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

“A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself.” 

Frank Abagnale imparts this reflection while looking at himself in his Pan Am copilot’s uniform. The line suggests Abagnale’s awareness that his disguises are aspirational, representing different versions of the person he wishes to be. As the first line in the entire book, it sets the tone for all that follows, signaling Catch Me If You Can’s vested interest in the concept of identity. 

“I wasn’t a Pan Am pilot or any other kind of pilot. I was an imposter, one of the most wanted criminals on four continents, and at the moment I was doing my thing, putting a super hype on some nice people.”

This is one of many moments wherein Abagnale demonstrates a sense of conflict regarding his schemes. He recognizes that often, he is successful as a con man because the individuals he cons are “nice people,” inclined to trust him and accept the idealized image he presents as a reality. This line is particularly significant in conjunction with the book’s first line and within the context of the book’s subtitle: The True Story of a Real Fake. Abagnale is a “real” fake in the sense that his disguises reflect aspects of himself he earnestly wishes to embody. He is ultimately, however, a “fake” in the sense that he has not truly gone through the years of education and training necessary to be a copilot. He is, rather, “an imposter” performing the skills of a copilot and tricking people in the process.