The novel depicts the brutal reality that to be Jewish under the Nazi regime was to be marked for oppression, displacement, and extermination. Angelo, a Catholic priest, witnesses the cruel oppression of the Jewish people, which causes inner conflict in his own divided self. Angelo belongs to an institution that preaches universal love and mercy, yet he is forced to watch the Church struggle and often fail to protect those who are persecuted. His priestly identity, meant to be a refuge of compassion, becomes complicated by the compromises and silences of religious authority during the war. This weighs heavily on Angelo, who feels caught between the safety of his role and the moral imperative to act. He says, “Hitler has destroyed not just the branches and roots, but entire family trees, forests!” (311). The Nazi regime forces Angelo into moments where his identity as priest and protector is tested. To fulfill what he sees as the most fundamental obligation of a priest—to protect the vulnerable—he must defy his superiors in the church hierarchy. He hides Jewish people, defies orders, and risks his life, refusing to comply, wondering how God could allow such horrors. Ultimately, his pastoral identity transcends the title of priest, and he willingly sacrifices that title to follow his own moral compass.

For the Jewish people of Italy, identity is the source of both suffering and resilience. The Nazi persecution is not just an effort to wipe out a people but also to disconnect them from their traditions and humanity. Captain Von Essen exemplifies this identity-based persecution when he deliberately humiliates Aldo, turning his circumcision, a deeply personal and sacred sign of his faith, into the mark that dooms him to execution. When the Jewish women hiding in the convent shave their heads to blend in with the nuns, they are anticipating a genocidal regime that will not respect their privacy or the sanctity of their bodies. They transform their outward appearances while retaining their inner identity. This moment reveals the Nazis’ savage brutality, showing that even the most personal symbols of culture and religion were not safe and that hiding their identities came at a high cost. Harmon stresses that Jewish identity persists despite widespread violence. Eva finds strength in her growing community of hidden Jewish people, in her father’s memory, and in her refusal to give up her heritage. Her son symbolizes renewal, proof that life and faith can survive the forces of destruction.

Eva’s Jewishness defines the dangers she faces as the antisemitic laws systematically strip her of her humanity and dignity. Her father’s deportation to Auschwitz highlights that no amount of wealth, skill, or influence could erase Jewish identity in the eyes of the Fascists and Nazis. Similarly, Eva’s uncle Felix’s suicide is a tragic testament to the crushing weight of persecution. Eva’s identity makes her a target, even when she tries to hide. At the start of the novel, Eva says, “I never really thought about being Jewish until I started to be persecuted for it” (54). Yet, she begins to see Judaism as a heritage that extends beyond religious ritual and that defines through her family and community through generations. Under Nazi persecution, this identity becomes the reason she is hunted and targeted for destruction, but this very persecution strengthens her sense of Jewish identity. Eva values her identity more than ever in the face of persecution. Eva’s character shows that Jewish identity isn’t just about a religion but about resilience and memory. By remembering and passing on her story, she reclaims what persecution aimed to destroy.