Identity

An individual can quickly change their physical identity, but changing the inner being of who they are is a slower process. Lucky Armstrong was raised by a man who is the consummate con artist, and the result is that those skills and traits have become second nature to Lucky. She makes adjustments to herself – including her clothes, posture, and name – as she takes on different identities to fit the con situation. Eventually, after many years spent being part of cons, Lucky's inner character overtakes the outward disguises that quieted her conscience. She wants to "be" a better person in the present, not "become" a better person in the future. Another character in the novel, Priscilla, is a con artist named Priscilla. After bilking people for money to supposedly help foster children, Priscilla tries to create a new identity by claiming that she has reformed from her...