Keller prefers his illusion of reality to actual reality. He knows what he did and knows that his partner took the fall for it. Keller justifies it in his mind through various strategies like he was doing it all for his family. Chris pretends he is beyond his father's materialistic ways yet when Ann agrees to marry him, he says that he will make her a fortune. Chris likes to keep things hidden most of the time, just like his father. When he does talk with his father, Chris is careful to avoid the "big white elephant" (Keller's guilt) in the room.