Description
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a powerful and unsettling short story that works especially well for Women’s History Month or lessons focused on mental health awareness. Through its haunting narration, the story invites students to examine gender roles, medical practices, and the silencing of women’s voices in the nineteenth century, while also encouraging meaningful discussion about mental health and autonomy.
In this lesson, students begin with a pre-reading activity that provides background information on mental health and helps establish historical and thematic context. Students then read the full text of the story and respond to literary analysis questions that guide close reading and require the use of textual evidence. To solidify understanding, students complete an objective summary assignment that reinforces comprehension and clarity of thought.
A complete answer key is included to support instruction and assessment, along with an editable version of the materials for teacher flexibility. This resource is well suited for middle school or high school ELA and fits seamlessly into units on gothic literature, feminism, psychological analysis, and social commentary.