1a. What play did Pepys record having seen in the entry for March 1, 1662? What did he think of the play?
2a. Why were the words "Lord have mercy upon us" written on the doors of the houses in Drury Lane? What did Anthony Browne's brother see when he looked inside the coach? Why, according to Pepys, did people stop buying wigs?
3a. To what did Pepys liken the fire in the city as it appeared to him from the tavern? How large was the fire? What did Pepys describe immediately after describing the arch of fire over the city?
4a. Analyze the kinds of events Pepys chose to record.
5a. Judge whether Pepys was a reliable record keeper. Is he an objective one?
1b. What sort of person do you think Pepys was? Why might he not have enjoyed a dramatic, romantic play like the one described in the entry for March 1?
2b. How extensive was the plague in 1665? What mood is created by Pepys's description of it?
3b. How does describing a specific event increase the horror of the whole?
4b. What can you infer about Pepys based on the subjects he chose to write about and the kinds of details he used?
5b. Compare Pepys's diary to the selection from The Book of Margery Kempe on page 211.
Point of View. How much does Pepys's point of view affect how you perceive the events he describes? How is a person's diary entry about a historical event different from a newspaper article of an event? How is one person's point of view about something like the plague valuable in its own way?
Journal. Review the definitions for journal and diary in Literary Tools on page 588. Given these definitions, would you characterize Pepys's work as a diary or a journal? How often does Pepys give us insight into his interior world? Does he express his emotions freely, or are his writings more a documentation of the time during which he lived?
1. Keep a diary or journal for a week. Each day, decide what events you wish to include. They may be world, national, local, or personal events.
2. Choose a newsworthy event. Write a personal account in a series of journal articles from the point of view of somebody involved in the event.
3. Write a short piece of historical fiction based on one or more of the events Pepys includes in his diary. Consider the details Pepys uses and the mood he creates. Consider how these will affect your story.
Standard, Formal English.Because of the informal style of a diary, the language in this selection is often not standard. Choose a paragraph and rewrite it in standard, formal English. This includes using full sentences, proper punctuation, and standard syntax or word order.
Summary. Choose a topic, such as the plague or the Great Fire of London. Use a library catalog to find books on English history. Do some research on your topic. Then write a summary of your findings. In your summary explain how well Pepys's account matches the other information you found.
Research Findings:
Sources Used:
Writing a Letter in Response to a Review.Find a review of a movie or play you have seen, a book you have read, or a musical recording you have heard. An Internet source you will find helpful is http://www.nytimes.com/info/contents/siteindex.html. Decide whether you agree with the review that you choose to read. Then write a letter expressing your opinion and explaining why you do or do not agree with the review.
