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Challenge high school English students with this editable literary analysis worksheet for Guy de Maupassant’s short story “A Ghost.” This activity transforms a Halloween-appropriate ghost story into an engaging close reading exercise. By examining literary devices, character motivations, narrative technique, and theme, students will think critically about supernatural fiction and psychological horror, making this resource ideal for short story units, seasonal Halloween lessons, and standardized test prep.

Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will practice and demonstrate the following essential ELA skills:

• Making inferences about setting and theme using textual evidence.
• Identifying literary devices such as hyperbole, personification, and irony.
• Analyzing characterization, including contrasts between rational thought and supernatural encounters.
• Evaluating author’s purpose, considering why Maupassant portrays the supernatural as something not necessarily to be feared.
• Recognizing foreshadowing and how it builds suspense.
• Exploring theme development, particularly humanity’s desire for certainty and clear understanding.
• Supporting claims with textual evidence, preparing students for advanced literature courses and college-level analysis.