Comparing Bourdin And Abagnale

“A good liar uses the truth.” This is a technique used by notorious imposters Frederic Bourdin, and Frank Abagnale. Although Bourdin posed as a child for a second chance at adolescence, Abagnale posed as an adult to gain financial means and respect. Bourdin and Abagnale’s success in deception can be primarily attributed to their careful observation of their surroundings, as well as their ability to detect the emotions of those around them. Bourdin and Abagnale’s childhood greatly influenced the paths they would take as the world’s most infamous con artists. Abagnale learned to efficiently manipulate others from his father, as well as how to toy with people’s emotions. Even Abagnale’s mother implied that deception was acceptable when she tried

Both elevated their criminality into an art by meticulously crafting the character they were to play. Bourdin even came up with his character’s tics and background information. Whether he decided to impersonate a doctor, pilot, or lawyer, Abagnale learned about his trade by asking questions under the false pretense of an interview, as well as by researching and memorizing facts. In all of his cons, Abagnale kept the name Frank, and in Bourdin’s first con, not only did he keep his name Frederic, but the last name he chose, Cassis, was a play on his father’s name, Kaci. Both con artists altered superficial details about themselves to fit the role they were playing, all while keeping its core intact. Although these imposters used similar techniques in deceiving others, the outcome of their cons starkly contrast one another. While Abagnale’s cons resulted in him becoming a millionaire celebrated by many, Bourdin’s cons made him one of the most hated criminals. In conclusion, both Bourdin and Abagnale are notorious imposters, and although they were similar in their methods of deceiving others, as well as the fact that they both came from broken homes, their outcomes resulted in different scenarios. Although Bourdin’s cons left him poor and resented by people around the globe, and Abagnale’s resulted in fame, a successful career and millions of dollars, both con artists’ relative success was because of their observational skills and