Dominic Cantori is the central protagonist of The Orphan of Ellis Island. His character development informs the plot and themes of the novel.

Dominic has been orphaned since he was an infant. As a fifth grader who has never had a stable home or school life, Dominic lacks a secure sense of identity. He doesn’t know the background of his family history and has no story from which he can construct that identity. Dominic sees life as inherently lonely because he can’t control constant changes in his foster home situation. Dominic’s struggles with identity and loneliness are exacerbated by his inability to connect with others. Dominic “wished he could share his funny thoughts and laugh with someone. But he just didn’t know how” (6). Because he has regularly moved homes and schools, he hasn’t developed the skills to open up to his peers or connect with them meaningfully.

In addition to feeling lonely and isolated, Dominic is ashamed of being an orphan. Another reason Dominic has a difficult time connecting with other people is that he fears they will find out he is an orphan: “The idea of revealing the truth that he was alone in the world, abandoned and unwanted, filled him with such dread that he would do anything to keep it hidden” (10).