does not deserve to be labeled as a poor person because he never completed any actions that would cause him to deserve that title. Frank Abagnale is an immensely intelligent man that was forced into the life of crime and took advantage of the opportunities he came