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

In Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale demonstrates a complicated perspective of women. On one hand, he values the women he dates “for their minds” (51), perceiving them not only as sexual objects, but as valuable sources of intelligence and information within their professional fields. However, Abagnale also speaks disdainfully of feminist “bra burners” (11), demonstrates mixed feelings toward his own independently-minded mother, and ultimately makes many women his criminal accomplices without their knowledge. Using evidence from the text, how would you characterize Frank Abagnale’s relationships with women? What do these relationships tell the reader about his values?

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?