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

The first chapter (along with all subsequent chapters of Catch Me If You Can) is narrated from the first person, past tense perspective of Frank W. Abagnale. Abagnale is a former conman looking back in time to recount and reflect upon his criminal exploits.

The book begins with a scene wherein Abagnale observes his image in a Windsor Hotel mirror. He wears a pilot’s uniform and muses, “A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself” (1). In the lobby, he charms a female cashier and cashes a large check with the ease of a habitual conman. At the airport, he notes that the inspector waves him through without asking to see his ID. Abagnale enters the cockpit of a plane, where he plans to ride in the role of a deadheading pilot. The captain introduces himself and suggests that Abagnale “fly this bird for awhile” (3) as a courtesy gesture. Abagnale promptly puts the plane on autopilot, confessing to the reader that he “couldn’t fly a kite” (4).

Here, Abagnale reveals to the reader that he is not a copilot, but rather a multi-millionaire, international con-artist. Abagnale relates that even through his many disguises and alter egos, he never deluded himself into thinking that he was anyone other than