What Are the Main Events and Messages in The Hundred Dresses Part 2?
The Hundred Dresses Part 2 Class 10 reveals why Wanda Petronski had not been coming to school for the past many days. The family decided to move to a big city where no one would make fun of their unfamiliar names. Maddy and Peggy heard the note in school and got anxious as they realized that they got no chance to amend their mistake. Both the girls were relieved later realizing that Wanda was happy with them and decided to give a hundred dresses to each one of them. She also had gifted the paintings earlier to both Maddie and Peggy.
The Hundred Dresses Part II Summary
The story begins with all the students having a look at the beautiful drawings made by Wanda Petronski. A note arrived then of Wanda’s father stating that Wanda would no longer attend the school and they are shifting to a whole new place where they would get no judgment to the unfamiliar name Petronski had. Miss Mason was shocked to know the context of the letter. She conveyed her disappointment with the class. Maddie was affected by the letter and instantly thought to convey the apologies to the family.
Peggy and Maddie, the two best friends, immediately rushed to Wanda’s house hoping that the family hadn’t moved yet. To their dismay, they saw that there was no sign of life around Wanda’s house.Maddie got so restless and decided she would never let this happen to anyone. Maddie and Peggy decided to write a letter to Wanda stating apologies for whatever they did, but they ended up writing a friendly letter asking her how she feels in the new city. Days passed by, and they got no response from Wanda to the letter they wrote. Just a day before Christmas, Miss Mason announced that she heard from Wanda.Miss Mason got a letter from Wanda in which it was written that she misses everyone and conveyed her wish to gift dresses to Maddie and Peggy as she got a whole new lot of hundred dresses in her new house.
Also, she gifted all her paintings to Maddie and Peggy. They accepted it and pinned those paintings in their room.Maddie often gazes at those paintings and soon she realized that the painting she made resembled her own face. On seeing this, she rushed to Peggy’s house and checked if the paintings too looked like Peggy. Seeing this, Peggy felt sorry for teasing Wanda every time and not valuing her talent. Wanda too remained quiet and never conveyed her sadness to both of them. She used to stand alone in the sun claiming that she had hundreds of dresses lined up in her closet.
Both of them were happy to receive a new dress from Wanda and realized that Wanda did like them. Although they were not happy with their behaviour, both of them realized that Wanda had drawn their face along with the dresses and showed an excitement.There are many instances in the story where racism is clearly conveyed to the readers how racism affects society as well as personal lives.
She used to sit alone in the class where boys used to sit. She also used to stand in the sun alone proudly claiming that she has a lot of dresses lying in the wardrobe. These are many of the instances that claim that she was facing discrimination in school and everyone was making fun of her unfamiliar name.
Some Quick Pro-tips to prepare for This Chapter for the Upcoming Exams
This is a very simple chapter if understood well and correctly. A student must attempt all the questions that are provided in the NCERT Textbooks and follow the NCERT solutions that are provided in Vedantu’s website and mobile application.
A student must remain in touch with the study material regularly in order to understand and memorize the chapters. Making notes and paying attention in classes often does wonders.
A student must read the summary of the chapters along with the textbook for a better and thorough understanding so as to make it easier for preparing for the exams.
A student must attempt to solve a few grammar questions in order to stay in touch with proper usage of English grammar. Preposition, for example, requires constant practice since it gets confusing for some students but it does not have to be feared. Vedantu has the solutions to the questions that the students can access for better understanding.
Conclusion
The Hundred Dresses Part 2 teaches us a valuable lesson that discrimination against caste, ethnicity and appearance hits a mental toll on people facing it. It overall affects their way of living and how they see society as well as themselves because of the discrimination they faced. Being narrow-minded has a great negative impact on relationships and society and family.The chapter ‘ Hundred Dresses Part II ‘ tries to make an impact on the students and readers to understand how it affects people on judging them in terms of appearance or caste and ethnicity.Is this page helpful?
FAQs on The Hundred Dresses Part 2 Summary & Important Insights
1. What happens in the conclusion of 'The Hundred Dresses – II'?
The story concludes with a heartwarming resolution. After feeling guilty for teasing Wanda, Maddie and Peggy receive a letter from her. Wanda forgives them and gifts them two of her special drawings. Upon examining the drawings, they discover that Wanda had drawn their own faces, showing that she always considered them her friends despite their actions.
2. Who wrote the story 'The Hundred Dresses'?
The author of 'The Hundred Dresses' (both Part I and Part II) is Eleanor Estes. The story is a sensitive portrayal of childhood experiences and is inspired by events from her own life.
3. What is the main message or theme explained in 'The Hundred Dresses'?
The central theme of the story is the harmful impact of bullying and judging others. It also explores powerful ideas like guilt, courage, and forgiveness. A key message is that being a silent bystander to wrongdoing is just as bad as participating, and true courage means standing up for others.
4. How does Maddie’s character develop in 'The Hundred Dresses – II'?
In this chapter, Maddie shows significant character growth. She moves from being a passive follower who is scared to challenge Peggy to someone who feels deep remorse. She makes a firm resolution to 'never stand by and say nothing again', showing she has learned a valuable lesson about moral courage and empathy.
5. What is the importance of the letter from Wanda's father?
The letter from Wanda's father is the turning point of the story. It informs the class that Wanda and her family have moved to a big city where their name won't be seen as 'funny'. This news makes both the students and their teacher, Miss Mason, realise the gravity of their actions and triggers the guilt that drives the rest of the plot.
6. How does 'The Hundred Dresses – II' relate to Part I of the story?
'The Hundred Dresses – II' is a direct continuation that provides the story's resolution. While Part I establishes the main conflict—Wanda being teased by Peggy and Maddie—Part II focuses on the consequences of that conflict. It explores the themes of regret and forgiveness, bringing the narrative to a meaningful close.
7. What was the hidden meaning in the drawings Wanda gifted to Peggy and Maddie?
The drawings contained a beautiful, hidden message of friendship. Maddie and Peggy discovered that the faces in the drawings Wanda sent them were their own. Wanda had drawn Peggy in the picture with the green dress and Maddie in the one with the blue dress. This was her way of showing that she truly liked them and held no hard feelings.
