44 pages • 1 hour read
Samuel PepysThe Diary of Samuel Pepys
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1660A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
It has been said that Pepys in his Diary “almost persuades us that we are sharing his life” (The Illustrated Pepys). Discuss three literary devices Pepys uses that helps him achieve this sense of realism.
What official role, if any, does Pepys play during the plague? During the Great Fire? How do others assess Pepys as a civil servant?
How much do we learn about Pepys’s government work from the Diary as compared with what he reveals about his personal life? Is there any aspect of his life you would like to know more about?
In your opinion, would the Diary be a better or a worse book if it were written in a more planned or formal style? Why?
How would you summarize Pepys’s relationship to his wife? What is your opinion of Pepys as a husband?
The Diary is well known for Pepys’s frankness about recording his own flaws. In your opinion, what might have been the reason for Pepys giving a warts-and-all portrayal of himself?
What does Pepys most want to achieve in life? Does he reach his goals while writing the Diary?
What attitude does Pepys express in the Diary toward the king and queen? Toward other noblemen, including Lord Montagu?
What do you see as Pepys’s dominant personality trait? Write a paragraph discussing how this trait manifests itself in a particular episode in the Diary.
Discuss Pepys’s pastimes and avocations as mentioned the Diary. Which would you say is the dominant one, and what role does it play in Pepys’s life?
