"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.
2. Author: Eleanor Estes
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".
3. Summary of the Chapter
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.
4. Characters
Maddie: The protagonist of this part. Her guilt and conscience drive the story as she searches for Wanda and learns a lifelong lesson about courage and kindness.
Peggy: Maddie's friend who still does not fully understand the hurt they caused but is moved by Wanda's gift of drawings.
Wanda Petronski: Though absent, her spirit fills the story. Her letter and drawings reveal her kindness, forgiveness, and remarkable talent.
Miss Mason: The teacher who receives Wanda's letter and conveys it to the class.
Mr Petronski: Wanda's father, who had earlier written the letter announcing the family's move.
5. Themes
Guilt and Conscience: Maddie's restless guilt shows the moral weight of silent complicity; true remorse moves one to action.
Forgiveness: Wanda's gift of her drawings to Peggy and Maddie shows her remarkable capacity to forgive those who hurt her.
The Value of Kindness: The story teaches that kindness, once lost, is hard to regain — but never impossible.
The Harm of Silence: Maddie learns that standing by while wrong is committed makes one equally responsible.
Imagination and Talent: Wanda's drawings reveal that the 'hundred dresses' were real in the world of her art — a talent the class discovered too late.
Growing Up and Moral Learning: The story is a coming-of-age tale about moral awakening.
6. Literary Devices
Symbolism: The empty Petronski house symbolises the loss and emptiness left behind by cruelty. The two drawings symbolise forgiveness and the beauty of Wanda's spirit.
Irony: The girls mocked Wanda's 'hundred dresses', only to discover that she had indeed created a hundred beautiful dresses as drawings.
Imagery: Vivid images of the empty house, the bare yard, the cold walk home, and the beautiful dresses in the drawings create deep emotional resonance.
Foreshadowing: Maddie's persistent guilt hints at the discovery that awaits the girls.
Pathos: The letter from Wanda and the giving of the drawings evoke a strong sense of sadness and tenderness.
Characterisation: Maddie's inner monologue reveals her growing moral awareness.
7. Quick Revision Tables
Comparison: Part I and Part II
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
Key Events Table
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
8. Mind Map
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"]
9. Important Diagrams (SVG)
10. Common Mistakes
Thinking Peggy felt as guilty as Maddie: Peggy did not feel the same intensity of guilt; she believed they never really meant to hurt Wanda.
Saying the girls found Wanda at home: They found the house empty — Wanda and her family had already left.
Forgetting the colours of the dresses: Wanda gifted a green dress drawing to Peggy and a blue one to Maddie.
Believing Wanda complained about the girls in her letter: Wanda's letter was happy and kind; she did not complain or blame anyone.
Claiming Wanda's drawings were for the whole class: The letter said the two particular drawings were for Peggy and Maddie.
Missing the irony of the title: The hundred dresses were Wanda's drawings — the mockery of her claim turns into admiration of her talent.
Saying Maddie apologised to Wanda in person: Maddie never got to meet Wanda; the forgiveness comes through the drawings and her own moral growth.
11. Exam Tips
Present Maddie as the protagonist whose moral growth forms the story's core.
Quote Wanda's letter: "The old class of Room Thirteen is not my class anymore" to show her gentle farewell.
For questions on forgiveness, highlight that Wanda gifted her best drawings to the very girls who teased her.
Explain the irony: the 'hundred dresses' turned out to be real artistic creations.
For character sketches of Wanda, use both parts of the story — her endurance and her kindness.
In value-based answers, connect Maddie's vow to the real-world lesson of standing up against bullying.
Mention the symbolism of the empty house and the cold walk home to add depth to your analysis.
12. Conclusion
"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.