Question

According to the excerpt, how does Pepys react to the fire? Did his reaction change over the course of the excerpt?

Answer 1

Initially, Pepys is unaffected by the Great Fire of London as the extent of damage remains unknown. Later, he becomes very worried for his friends who may have suffered. He also worries about the poor and explains the extent of the fire by writing that "with one's face in the wind, you were almost burned with a shower of firedrops."

With time, Pepys was deeply affected by the fire that lasted three long days. He writes, "So home with a sad heart, and there find every body discoursing and lamenting the fire." He tries his best to help those he can, but he eventually must pack some of his belongings and move because the fire is spreading at a fast pace. (Plato Answer)

Answer 2

That it wasn't important (and he went back to bed!)

"...In the early hours of 2 September 1666, Pepys was woken by his servant who had spotted a fire in the Billingsgate area. He decided the fire was not particularly serious, and returned to bed. Shortly after waking, his servant returned, and reported that 300 houses had been destroyed and that London Bridge was threatened. Pepys went to the Tower to get a better view. Without returning home, he took a boat and observed the fire for over an hour. In his diary, Pepys recorded his observations as follows: