Hutchins Hapgood
The Autobiography of a Thief
"The Autobiography of a Thief" by Hutchins Hapgood is a semi-autobiographical account composed in the early 20th century. This work encapsulates the gritty reality of a life of crime through the eyes of its main character, Jim, an ex-thief who reflects on his past of pickpocketing and burglaries, explaining the circumstances that led him into a life of crime and his subsequent quest for redemption. At the start of the narrative, Jim introduces himself as a seasoned thief, recounting his boyhood in New York City wherein he was drawn into a life of crime due to poverty and the allure of the underworld. He describes his initial thefts as a young child under the influence of older boys and how, through various escapades, he developed into a clever pickpocket. The opening portion also hints at the internal conflicts he faces as he recognizes the futility of his choices and experiences the consequences of his criminal lifestyle, setting the stage for a story of self-discovery and the moral dilemmas faced by those caught in the cycle of crime.