Outside Reading Theme Analysis
A prevalent theme throughout the autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, is that you can be/do anything you want to be. Starting at a young age that many teenage boys can relate to, Frank Abagnale decides to scam the banks worldwide and in doing so he earned himself 2.5 million dollars. It got to the point where "Frank Abagnale could write a check on toilet paper, drawn on the Confederate states treasury, sign it 'U.R. Hooked' and cash it at any bank in town, using a Hong Kong driver’s license for identification." (p.116) This shows how starting out as a teenager, he decided what he wanted to do and he pursued it to the fullest. He might have even pursued it too far because he was jailed for his criminal actions. Abagnale shows how to be very independent because it is extremely difficult to think of how someone in his situation could devise such a brilliant scam and live on his own without his parents. The following is a great excerpt that illustrates this theme.
Trouble was, at the time I didn’t know what I was or who I was.
Within three short years I had the answer. "Who are you?" asked a lush brunette when I plopped down on Miami Beach beside her.
"Anyone I want to be," I said. I was, too. (p.20)
This demonstrates how Abagnale’s motto was that you can be anything or anyone you want to be. He shows this further when he poses as a pilot, doctor, teacher, security guard, etc. While posing as a pilot he went as far as to recruiting an airline crew so that he looked as real as possible. He became a "swindler and poseur of astonishing ability." (p.4)
Frank Abagnale’s independence can be seen by his rebellion from his parents when he runs away. Also it can be see how he disagrees with his dad.
"Doesn’t it bother you at all to drive this old car, Dad?" I asked him one day.
"I mean, this is really a comedown from a Cadillac. Right?"
Dad laughed. "That’s the wrong way to look at it, Frank. It’s not what a man has but what a man is that’s important. The car is fine for me. It gets me around. I know who I am and what I am, and that’s what counts, not what other people might think of me. I’m an honest man, I feel, and that’s more important to me than having a big car….As long as a man knows what he is and who he is, he’ll do all right." (p.19)
Frank Abagnale was very different from his dad, showing that he is rebellious. His father viewed valued who you are as a person and not what you have. He also was very honest unlike his son, Frank Abagnale. Frank Abagnale said "Someone once said there’s no such thing as an honest man. He was probably a con man." (p.13) This shows that Frank was different from his father because Frank was a con man and was lying and posing most of his life.
Frank Abagnale life as a criminal was based around being well dressed which in turn earned him a lot of money. Even though he wanted the money so bad, he wasn’t afraid to blow it quickly or leave many of his purchases behind. Being well dressed was a symbol and very important to Abagnale.
Trouble was, at the time I didn’t know what I was or who I was.
Within three short years I had the answer. "Who are you?" asked a lush brunette when I plopped down on Miami Beach beside her.
"Anyone I want to be," I said. I was, too. (p.20)
This demonstrates how Abagnale’s motto was that you can be anything or anyone you want to be. He shows this further when he poses as a pilot, doctor, teacher, security guard, etc. While posing as a pilot he went as far as to recruiting an airline crew so that he looked as real as possible. He became a "swindler and poseur of astonishing ability." (p.4)
Frank Abagnale’s independence can be seen by his rebellion from his parents when he runs away. Also it can be see how he disagrees with his dad.
"Doesn’t it bother you at all to drive this old car, Dad?" I asked him one day.
"I mean, this is really a comedown from a Cadillac. Right?"
Dad laughed. "That’s the wrong way to look at it, Frank. It’s not what a man has but what a man is that’s important. The car is fine for me. It gets me around. I know who I am and what I am, and that’s what counts, not what other people might think of me. I’m an honest man, I feel, and that’s more important to me than having a big car….As long as a man knows what he is and who he is, he’ll do all right." (p.19)
Frank Abagnale was very different from his dad, showing that he is rebellious. His father viewed valued who you are as a person and not what you have. He also was very honest unlike his son, Frank Abagnale. Frank Abagnale said "Someone once said there’s no such thing as an honest man. He was probably a con man." (p.13) This shows that Frank was different from his father because Frank was a con man and was lying and posing most of his life.
Frank Abagnale life as a criminal was based around being well dressed which in turn earned him a lot of money. Even though he wanted the money so bad, he wasn’t afraid to blow it quickly or leave many of his purchases behind. Being well dressed was a symbol and very important to Abagnale.
