The Hundred Dresses

The Hundred Dresses is told from the perspective of Maddie. Maddie is a classmate of Wanda’s. She is ashamed of her family’s relative poverty and fears becoming a target of the same bullying from which Wanda suffers; this causes her to remain silent when her friend, Peggy, mocks Wanda’s talk of dresses. Maddie is a dynamic character who evolves over the course of the novel. She is initially a bystander in Peggy and others’ bullying of Wanda; she later feels intense regret and shame for failing to intervene. Despite Maddie’s failure to stand up to Peggy, the reader is led to believe that she is a principled, sympathetic person through her remorse. Maddie and Peggy journey to Boggins Heights to apologize to Wanda, but are too late—Wanda’s family has already left for the city. Through her remorse, Maddie learns that it is important to treat everyone with respect and kindness, even if (or, especially if) they are different in some way.

Peggy, a student in the same class as Maddie and Wanda, is a beautiful and popular girl. She comes from an affluent family and is successful at school; she is particularly good at drawing. When Wanda tells Peggy that she has 100 dresses at home, Peggy mocks her. Peggy’s peers laugh at this show of mockery, encouraging Peggy to continue. She often partakes in bullying before school or during breaks, asking Wanda how many dresses or shoes she has. Peggy is popular, so other students follow her example.

Peggy is shocked but impressed when she is beaten in the drawing contest by Wanda, and feels somewhat remorseful for mocking her. She and Maddie journey to Boggins Heights to apologize to Wanda, but are too late—Wanda’s family has already left for the city. Peggy feels some compunction over her bullying, but less than Maddie does, even going so far as to justify her actions. This characterizes Peggy as a less sympathetic, somewhat static character.