Kent-Drury

English 202

Pepys & Defoe

1. Pepys writes about some of the everyday events of live in Restoration England. Describe what you learned about the activities people engaged in at this time. How does it differ from today? How are they similar?
2. Pepys’ entire diary was written in a kind of short hand that was only deciphered earlier in the 20^th century. What events does he report that would have made him want to write his diary in code?
3. Pepys writes about some events that were considered cataclysmic by 18^th century Londoners. What were they? How are they described? How did people at the time explain why such bad things were happening to people? Why?
4. Defoe writes a fictionalized account of the plague that infected Londoners several times during Charles’ reign. How does his account differ from Pepys? What elements does he add to make the story more readable for an audience that increasingly liked to read novels, a new form of writing?
5. Defoe writes about how words fail to describe how horrible the plague actually was. What stands in place of words when words fail?