Aticle on the hundred dresses
Answers
Although they have teased her every single day, Wanda forgives Maddie and Peggy and demonstrates this by giving them each one of the beautiful dresses she has painted. This also shows Wanda to be the bigger person given that her school experience has not been fun because of them. She shows that by forgiving and reaching out unlikely friendships can be forged, but she also creates change in the way that Peggy and Maddie behave as they feel guilty for bullying her and her forgiveness makes them determined to be much nicer and not to tease in the future. The theme if forgiveness also carries through to the author who is writing the story of her real-life classmate as an apology, so that she can forgive herself for the way she behaved in teasing her for only owning one dress.
Bullying
One of the themes of the book is bullying because even though Peggy and Maddie do not think of their teasing as bullying, and do not mean to make Wanda unhappy, it is bullying nonetheless. Maddie begins to recognize it as such but does not want to say anything in case the teasing transfers to her instead of Wanda; the theme of bullying also carries through to demonstrating that it is important to stand up to bullies and not fear them
Para 1:-
This story revolves around a girl Wanda Petronski and her classmates, mainly Peggy and Madeline who were always making fun of her. Wanda Petronski was a Polish immigrant, and she had come to America with her family. She took admission in the school of American students. Her classmates found her name to be strange and probably, the weirdest in the classroom. This is because they all had an easier and common name.
Wanda was poor and always came to school wearing a faded blue dress. She was quiet and always found sitting in the corner of the classroom. Although she claimed that she had a hundred dresses and sixty shoes at her home. Two best friends, Peggy and Maddie were the most famous girl in school while anyone barely knew Wanda. The story is about the viewpoint of Maddie, who was the best friend of the main player in the daily taunting and teasing.
Peggy and Maddie always wait for Wanda before school even if they were late. Maddie was a poor girl, but she herself did not like it when Peggy made fun of Wanda. She was afraid that she could be a target. She wanted Peggy not to make fun of Wanda, but could not have the courage to face her. Because she was afraid that she may lose her best friend. Though, Peggy’s purpose was never to hurt Wanda. But she was very eager to know why Wanda had to lie that she had a hundred dresses in her closet.
The truth about the same hundred dresses revealed on the result day of the drawing competition. The room was having one hundred drawings representing different dresses, each extremely beautiful. That day, she truly had a hundred dresses and all lined up, but in the classroom. At that time, Peggy and Maddie, who were awestruck and realized the theory of a hundred dresses. They felt guilty about having treated her badly
Part 2:-
The lesson starts with a letter received from Wanda’s father. This letter was informing the school about their decision of moving to a big city. Because there nobody would tease Wanda for her uncommon name as well her appearance. After knowing the content of the letter through the teacher the whole class was in a shock. And they realized their derogatory comments and attitude towards Wanda.
Maddie felt so bad that she is a coward and never stopped Peggy from making the fun of Wanda. This is the reason that’s why she couldn’t focus on her studies after knowing the facts. She desired to meet Wanda to clarify her stand that she never meant to hurt her feelings. So, she made up her mind to go to her house and tell her also that she has won the prize. When the school was over Maddie and Peggy both visited the residence of Wanda at Boggins Height to meet her
But till that date, the girl, Wanda and her family had already left from there. So, their visit was fruitless. Then both girls wrote a friendly letter to Wanda to tell her that she had won the contest. But after many days still, there was no answer from Wanda. It was the time of Christmas when Miss Mason got a letter from Wanda. Wanda had written a letter and wished Merry Christmas to all the girls. Further, she wrote that the girls could keep those hundred dresses because in her new house she will have a hundred new ones. She gifted all special drawings to Peggy and Maddie. They accepted and pinned them in their bedrooms.
Maddie gazed for a long time at the picture and found that the face in the drawing was resembling her own face. Then she ran to Peggy’s house to see her drawing too. Peggy was also happy after getting the same in the drawing. Peggy has consoled herself that Wanda will really like them. Maddie agrees to all this and blinks away the tears which came when she thought of Wanda Petronski. There are a lot of instances in the story showing how racism affects the social and personal lives. This story is making people realize and feel about such discrimination.