Faker

In the novel’s climax, Trey is forced to recognize that his father’s actions are unethical, and he has no choice but to finish Redefining a Personal Code of Ethics that incorporates this reality. When he was safely discussing mere hypothetical situations in class, Trey could find clever reasons to rationalize his dad’s actions. However, when faced with the reality that Kaylee’s family could be devastated by the El Capitan scam, Trey finally sees that his father’s methods cause harm to real people all the time, and he can no longer pretend that the cons are justified. Furthermore, Trey feels betrayed when he sees that his dad doesn’t care about middle-class people who lose everything alongside the richer “marks” who lose a small fraction of their wealth. 

As Trey comes to terms with the realities of his family’s criminal activities, he also gains a new understanding of The Damaging Effects of Class Differences. Although Trey’s dad cons everyone equally, regardless of their social or financial status, the outcome of the con has disproportionate impacts on its victims, depending on how much money they have and how much they choose to invest. Had the El Capitan scam been taken to its conclusion, Kaylee’s family would have been financially ruined, while many wealthier families from the Pointe would simply have lost a measure of disposable income. Trey’s determination to prevent Kaylee’s family from suffering losses reflects his new understanding of the issues at stake, proving that he has the ability to think for himself and act on his conscience despite his problematic upbringing.

In fact, the confrontation between Trey and Arianna in Chapter 19 shows that Trey is truly not suited to his family’s lifestyle of crime, deception, and manipulation. The siblings’ interactions also draw attention to The Tension Between Deception and Honesty, for Trey is primarily focuses on finding the truth and doing the right thing, while his sister is far more interested in honing her manipulation tactics and committing her efforts to a life of confidence schemes. Thus, Trey is confined by his conscience, while Arianna and her father have no such constraints. Arianna is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants—up to and including betraying Trey to their dad. Her actions highlight her dedication to becoming a skilled grifter, but her hot-tempered interactions also show that she lacks the maturity to truly understand the broader implications of her actions. She sent the fake emails to Trey because she was jealous of his status as his father’s partner-in-crime, and she is also stuck in a cycle of trying to prove herself by besting Trey at the family business. Her poisonous focus on sibling rivalry foreshadows the fact that even after the family’s decision to stop grifting, she will continue to use her dad’s crooked lessons to manipulate her friends. In short, she never fully commits to leaving the grifting lifestyle.

The conversation between Logan and Trey in Chapter 20 reveals new ideas about The Tension Between Deception and Honesty as Trey finds out that his friend is similarly embroiled in the consequences of living in a family of grifters. Faced with Logan’s confession that he and his family must flee an FBI investigation, Trey fully appreciates that Logan is taking a huge risk by telling him of his family’s illegal activities. Trey also realizes that, despite his anger with his own family, he feels obligated to protect their secrets, so he refrains from reciprocating Logan’s honesty in this moment. The scene shows that although Trey’s views on stealing have altered dramatically, he still believes in protecting his loved ones, even if he has to compromise his own fledgling sense of ethics to do so.

Trey’s decision to destroy the El Capitan represents his choice to stop taking advantage of people, and it is also his last attempt to keep his family together. While he realizes that the family’s cons have allowed his dad provide for him and Arianna, Trey also realizes that his dad could have chosen a more legal and ethical way to support the family. While pushing El Capitan into the lake does not undo a lifetime of manipulation and lies, it does force Trey’s dad to reconsider his past choices and assess his true motivations for conning people. When Trey’s dad agrees to find a more honest living, it is clear that he values his children above his own crooked ambitions. He recognizes that in destroying El Capitan, Trey is becoming a better person, and he also recognizes Arianna’s behavior for what it is—a slide toward more dangerous forms of crime. Trey’s dad refuses to continue being a catalyst for his children’s wrongdoing, and he recognizes that giving up his confidence schemes is the best way to protect them from the long-term effects of poor life decisions.

Chapter 22 shows Trey and his family living an honest life and becoming a true part of their community. Thanks to his dad’s creativeness, they find a way to refund the stolen money and extricate themselves from the remnants of the con. The revelation of the truth behind the Barstow Collective highlights the wisdom of Trey’s dad in giving up his lifestyle of crime, and Trey’s closing thoughts suggest that he has gained a considerable degree of maturity since the beginning of the novel. He now has the “normal” life that he always wanted, and his choice to live his best life in Boxelder symbolizes his commitment to being as honest and ethical as possible.