The Hundred Dresses

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Why do many people come to the United States from other countries? What are some examples of places where people come from?

Teaching Suggestion: This question allows students to consider the historical context of the novel’s theme of The Damaging Effect of Bullying and Discrimination. Although Estes does not specify a year in her setting, the novel’s publication in 1944 alludes to a town in Connecticut in the mid-20th century. Additionally, Maddie and Peggy’s preoccupation with Wanda’s last name Petronski indicates that Wanda is Eastern European and, quite possibly, experiences discrimination due to her background. Furthermore, Estes references the challenges that many individuals from Poland experienced after immigrating to the US, first in her description of Wanda’s living arrangements and second in terms of access to education when Estes references both Wanda’s difficulty in reading out loud, as well as the poor grammar of her father’s letter. This question connects with the first full essay assignment.

• The Population Reference Bureau provides an overview of immigration waves throughout US history.