Comprehensive theory, key formulas, diagrams, and memory aids for The Hundred Dresses - II.
"The Hundred Dresses - II" is the concluding part of Eleanor Estes' moving story about Wanda Petronski. The first part ended with Wanda's family leaving town after enduring discrimination, leaving Maddie guilt-stricken. This second part focuses on Maddie's attempt to make amends. She cannot rest until she finds Wanda and apologises for her silence during the years of teasing. The story takes the reader through Maddie's journey of conscience, the girls' visit to Boggins Heights, and the discovery of Wanda's true talent.
The girls, Peggy and Maddie, decide to call on Wanda at her house in Boggins Heights, only to find the house empty and the yard bare. The Petronskis had already left. Disappointed, Maddie walks home feeling even worse, imagining Wanda's silent suffering. She pictures Wanda standing alone by the fence while the girls made fun of her, and the thought fills her with pain. The empty house becomes a symbol of the loss caused by their cruelty.
The story reaches its emotional peak when Wanda sends a letter to Miss Mason for the class. In the letter, she tells her teacher that she has a new home, a new school, and many friends. She asks that her two drawings — the green dress for Peggy and the blue dress for Maddie — be given to the two girls. Peggy and Maddie are deeply moved to learn that, despite being bullied, Wanda remembered them with affection. Maddie realises that Wanda, in her own way, had forgiven them all along, and the story closes with Maddie's quiet vow never to allow injustice to go unchallenged again.
Eleanor Estes (1906-1988) was an acclaimed American writer of children's literature. She grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, and later became a children's librarian. Her experiences in school inspired "The Hundred Dresses". The story was based on a real Wanda whom Estes knew, a quiet girl in a patched blue dress who claimed to have a hundred dresses. Estes' gentle prose and her focus on the moral growth of children made her one of the most beloved authors of her time. She won the Newbery Medal in 1952 for "Ginger Pye".
The chapter begins with Maddie unable to concentrate on her homework because her mind is full of thoughts of Wanda. She decides that she must find Wanda and tell her that she never meant to hurt her. Peggy, however, does not share the same intensity of guilt; she feels that they never did anything really mean to Wanda. Still, the two girls decide to visit Wanda's house in Boggins Heights to see her.
When they reach the Petronski house, they find it empty and abandoned. The yard is bare, the windows are closed, and there is no sign of life. Maddie feels a lump in her throat. On the way back, Maddie imagines Wanda standing alone by the fence, and she is filled with sorrow. She realises that Wanda had been the most beautiful girl in the class in her drawings — full of imagination and talent — yet they had mocked her.
Later, a letter arrives at school addressed to Miss Mason. It is from Wanda, who writes that she is happy in her new home and has made many friends. She says that the old class of Room Thirteen is not her class anymore, but she asks the teacher to give her two drawings to Peggy and Maddie. On receiving the drawings — a beautiful green dress for Peggy and a blue one for Maddie — the two girls are deeply touched. Maddie learns from this that Wanda had forgiven them, and she vows never to let such cruelty happen again. The story ends with Maddie's determination to speak up against injustice, carrying the memory of Wanda as a lesson in her heart.
| Feature | The Hundred Dresses - I | The Hundred Dresses - II |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Bullying and Wanda's departure | Guilt, search, and forgiveness |
| Key Event | Letter from Jan Petronski | Wanda's letter with drawings |
| Maddie's State | Silent guilt | Active remorse and vow |
| Wanda's Presence | In school | Absent, remembered |
| Ending | Shock at departure | Forgiveness and moral learning |
| Event | Significance |
|---|---|
| Maddie's restless guilt | Sets the theme of conscience |
| Visit to empty Boggins Heights house | Realisation of loss |
| Imagining Wanda by the fence | Deepens Maddie's sorrow |
| Wanda's letter to Miss Mason | Reveals forgiveness and new happiness |
| Drawings for Peggy and Maddie | Irony of the 'hundred dresses' |
| Maddie's vow | Moral conclusion of the story |
flowchart TD
A["The Hundred Dresses - II - Eleanor Estes"] --> B["Maddie's guilt over Wanda's departure"]
B --> C["Peggy and Maddie visit Boggins Heights"]
C --> D["Empty house - the Petronskis have gone"]
D --> E["Maddie imagines Wanda's lonely suffering"]
E --> F["Wanda's letter to Miss Mason"]
F --> G["Happy in new home, many friends"]
G --> H["Drawings: green dress for Peggy, blue for Maddie"]
H --> I["Forgiveness and irony revealed"]
I --> J["Maddie vows to never allow injustice again"]
"The Hundred Dresses - II" completes the story with tenderness and moral depth. Maddie's search for Wanda leads not to an apology but to a deeper understanding — Wanda had already forgiven them through her art and her words. The gift of the two dress drawings is both an ironic twist and a beautiful act of kindness, revealing the richness of the girl they had mocked. Maddie's vow never to let injustice pass silently again is the story's lasting message. The tale reminds us that kindness costs nothing but means everything, that forgiveness is a mark of greatness, and that the truest measure of a person lies not in their appearance but in the beauty of their heart.