In The Orphan of Ellis Island, Woodruff emphasizes the importance of understanding who you are and where you came from. This sense of identity gives people self-awareness, a connection to other people, and a foundation for relationships. At the beginning of the novel, Dominic’s lack of a family narrative means that he is missing a piece of his identity. Not knowing where he came from unsettles him; he feels disconnected from others and ashamed of not having parents who love him. Before his time travel, Dominic sees himself only as an orphan. By the end of the novel, he discovers the joy and pain of connection to others and can imagine himself as a brother and a friend. The theme of identity is integral to Dominic’s character development.

Dominic projects his isolation and loneliness onto the photographs of immigrant families at Ellis Island: “He spent a long time in front of the picture, not only imagining himself a part of this family, but imagining that this boy was somehow really his Italian ancestor” (21). Being a part of the family in the picture, or any family, would mean that Dominic isn’t alone in the world. He resonates with the photographs because the sense of belonging among the family members is palpable.