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Challenge students to move beyond surface-level comprehension with this close reading inference worksheet covering Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Soldier’s Home,” a piece of historical fiction focusing on the effects of war on a Marine who returns from fighting in World War I. From applying knowledge of literary devices to making inferences about the author’s intentions, readers will be supported by a set of rigorous questions complementing the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:

• Read for literal comprehension
• Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
• Discern the main conflict of the narrative
• Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
• Make rational predictions about the protagonist’s future
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and situational irony
• Evaluate whether the author intended the audience to be more critical of the protagonist’s morals or those of society at large
• Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
• Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
• Come to class better prepared to discuss literature