The Diary of Samuel Pepys Literary Elements

Diary; Memoir

London in the sixteen hundreds.

Pepys is the narrator of his own diary, and everything that is reported in it is told from his own perspective.

The overwhelming mood is one of jollity and enjoyment of life, although this contradicts with the mood of the city around him. During several of the major events that he documents there is a tone of fear, dread and panic.

Pepys is the protagonist; after the war with the Dutch, the parliamentary comission is his antagonist.

The main conflict described in the diary is war with the Netherlands, which the British lose.

The climax of the war with the Netherlands is defeat for Britain, and a succession of finger-pointing committees set up to find out what happened and who was to blame for the defeat.

Pepys sees everyone intent upon saving their belongings during the outbreak of the fire of London, which foreshadows that fact that the fire is going to spread because nobody is actually trying to put it out.

Pepys understates the incredible gulf between people of his social standing and the city's poor, by hopping from something serious, like the fire of London, to describing the meal that he had that same evening as the city burned.

Pepys alludes to the key behind the scenes players in the parliament of the day and also alludes to the major landmarks relating to the rule of the king and his government.

Pepys creates a picture of the desolate nature of the city during the plague. The streets are empty and even the sight of a boarded-up door instills fear in people because it is probable that behind the door there are people dying from plague.

Pepys feels that he is a stoic defender of London during the fire yet he is grumbling about the lack of condiments and dressing on his dinner that evening.

Pepys draws a parallel between the spread of the fire and the lack of effort in putting it out.

The City is used to represent all of the people who live within city walls.

No specific examples.