When we meet an obstacle in life, one of our first instinctual reaction is to choose between accepting the truth or living a lie. This lie can be as subtle as telling a white lie to achieve a more desirable outcome, or something like putting up a facade to give off a more desirable impression, depending on the magnitude of the situation. Although putting up a facade and living the lie may be a desirable at first, accepting the truth has proved to be more advantageous in the long run.
When Frank Abagnale Jr. was confronted by the news of his parent’s divorce, he failed to accept the truth and chose to run away and start a new life away from reality. Upon running out of money during his time spent away from home, Frank began to cash counterfeit checks. The magnitude of his crimes escalated to the point where he managed to successfully impersonate a pilot working for Pan Am. During the 1960’s, flying was considered rare for people who weren’t rich due to the much less affordable price of a plane ticket at the time. This meant that being an airline pilot for Pan Am would have meant having a very prestigious job. Frank would cash fake checks and handle business transactions while wearing his official Pan Am pilot uniform, taking full advantage of the companies prominent reputation. Using this facade, Frank was able to use the implications of being a pilot for Pan Am to impress women, fool bank tellers and indulge in company incentives. His next use of a facade occurred in the form of impersonating a doctor. During this time he met Brenda Strong, a nurse working at the same hospital where he was employed. While hiding behind the facade of a successful doctor and lawyer, he was able to convince both Brenda and her parent’s that he was a suitable man to marry. To Frank, giving off the false impression that he was successful was a shortcut to actually being successful.
Once again, Frank Jr. is living the lie rather than facing reali...