Faker

At its core, Faker explores the issues involved in charting a course through ambiguous—and often conflicting—codes of ethics. As Trey’s internal struggle suggests, each person’s moral code is unique and can be complicated by many external factors. At the outset of the story, Trey’s convictions align with those of his father because he has never known another perspective on the world. Because he has spent his childhood helping his father to run cons on rich people who use their influence to sidestep the rules, he now believes that it is acceptable to steal from all wealthy people, whom he views as universally ruthless and grasping. 

However, as Trey gets to know the wealthy Logan and the middle-class Kaylee, he realizes that his two friends have more similarities than differences, and he knows that he can no longer relegate all rich people to one category in order to justify stealing from them. This epiphany allows Trey to see that his dad’s moral code is not very moral at all, and he begins to break free from his father’s views. As he develops his own moral code, he actively embraces Kaylee’s civic-minded pursuits and focuses on improving the world around him rather than taking from it to suit his own selfish interests.