from The Diary of Samuel Pepys

An author’s perspective is the way he or she views a subject based on a combination of the author’s experiences, values, and ideas. As an accomplished public servant and man of politics, Samuel Pepys brought a particular perspective to bear on the coronation of King Charles II and on the Great Fire of London. Imagine you are someone from a different class or social position than Pepys’s, living in Pepys’s time. You might be a foreign visitor to London, a humble tailor, or the King. Choose one of Pepys’s accounts—of either the coronation or the fire—and rewrite it from that person’s perspective. Think about how that person’s experiences, values, and ideas might influence their telling of the story.