The Autobiography of a Thief

"The Autobiography of a Thief" by Hutchins Hapgood is a story that pulls back the curtain on the life of Jim, a former thief, as he looks back on his days of stealing and breaking into places, revealing why he turned to crime and how he searched for a way out. The story starts with Jim telling his story as a skilled thief, recalling his younger days in New York City, where poverty and the draw of the criminal world led him down the wrong path. He tells of his first thefts as a young boy, influenced by older boys. Through various adventures, he became a skilled pickpocket. The beginning also touches on the inner struggles he faces as he sees the pointlessness of his choices and deals with the results of his criminal life, leading to a tale of finding himself and the tough moral choices faced by those trapped in a life of crime.