49 pages • 1-hour read
Faker
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
El Capitan
El Capitan is the scam around which Faker revolves, and its evolution reflects Trey’s own struggle to reconcile The Tension Between Deception and Honesty. El Capitan is the culmination of the work that Trey’s dad does to find the perfect con. He hits upon the idea of selling people a supposedly revolutionary electric car when Trey discovers that the people of the Pointe consider electric cars to be a status symbol. By projecting the idea that the car is both attractive and mechanically outstanding, Trey’s dad convinces people of the Pointe invest in the fake company of El Capitan, and the progression of this scheme comes to represent everything that is unethical about Trey’s family.
However, the El Capitan car also comes to represent Trey’s decision to renounce grifting entirely. As Trey grapples with the ethical dilemmas inherent in the con, he comes to see the car’s flashy veneer as nothing more than a façade for ugliness and deception. His choice to drive the car into the lake symbolizes his decision to destroy all ties to his old life. Though he must still have a difficult conversation with his father, the act of destroying El Capitan removes the remaining barriers to this discussion. The car is central to the scam, and in the vehicle’s sudden absence, Trey’s dad objectively examines his life and realizes that he does not want to pursue his cons at the expense of losing his son. He therefore ends the El Capitan con and integrates fully into the Boxelder community.
Albion Pond
Albion Pond represents The Damaging Effects of Class Differences. Years before the story takes place, Albion Pond possessed a functional boardwalk and picnic area that brought the community together. However, after years of neglect, the area fell into disrepair, and because Albion Pond is largely a middle-class area, Boxelder decided not to allocate the resources necessary for the pond’s upkeep. As a result, the town became more deeply divided between the middle-class Albion Pond neighborhood and the upper-class Pointe area, whose wealthier residents enjoy greater access to community resources. Kaylee’s decision to fight for Albion Pond’s restoration speaks directly to her awareness of social justice and her desire to make a difference in her community. Her eventual success in restoring Albion Pond demonstrates what can be accomplished when one person chooses to take a stand.
Albion Pond also symbolizes Trey’s desire for a more conventional lifestyle. In the past, he attended boarding schools but was always keenly aware that these situations were temporary because his family would eventually have to run from the aftermath of their latest scams. Living in Boxelder feels different to Trey because it is a permanent place where people build their lives. Trey’s choice to help Kaylee fight for Albion Pond begins as a way to learn more about potential marks, but he soon starts to see the value of campaigning to improve the community. By prioritizing Kaylee’s fundraiser over his father’s grifting efforts at the fancy Pointe party, Trey experiences a crucial turning point in his own development. He intentionally defies his father in order to pursue something that he believes in, and as they takes this new path, he grows closer to renouncing the grifting lifestyle forever.
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa (often called Mona) is Logan’s cat; she serves as a symbol of the similarities between Logan and Trey. The cat is the catalyst for Logan and Trey’s initial meeting, and although neither boy is aware of it, they each use this first meeting to scope out the other as a potential mark. Because each boy’s family successfully cons the other, it is clear that both Logan and Trey have been thoroughly trained in the arts of deception. Yet within this problematic dynamic, Mona’s frequent reappearances become an element of domestic normalcy, thereby symbolizing Trey’s desire for a more stable suburban life. Trey’s dad has never allowed pets because they would complicate the family’s frequent need to escape. At the end of the book, Logan’s family leaves Mona behind when they escape from the impending FBI investigation, and Trey’s decision to keep the cat is synonymous with his choice to stop conning people and become a true resident of Boxelder.
Unlock the meaning behind every key symbol & motif
See how recurring imagery, objects, and ideas shape the narrative.
- Explore how the author builds meaning through symbolism
- Understand what symbols & motifs represent in the text
- Connect recurring ideas to themes, characters, and events