Description
“The Outsider” by H. P. Lovecraft is a classic Gothic short story that fits seamlessly into any short story unit. Creepy and grotesque, the tale features an unreliable and isolated narrator and pairs especially well with Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic works or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, making it ideal for comparative analysis.
This lesson guides students through close reading, discussion, and writing while helping them analyze how Gothic elements shape mood, meaning, and character. Students explore loneliness, identity, and perception as they unpack the story’s unsettling twist and rich imagery.
This resource includes a before-reading anticipation guide to activate thinking, along with academic vocabulary supported by answers and a PowerPoint presentation that introduces key terms and provides a brief author biography. As students read, they complete reading comprehension questions that focus on setting, mood, suspense, foreshadowing, point of view, and descriptive details, with answer keys included.
To extend learning, students complete an after-reading paired text activity using an excerpt from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. They write a constructed response comparing the monster’s experiences to those of the narrator in “The Outsider,” encouraging deeper thinking about isolation and humanity. A creative writing activity, “The Lovable Monster,” allows students to apply these themes in an imaginative way.
The full text of the short story is included, making this resource ready to use. Perfect for middle school and high school ELA, this Gothic literature lesson supports close reading, comparison, and creative expression while engaging students with one of Lovecraft’s most memorable works.
