"Vanish" (BANR): Identity Sticks Like Glue

Evan Ratliff's "Vanish" is a psychologically thrilling short story like I've never read before. Why? Because it's not fiction. This piece is about a real manhunt. A contributing editor for Wired magazine, he agreed to be the hunted man in a contest sponsored by Wired. Anyone could win $5000 if he/she could find Ratliff within one month's time, say the password, and take his picture. This operation was created to try to answer the question, How hard is it to vanish in the digital age? How much can our "digital fingerprints" tell others about who (and where) we are? Ratliff chronicles his paranoia-inducing adventure as he takes a hop, skip, jump, and back-hop across the U.S. From gift card transactions to fake IP addresses, Ratliff does his best to leave no traces. Spying on the pursuers' clue-sharing on Twitter and Facebook groups keeps him one step ahead. I won't spoil the ending for you, but you should read this at least to learn about how you can be tracked down.

As for themes and activities, you could always give yourself a month-long vacation and try this yourself with your students as the contestants. Just kidding! Certainly the theme of identity could be explored in a 21C, technology-saturated world. I think there is a crime component as well. Is it lawful to use a pseudonym and lie that you don't have your ID on you? What about giving false information online about yourself?
I would love to read any student freewrites with the author as the hunted one. I think it would be neat to compare "Vanish" with a crime short story of the 1930s or 40s. A man running away from the law is a typical plot of the genre. It would be interesting to focus on the technology and methods of how the cops catch the crook. Relationships can also be explored in "Vanish." Ratliff chooses only to contact those in his closest confidence during the hunt. He was really alone. To make any contact or connections could show his location. For this to work, he had to be a nobody. An unnoticed nobody, that is.

Finally, "Vanish" could be used with Macbeth to show the isolation of crime. Ratliff has to be someone other than himself. Macbeth must act like he didn't murder Duncan. He tries to cover up his crime. Ratliff tries to cover his tracks. The concept of masks comes to mind. Has does Macbeth hide his true emotions? How does Ratliff try to look unlike himself? How do students act differently online as opposed to in person? How do they act at school and at home? What tools do they use to create and maintain the mask? What are the consequences of betraying one's true identity/character?