Book Review of The Hundred Dresses

Characters: Wanda Petronsk, Maddie, Peggy

Setting: America 

Plot: Wanda's classmates teased her, but Maddie wanted to say sorry that she mocked her when she left. 

Genre: Children's literature, realistic fiction

The story The Hundred Dresses, written by Eleanor Estes, talks about a girl who had been taunted because she was Polish American. Wanda Petronski is a girl who’s always jeered by her classmates, Peggy, Maddie’s best friend, came up with an idea by asking, “How many dresses do you have?” Wanda always answered, ‘One hundred, but no one believed her, laughing and pointing. Maddie, however, doesn’t like the taunting, she thinks it’s rude. One day, there was a drawing contest, and everyone thought Peggy would be the winner. But, surprisingly, Wanda is, the one hundred paintings of the dresses were on the wall. The teacher then announced that Wanda would no longer be attending the school.The teacher gave each of them a painting. When Maddie went home, she realized that the face in her painting looked exactly like hers!”

Bullying and discrimination usually occur because of xenophobia; teasing may just be words, but it can leave a big scar inside the heart. Bullying and discrimination are very rude and bad-mannered. Often, the reason for teasing is xenophobia; they fear and dislike the people of other countries. Other reasons for jeering are because others are weak or different. If a person is weak, they may have no way to defend themselves. If the person is different, the others mock and laugh at her or him. Calling people names might not seem to have a big effect on the character, but inside, it’ll be bursting with hurt.In the story, Wanda’s classmates bully her by making fun of her for wearing the same old, faded dress every day. They also tease her because she does not protest; they are a group, and she is alone. Another reason is that she is from another country, and her parents are not wealthy. Wanda might not seem to care, but she can’t bear this awkwardness that she left. Bullying and discrimination often is because of xenophobia, while teasing may seem like just words, it can leave a deep emotional wound.

Empathy and forgiveness are crucial in life and keep us growing and going; it’s all about understanding, forgiving, and making up for mistakes.Empathy means not only feeling sorry for those who are struggling but also taking action to help them. When one sees the poor, they actually take action rather than standing there and feeling sorry for them. One understands that the poor are suffering and want to help Forgiveness is when someone does bad things to a person,, but the person who was hurt chooses to forgive and treat them kindly. In the story, Wanda forgives her classmates for how they treated her, and Maddie realizes how terrible Wanda must have felt when she was teased. Wanda’s classmates mocked her all day long making her feel awkward and wounded, but even though they didn’t see what they had done, Wanda gave them a second chance to understand. She forgives them for being foolish, she knows that they are still learning. Although Maddie joins in the jeering of Wanda, she can feel her embarrassment and hurt and desperately wants to help, so when she leaves, Maddie feels guilty and writes a letter to her to say sorry. Empathy means understanding and helping and forgiveness means kindness, understanding, and holding no grudge.

Regret is an important part of life because it makes one grow, and teaches the importance of forgiveness and empathy, allowing individuals to learn from their experiences and become more understanding and kind. Regret is a good thing rather than bad; it allows one to remember his mistakes and make up for them, and it allows one to not make that mistake again As individuals learn from mistakes, they get more knowledge, and that’s what they need to grow up, growing up isn’t just about the body growing, the mind needs to grow up, too, and regret and learning from mistakes are important steps to success. In the story, Maddie and Peggy regret teasing Wanda.  Wanda forgave Maddie and Peggie after all they’ve done to her because she believes they deserve another chance.After Wanda’s kindness, Maddie and Peggie regretted being so rude to her. They want to make up for their foolishness, so they write a letter to her and say sorry and hope her well. Regret is gaining knowledge rather than losing, it allows one to correct their mistakes.

The story talks about a girl who had been mocked because she was Polish American. Wanda Petronski is a girl who’s always jeered by her classmates; they tease her about her dresses. Maddie, however, thinks it’s rude. One day, there was a drawing contest, and Wanda was the winner! And the teacher said that Wanda will no longer be in this school. The teacher gave each of them a painting. When Maddie went home, she realized that the head was exactly like herself! Xenophobia and being weak can be a target to people who bully. Bullying and discrimination aren’t just about words; they leave a scar in the heart. Empathy and forgiveness are vital; they lead us to take action, help others, and make us kinder. Regret is essential for life, it’s part of it it's what makes us grow and become real people.