Book Review: THE HUNDRED DRESSES

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Classics are by definition books, films, pieces of music (essentially works of art) that have endured over the years because the value they offer to man does not diminish over time. In other words, they are not a fad; instead they contain universal truths that remain unchanged over the passing of time and The Hundred Dresses definitely falls into the category of classics.

It was written by Eleanor Estes of the famed Moffat series and the book won a Newbery Honour medal. Accolades aside, it is at heart a beautifully written story that will tug at the heartstrings of anyone who has gone through the experience of being an outsider.

The story takes place in a small town in Connecticut, USA. Wanda, a Polish immigrant to America, wears the same faded dress to school every day. One beautiful autumn day, another student, Cecile, wears a beautiful new dress to school and all the girls gather around her and start to talk about dresses. In an effort to belong, Wanda claims that she has a hundred dresses at home. The girls disbelieve her and Peggy, who is the most popular girl in class, mockingly teases her about the imaginary dresses by pretending to believe that they are real and asking questions about them. The other girls soon catch on with the game and also make fun of Wanda. The teasing develops into a daily routine and Peggy’s best friend, Maddie, is uncomfortable about the teasing but she does not feel brave enough to stand up to Peggy and so she remains quiet. Eventually, the teasing becomes so bad that Wanda and her family decide to uproot and move to New York.

The Hundred Dresses is a simple story but it takes on a new meaning if you know how the story came about. It is actually based on a real story during World War I. The writer, Eleanor Estes, was in school then and had an immigrant Polish classmate who stood out like a sore thumb in class because foreigners were rare in small American towns in those days. The real Polish girl was poor and wore the same dress to school every day because it was the only that she had. She was badly bullied because of her shabby attire and poverty. Like Wanda in the story, this Polish girl eventually moved away to New York in the middle of the school year. Estes, whom Maddie was based on, never had a chance to tell this Polish girl how sorry she was. This lack of closure haunted Estes until when she was in her late thirties, she hit upon the idea of writing a story to exorcise her demons and The Hundred Dresses was born.

The real Maddie, Eleanor Estes, did not have a chance to make amends but you know what is the superpower of being a writer? With enough imagination, you can create any world you want. So in her story, Eleanor relived the scenes of her childhood but she created an alternative ending that is both beautiful and touching. It is not the usual glib Hollywood happily-ever-after sort of ending but one that is poignant and feels just right.

This book reaches out to me because it brings to mind a parallel incident when I was in school. I was in Primary 2 or Primary 3 then and my classmates were talking about their overseas trips. I had never been on a plane then but because I desperately wanted to belong, I said that I too had taken a flight to go overseas. I can no longer remember which country I claimed to have visited but I can still remember my classmates’ scepticism. Like Peggy and the other girls, they began to quiz me about my experience on the plane, not bothering to hide their disbelief at all. Up to today, after more than a quarter of a century, I still remember the sinking feeling when I realised they knew I was lying and the hurt that accompanied it.

But you know what? My classmates, like Peggy and the other girls, are not bad or evil people. They simply had no idea how cruel and cutting their actions were. I still keep in touch with them occasionally and they are decent women who work hard and would not intentionally hurt anyone or any living thing. Such is the contradiction of human nature but it is precisely this tension in our character that makes us interesting and provide us with rich fodder for our literature and other arts.

I am utterly impressed by Eleanor Estes. Firstly by the keenness of her observations, she had managed to capture a snapshot of childhood that practically every person (except for maybe those who are blessed with charisma or the ability to make friends easily) would recognise and this snapshot is still relevant today after almost a century. Secondly, she also translated that snapshot into a moving tale which is more effective at teaching the values of acceptance, empathy and courage than any civics lesson. I cannot praise the book enough and would strongly recommend that you read it yourself to experience the beauty of the story.

Before I end the review, I must also mention the illustrator, Louis Slobodkin, a Caldecott Medalist, for it is his illustrations that caught my eye, so that I picked out this book amongst the many crowding on the burgeoning bookshelf. Bearing in mind that this book was first printed in 1944, his illustrations are old-school, some might even say old-fashioned, but just like Estes’ words, they contain a universal appeal that I find charming even in the present, almost 70 years after they have been drawn.

You know what they say about a picture and its value relative to words? See for yourself some of the illustrations from the book:

Poor Wanda has no friend
so during recess she usually
stands alone by the red brick wall.

The moment when Wanda opens her mouth
and says, 'I got a hundred dresses at home.'

The hundred dresses from the title of the book.
I won't tell you how they fit into the story.
No, to find out, you must read the book yourself. :)

Rating: 5/5

Recommended for children aged nine and above

By TCC