The Great Fire Of London Analysis

Samuel Pepys’s take on The Great Fire of London Journals, specifically diaries are two forms of the most personal types of writings one can compose. Through such works it is only possible to learn about life in a specific time period, but it is also possible to enter the writer’s mind and further understand who the writer is as a person. One very famous diarist is Samuel Pepys, who went so far as writing in shorthand, to avoid his wife reading his diary. Throughout Samuel Pepys’s diary entries, specifically entries from September 2nd, 4th, and 5th of 1666, Samuel Pepys’s tranquil and optimistic tone along with his meticulous observations suggest an odd nonchalance with some fear attitude about the Great Fire of London. To begin with, in the diary entry from September 2nd of 1666 Samuel Pepys describes his initial eye-witness impressions of the impending fire in a calm tone along with strange optimism. For example, Pepys states, “by and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have been burned down tonight” (Pepys). In this direct quote, the use of the

For example, Pepys states that he buried his wine and Parmazan cheese in a pit. Pepys deciding to take such peculiar precautious to make sure cheese and wine were kept safe sounds like a joke, thus his attitude about the fire comes across as unperturbed. It is difficult to take Pepys concerns serious, when he values cheese that much. Also, Pepys states he dined, “without any napkin or anything, in a sad manner, but were merry” (Pepys). In this quote, Pepys exhibits weird optimism, because even though he has scarce resources, he is content with what little he has. Therefore, it become even more evident in this journal entry that Samuel Pepys is not as bothered/worried as everyone else crazily running out of their