39 pages • 1 hour read
The Orphan of Ellis Island
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 17-24Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 17 Summary
On their way to Naples, the Candiano brothers wonder what America will be like. Dominic tries to tell them about cars and pollution, but they can’t picture it. They’ve heard the streets of America are paved with gold, but they’ve also heard that American streets are all manure.
Chapter 18 Summary
Dominic shows the Candianos his collector’s nickel from 1936. The Candianos still don’t consider that proof that Dominic is from the future. Dominic teaches the Candianos how to sing “Home on the Range.” Salvatore tells Dominic that he admires him.
Chapter 19 Summary
Salvatore starts feeling ill on the way to Naples. They finally arrive in Naples, a bustling city. Dominic, who has grown up in a city, notes that the Candiano brothers are not street-smart because they grew up in the countryside. A boy on the street steals their shoes.
Chapter 20 Summary
The boys find Pasquale, Father Tomaso’s contact in Naples. He feeds them octopus and gives them what he claims are pieces of Saint Sebastian’s fingernails. Pasquale brings the boys to Signora Giasullo, Father Tomaso’s friend. Signora Giasullo cooks dinner for the boys and looks after Salvatore, who is now very sick. They all worry he’ll be too ill to get on the ship. Dominic discovers that Salvatore is wearing Dominic’s family key.
Chapter 21 Summary
Dominic asks Francesco about Salvatore’s key. Francesco tells him that Salvatore found it in a graveyard and keeps it because he hopes it will one day open treasure.
Chapter 22 Summary
Salvatore’s fever gets worse. He’s so ill that Signora Giasullo calls for Father Tomaso. Salvatore’s brothers comfort him in his last moments. Salvatore dies.
Chapter 23 Summary
The surviving Candiano brothers invite Dominic to travel to America with them and offer him Salvatore’s ticket. He accepts. Dominic is sad about Salvatore’s death but grateful he gets to keep Antonio and Francesco in his life.
Chapter 24 Summary
Dominic, Francesco, and Antonio board the ship for America. Dominic notes many families are saying tearful goodbyes at the pier. Francesco is forbidden from bringing Violetta on board.
Chapters 17-24 Analysis
In Chapters 17 through 24 of The Orphan of Ellis Island, Woodruff uses the various journeys to develop the plot, theme, and characters.
The first journey in these chapters is the boys’ walk to Naples, their first step toward their new life. Naples is a different environment from the Italian countryside and becomes the scene of a difficult transition. Salvatore’s death is also significant because he is the original carrier of Dominic’s family key. Dominic discovers he is directly related to Salvatore, so the key provides a tangible connection to his family’s past. This part of the boys’ journey is an important step in Dominic’s journey to Identity and Self-Discovery.
The mysteries of how the boys are related and how Dominic traveled back through time remain unsolved. The next journey is to sail to America, but America in 1908 is not the America Dominic knows. Even though he is returning home, he will be an outsider again—with one significant difference: Now he has the support of close family bonds. Dominic reflects on his strange experiences: “How did he get Salvatore’s key? How did he get here in the first place? Who was the old man on the phone in the museum? And now there was no time left to figure it all out before the other boys left for America” (112). Just as there is no comforting reason for Salvatore’s death, Woodruff foreshadows that there aren’t necessarily neat answers to explain Dominic’s journey.
Through Salvatore’s death, Dominic learns that investing in family relationships comes with the cost of eventually losing the people he loves. Despite the losses, Dominic values The Importance of Family and the belonging and connection that come from being there for one another.
Unlock all 39 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
