NCERT Questions & Answers + Important Extra Questions
NCERT Textbook Questions
What did Mr Petronski's letter say?
Answer
Mr Petronski's letter to the teacher said that Wanda would not come to school anymore. The family was moving to a big city where nobody would make fun of their name — "no one gonna ask why funny name." The letter revealed the deep hurt the family felt from the constant teasing. Though the letter was simple and written in broken English, it conveyed the pain and dignity of a family that chose to leave rather than endure continued humiliation. The letter was a powerful indictment of the casual cruelty Wanda had faced.
What did Maddie think about the dresses game? Did she have a change of heart?
Answer
After learning that Wanda had left, Maddie was filled with deep shame and regret. She couldn't sleep at night, thinking about how Wanda must have felt — standing alone, being laughed at, quietly enduring their mockery. Maddie had a genuine change of heart: (i) She resolved that she would never again stand by and do nothing when someone was being mistreated. She decided she would speak up against bullying, even if it meant losing Peggy's friendship. (ii) She realised that being a silent bystander was just as bad as being the bully. (iii) She wanted to find Wanda and tell her that she had won the drawing contest and that her drawings were beautiful — but it was too late. This "too late" realisation is the story's most powerful moment.
What important__( decision did Maddie make? Why?
Answer
Maddie made the decision that she would never again be a silent bystander to cruelty. She resolved: "She was never going to stand by and say nothing again. If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny-looking or because they had a strange name, she'd speak up." She made this decision because: (i) The guilt of not defending Wanda tormented her. (ii) She realised that silence is complicity — by not speaking up, she was as guilty as Peggy. (iii) She understood that the pain of being teased had driven an entire family out of town. (iv) She didn't want to live with this kind of regret ever again.
What did Peggy and Maddie write to Wanda?
Answer
Peggy and Maddie wrote a friendly letter to Wanda at her new address. They told her about the drawing competition and how her drawings had won the contest. They told her how beautiful her dresses were and that the whole class admired them. They asked her if she liked her new school and new teacher. However, they did not say they were sorry for their behaviour — they couldn't bring themselves to directly apologise. This is psychologically realistic — apologising for bullying is extremely difficult, especially for children who may not fully understand the damage they caused.
Did Wanda__( forgive Peggy and Maddie?
Answer
Yes, Wanda forgave them, though indirectly and graciously. She sent a letter at Christmas saying she had a hundred new dresses in her new home and asked Miss Mason to give the drawing of the green dress to Peggy and the blue dress to Maddie. When Peggy and Maddie looked closely at the drawings, they noticed that the faces of the girls in the dresses looked like their own faces — Wanda had drawn the dresses for them specifically. This meant Wanda had never held any hatred or bitterness despite the teasing. She had considered them friends and had drawn the dresses as gifts for them. Maddie was deeply moved — Wanda's generosity of spirit made Maddie's guilt even sharper.
Important Extra Questions
What is the central theme/message of "The Hundred Dresses"?
Answer
The story delivers several powerful messages:
(i) Bullying has real consequences: Casual teasing, even without malicious intent, can cause deep pain and force families to uproot their lives.
(ii) The bystander is as guilty as the bully: Maddie's character teaches us that staying silent when someone is being mistreated is a form of participation in the bullying.
(iii) Appearances are deceptive: The girl who seemed poor and boastful turned out to be extraordinarily talented. People should not be judged by their clothes, names, or backgrounds.
(iv) Prejudice against immigrants and outsiders: Wanda is targeted because of her Polish name and poor background. The story is a commentary on how societies treat those who are "different."
(v) The power of forgiveness: Despite the hurt, Wanda responds with generosity — drawing dresses for the very girls who mocked her. This silent, dignified forgiveness is more powerful than any confrontation.
(vi) It's never too late to change, but sometimes it's too late to fix: Maddie resolves to never be a bystander again, but she can never undo the hurt caused to Wanda.
Describe Wanda's character.
Answer
Wanda Petronski is one of the most dignified characters in literature:
(i) Quiet and dignified: She never fights back, never cries, never complains to the teacher. She faces ridicule with silent composure.
(ii) Extraordinarily talented: Her hundred dress drawings are so beautiful that they win the drawing contest unanimously. Each dress is unique, detailed, and stunning.
(iii) Generous and forgiving: Despite being bullied, she draws specific dresses for Peggy and Maddie, showing that she considered them friends, not enemies.
(iv) Imaginative: Her "hundred dresses" claim was not a lie — it was her imagination expressing itself. She lived in a world of beauty and creativity, even though her outer life was poor.
(v) Lonely: She sat alone, walked alone, and had no real friends. Yet she maintained her spirit and self-worth through her art.