Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Study Questions & Essay Topics

1. Jane Austen’s original title for the novel was First Impressions. What role do first impressions play in Pride and Prejudice?

Pride and Prejudice is, first and foremost, a novel about surmounting obstacles and achieving romantic happiness. For Elizabeth, the heroine, and Darcy, her eventual husband, the chief obstacle resides in the book’s original title: First Impressions. Darcy, the proud, prickly noblewoman’s nephew, must break free from his original dismissal of Elizabeth as “not handsome enough to tempt me,” and from his class-based prejudice against her lack of wealth and family connections. Elizabeth’s first impressions, meanwhile, catalogue Darcy as arrogant and self-satisfied; as a result, she later accepts slanderous accusations against him as true.
Both Elizabeth and Darcy are forced to come to grips with their own initial mistakes. Structurally, the first half of the novel traces Darcy’s progression to the point at which he is able to admit his love in spite of his prejudice. In the second half, Elizabeth’s mistaken impressions are supplanted by informed realizations about Darcy’s true character. Darcy’s two proposals to Elizabeth chart the mature development of their relationship. He delivers the first at the mid-point of the novel, when he has realized his love for Elizabeth but has not yet escaped his prejudices against her family, and when she is still in the grip of her first, negative impression of him. The second proposal—in which Darcy humbly restates his love for her and Elizabeth, now with full knowledge of Mr. Darcy’s good character, happily accepts—marks the arrival of the two characters, each finally achieving the ability to view the other through unprejudiced eyes.

2. Analyze how Austen depicts Mr. Bennet. Is he a positive or negative figure?

Mr. Bennet’s chief characteristics are an ironic detachment and a sharp, cutting wit. The distance that he creates between himself and the absurdity around him often endears him to the reader and parallels the amused detachment with which Austen treats ridiculous characters such as Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine. To associate the author’s point of view with that of Mr. Bennet, however, is to ignore his ultimate failure as a father and husband. He is endlessly witty, but his distance from the events around him makes him an ineffective parent. Detached humor may prove useful for handling the Mr. Collinses of the world, but it is helpless against the depredations of the villainous (but likable) Wickham. When the crisis of Lydia’s elopement strikes, Mr. Bennet proves unable to handle the situation. Darcy, decent and energetic, and the Gardiners, whose intelligence, perceptiveness, and resourcefulness make them the strongest adult force in the novel, must step in. He is a likable, entertaining character, but he never manages to earn the respect of the reader.

3. Discuss the importance of dialogue to character development in the novel.

All of Austen’s many characters come alive through dialogue, as the narrative voice in Austen’s work is secondary to the voices of the characters. Long, unwieldy speeches are rare, as are detailed physical descriptions. In their place, the reader hears the crackle of quick, witty conversation. True nature reveals itself in the way the characters speak: Mr. Bennet’s emotional detachment comes across in his dry wit, while Mrs. Bennet’s hysterical excess drips from every sentence she utters. Austen’s dialogue often serves to reveal the worst aspects of her characters—Miss Bingley’s spiteful, snobbish attitudes are readily apparent in her words, and Mr. Collins’s long-winded speeches (and occasional letters, which are a kind of secondary dialogue) carry with them a tone-deaf pomposity that defines his character perfectly. Dialogue can also conceal bad character traits: Wickham, for instance, hides his rogue’s heart beneath the patter of pleasant, witty banter, and he manages to take Elizabeth in with his smooth tongue (although his good looks help as well). Ultimately, though, good conversational ability and general goodness of personality seem to go hand in hand. It is no accident that Darcy and Elizabeth are the best conversationalists in the book: Pride and Prejudice is the story of their love, and for the reader, that love unfolds through the words they share.

The Pilgrim’s Progress

John Bunyan

Analysis of Major Characters

Christian

Christian is the central character of the book and the hero of the pilgrimage. Because Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress as an allegory rather than a novel, Christian is not represented as particularly complicated or conflicted and has a simple personality. Christian represents just one profound aspect of the human experience: the search for religious truth. He is his faith (hence his name). Christian’s motivation, the search for salvation in the Celestial City, clearly defines him.

Christian is deeply goal oriented. Because reaching the Celestial City has a life-or-death urgency for him, he has little time or energy for lesser matters. Even his family shrinks nearly to insignificance in his mind as soon as he leaves for his journey. He never mentions his wife or children to his travel companions. At the Palace Beautiful, he shows some emotion when one of the four mistresses of the house inquires about his family, but he does not bring up the subject himself, nor does he return to it later. This does not mean Christian lacks feeling but only that the goal of salvation far outweighs any earthly concerns a pilgrim has.

Apollyon

Apollyon wants to thwart Christian. Like Giant Despair, also bent on thwarting Christian, Apollyon has a physical irregularity that displays his evil. Apollyon is a hybrid being, part dragon, bear, human, and fish. He unites all four elements: the water of a fish, the air associated with wings, the fire linked to dragons, and the earth that bears live on. He also combines animal and human. These symbolic combinations convey his immense power, suggesting that he draws energy from all corners of the universe. His complex nature is the opposite of Christian’s extreme simplicity. Apollyon became one of the best-known characters in Bunyan’s book even though he appears for only a short time.

Apollyon signifies subjection to worldly forces. He represents the opposite of the spiritual freedom that Christian expresses in leaving behind his worldly existence. Apollyon’s name evokes the Greek god Apollo, lord of the beauty and form that dominates worldly values. Apollo was a pagan deity, far removed from the Christian God that the pilgrim strives toward. Furthermore, Apollyon expresses a medieval belief that Christian is his feudal subject and owes allegiance to him as protector. He believes he has the right to power over another individual, which Christian rejects with his sense of divine freedom and being subject only to God. Thus Christian’s defeat of Apollyon symbolizes a victory over all worldly power.

Christiana

Christiana is introduced in Part I of the book as Christian’s wife. She and Christian are each other’s better halves, as shown by their names. Yet Christiana does not agree to accompany her husband on his journey to the Celestial City in Part I. She seems beholden to the worldly values and limitations from which Christian must break free. But, at the beginning of Part II, she develops a deep appreciation of the value of pilgrimage. Indeed, her resolution to embark on a pilgrimage carries even more weight in some ways than Christian’s decision did, since she has more responsibilities. She has four children to care for during a perilous and exhausting journey. As a woman, she risks dangers that a male traveler escapes. And her final success as a pilgrim may even outstrip Christian’s, since she and her group achieve victories unknown to him, like slaying Giant Despair. In the end, Christiana emerges as a hero at least on par with her famous husband.

Christiana demonstrates an attunement to more worldly matters, grasping more about the everyday workings of the social world than her husband cared to know. For example, she deals with sick children and babysitters. She asks Mercy to accompany her as her servant. Christian never had an employee. When she leaves the House Beautiful, she gives the porter Watchful a tip of a golden angel coin, a considerable sum. In contrast, Christian never tips anyone because he believes money is evil. Christiana shows a more worldly awareness that money can be used for good as well as bad. She understands that certain worldly things like gold and employment can be integrated into a truly spiritual existence. The way her worldliness balances her faith gives Christiana a fullness that Christian lacks.

Great-heart

Great-heart acts as a loyal companion and protector to Christiana on her pilgrimage. He fulfills a vital function in Part II, providing physical defense as well as spiritual guidance. Also, he seems to have an uncanny ability to sense Christiana’s needs (his sensitivity is shown by his name). When Christiana stays in the House Beautiful, Great-heart shows up to accompany her farther on her pilgrimage. Great-heart arrives instinctively, as if knowing she is ready to continue the journey. The closeness between Great-heart and Christiana is almost marital. In a symbolic way, he functions as a surrogate husband to Christiana on her journey, standing in for Christian as Christiana’s soul mate and travel companion on the road of life.

As a compassionate protector of weak pilgrims, Great-heart displays a mercy that even Christian himself did not show. When Feeble-mind declines the offer to accompany Christiana’s group, he touchingly explains that he is too weak and dull witted to be among their ranks. But Great-heart shows the compassion that he is named for, and he insists that his obligation as a spiritual guide is to protect and serve those weaker than he. His mercy toward the handicapped pilgrim Ready-to-halt displays a similar generosity. Great-heart’s example of benevolence toward the physically or mentally limited expands the model of Christianity put forth by Christian in Part I. Christian was noble and heroic, but he was focused primarily on himself and his own salvation. Great-heart demonstrates that a hero can focus on others as well.

A Summary and Analysis of The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan?

"The Pilgrim's Progress" is an example of an allegory very nearly above reproach. In the true Christian tradition, the hero (quite aptly named Christian), goes on a journey, outwardly physical but allegorically internal and signifying the trials, tribulations and temptations one might face on the long, complex journey to heaven (also known as the Celestial City). The one-to-one comparisons are relatively simple to decode, making this tale accessible to nearly all.

The entire tale is a journey between Christian's hometown, the City of Destruction (earth) and the path to the Celestial City. In between them, however (as in life), there are valleys, sloughs, mountains and temptations that can mar the easy path to Christian's ultimate destination.

Christian starts out in his own city, the City of Destruction. He is loaded down with a pretty big burden on his back, and Evangelist (a great name for some guy just hanging around giving advice!) clues him in that perhaps he should try asking God for salvation. Christian decided that this would be the way to go, and sets of for the Celestial City, even though nearly all of his friends and family try to change his mind. This first section, of course, refers to the need of the Christian to ask God for salvation in order to remove the burden of sin that can weigh him down.

He sets out on the first leg of the journey, to the Wicket Gate. Two young men, Pliable and Obstinate (I cannot tell you how much I love these names!!!), try to tell him why this journey is probably one of the worst ideas ever thought of. Christian, however, says, in effect, "BITE ME" and continues on his journey. This corresponds to the people who will try to dissuade a person on a mission to the Lord.

He finally gets to the Slough of Despond, where everyone who has been faithful to him and his journey so far take off, leaving him alone to deal with his fear. He nearly fails this mission, but finally prevails. He then - FINALLY - arrives at the Wicket Gate, although he is momentarily tempted by hanging out permanently at the village of Morality. This section represents the fear that a Christian will face on his inward journey to heaven, and the strength he must have when being forsaken by those who he thought were on his side. It also shows the temptation of stopping short, midway through the journey, and settling for less-than-heaven.

After the Wicket Gate, he comes to the Cross. His burden, miraculously, is lifted from his back, as is the burden of sin from a Christian when he gives his life to Jesus as Jesus gave his life to him. He is given his papers - those all-important papers!!! - and continues on his way to the Celestial City.

He then encounters Difficulty Hill. He meets two bozos, Formalist and Hypocrisy (I think my ex-husband should be named Hypocrisy), who try to convince him that shortcuts are not only time-savers, but fun as well. Christian remains steadfast in his resolve and tells the two that they are making a poor choice; however, they don't listen and kick off shortly thereafter. This represents the temptation to taking shortcuts on the way to salvation, but shows how said shortcuts really are a bad idea. Basically, stay on the damn path and keep going.

Finally, after fighting a monster named Apollyon and winning, he comes to the Valley of the Shadow of Death, where he comes quite close to wetting his pants out of sheer terror. He meets Faithful there, and they become friends and help each other out during the trip along the Valley. They arrive at Vanity Fair where they are tempted with a myriad of things, all immoral and material. They do not partake of what is offered them and manage to offend the Vanity Fairies in the process, resulting in Faithful getting a death sentence and Christian escaping the same fate by the very skin of his teeth. This whole section deals with temptation, and how easy it would be to settle into such a place as Vanity Fair and not continue the journey. However, Christian has his sights set on Celestial City and vows to keep going.

Christian has many more adventures but finally arrives at the River in front of the gates of the Celestial City. As it can only be crossed by faith, Christian comes close to drowning himself. He finally finds the strength to believe, however, and gets to the gate with the help of Hopeful. Sadly, his new-found buddy, Ignorance, is turned away because he lost his papers.
The entire allegory deals with the fear, work involved, and ultimate price of salvation. Christian's journey is absolutely crazy, with so many things thrown in his path that nearly all would be tempted to stop in Morality or Vanity Fair and take a break. Those who will ultimately be saved, however, are those that stay on the path, persevere, and find there way to the Celestial City.

"But must I needs want solidness, because
By metaphors I speak? Were not God’s laws,
His gospel laws, in olden time held forth
By types, shadows, and metaphors"?

In these lines from the Author’s Apology that prefaces Part I, Bunyan defends the content of his work from those who might accuse him of playing with mere fantasies. Bunyan denies that his book must “want,” or lack, solidity simply because it uses a metaphorical style. He affirms that metaphors can go hand in hand with serious thought.

Bunyan’s self-defense goes to the heart of a long-standing tradition of religious leaders looking askance at literature and deeming it mere entertainment, empty of spiritual value. Religious fiction writers through the ages have defended themselves in much the same way that Bunyan does here. He notes that the Bible itself contains metaphors and “types,” or examples representing general truths. God’s gospel laws refer to the New Testament, in which Christ delivers many of his most profound spiritual statements through parables in which the actual content of the story is different from what the story seems to portray. Bunyan’s scene of the floor sweeper in the Interpreter’s house in Part I is an example of the author composing his own parables much like those of Jesus.

"Here is a poor burdened sinner. I come from the City of Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from the Wrath to come; I would therefore, Sir, since I am informed that by this Gate is the Way thither, know if you are willing to let me in"?

Christian introduces himself to the gatekeeper Goodwill with these lines in the Second Stage of Part I. The quotation forcefully displays Christian’s sense of identity and his sense of who he is in the world. Christian does not think of mentioning his own name in his introduction. Partly he does not think of his name because he represents all Christian pilgrims in this allegory. Christian is an Everyman, and he does not need a name because he symbolizes all. But in psychological terms, Christian’s omission of his name reveals something more about him: he has very little self-consciousness in the book. He reflects on himself when he contemplates his own situation, but he rarely thinks about himself to review his emotions or ideas. Christian has a soul that he cares about saving but does not have a very distinct personality or sense of self. And without a self, he has no need for a name.

Despite not having much of a personality, Christian defines himself by his moral status (“poor burdened sinner”), origin in the City of Destruction, and ultimate goal to reach the Celestial City. He explains his reasons for setting out and speaks to the gatekeeper only because he needs to overcome the obstacle in his way and continue his journey. Everything he says in this quotation refers to his basic need to advance, and he defines himself solely as a traveler. In Christian’s view, his starting point and end point communicate all there is to know about him. Christian’s politeness to the gatekeeper, whom he calls “sir,” shows his cordial respect for people of all social levels, high and low. This formality remains constant throughout The Pilgrim’s Progress and expresses Christian’s deep religious belief that all are equal before God.

Study Questions

1. In some ways Christian seems to learn various things in the course of his pilgrimage, but in other ways he hardly appears to change at all from the beginning to the end of the book. Does Christian evolve or develop as a character?

Christian does not appear to evolve as a character in the same way that characters in modern novels change over time and expand as individuals. Partly he does not change much because he hardly displays any personality in the first place. Bunyan’s emphasis is not on representing Christian as a unique and distinctive individual embarking on a certain course in life that will affect him. Many novels represent their characters as “changed” individuals at the conclusion, but Bunyan is not a novelist. He is an allegorist. Characters in allegories are simply vehicles for abstract ideas, and Christian represents the idea of devout faith. He grows as his faith grows, but there is little change in him from when the story began.

Still Bunyan becomes more like a novelist as he proceeds with Christian’s story, and in Part II he veers even further from pure allegory. In Christian’s tale, the pilgrim displays some signs of a changing. For example, in the Palace Beautiful the mistresses ask Christian about his family left behind in the City of Destruction. As an allegorical character bent only on spiritual progress, Christian should not care about his ties to the old corrupt world. But Christian shows emotion when he tells of his wife and sons. He at least displays the glimmers of a full human personality. Nevertheless, these changes in Christian do not owe so much to his emotional evolution as to his love for his family.

The near-drowning scene in the river offers another glimpse of Bunyan’s change of focus on Christian as a character. As Christian sinks beneath the waves and nearly gives up hope of reaching the Celestial City, he almost resembles a character in modern fiction gripped by despair and angst. He seems more “human” with everyday feelings than an allegorical vehicle. Yet here again, the depth in Christian is caused more by Bunyan’s changing artistic style than by any growth in Christian himself.

2. While Bunyan hardly mentions money or social status in his book, social differences do exist in The Pilgrim’s Progress. How do differences in social rank in the book play into the characters’ experiences of pilgrimage and the religious doctrine that supports it?

Bunyan largely upholds the view of pilgrimage as a social equalizer. Traditionally pilgrimage was seen as an experience of equality before God. The actual practice of pilgrimage no doubt reflected certain differences in income level, social status, and educational background, but in theory such discrepancies did not matter. Social ranks supposedly vanished when a group of pilgrims set forth on the road together, and a servant girl was theoretically of the same rank as a duchess. Thus a group of pilgrims in a sense formed an ideal community governed by the absolute equality they would enjoy later in heaven.

Bunyan’s portrayal of Mercy shows his tender sympathy with and respect for a woman of the lower classes. Mercy is treated with every bit as much dignity and honor as Christiana. Christiana speaks to her as an equal, and they share their possessions on the road at Christiana’s behest. This is also apparent in Part I when Christian addresses the gatekeeper as “sir,” displaying politeness to everyone he interacts with. Bunyan bucks the traditions of his era by insisting that gatekeepers, porters, and maids should be treated as attentively and humanely in literature as everyone else is.

The upper classes come under attack in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Except for the Master of the Celestial City who is presumably God, virtually every character that asserts his or her social superiority displays evil tendencies. Apollyon claims to be a prince and a god, but he is neither, at least as far as Christian is concerned. His educated upper-class speech rings a false note when he addresses Christian. Anyone who owns a castle in the book is wicked, from Beelzebub to Giant Despair. A castle in medieval literature was the possession of the good hero, the knight. But Bunyan reverses the moral associations of castles and makes them the evil lairs of the malignant rich. By contrast, the good have houses or palaces. The mistresses of the Palace Beautiful clearly enjoy social standing, since after all they have a palace. But they do not lord their status over their guests and rejoice to receive even lowly pilgrims like Mercy.

3. Standard Christian doctrine in Bunyan’s day taught that women were created by God to be the servants and inferiors of men. How do the female characters in the book support or refute official Christian teaching about female status?

The plot of The Pilgrim’s Progress does suggest male primacy. Christian is more sensitive to the higher calling of heaven than his wife. Christian hears the Evangelist’s word long before his wife does. And when he tries to persuade his wife to accompany him, she refuses. The male emerges as the spiritual go-getter, while the female plays the role of the shirker. At this point, the reader would leave with a strong impression that Bunyan believes men to be more religious than women.

However, the rest of the book powerfully contradicts the idea of female spiritual weakness. Strong and spiritually assertive women also appear regularly on Christian’s pilgrimage. The four mistresses of the Palace Beautiful not only feed and wash Christian in stereotypical female fashion, but they also give him armor and weapons as custodians of military force who understand masculine battle. They do not sit back and watch Christian but engage with him in discussing points of Christian doctrine. Bunyan presents them as active and assertive.

In Part II, women become even stronger. Christiana appears no longer as the stay-at-home shirker but boldly decides to follow her husband and take her four children along wit her. Mercy shrugs off a suitor who stops courting her. She calmly states that faith matters more than marriage. Finally, the appearance of Madam Bubble shows that powerful women can be evil as well as good. She may be bad, but she is certainly not weak. Women in Part II often seem even better pilgrims than the men were in Part I. Christian arrived in the Celestial City with one friend, while Christiana arrives with a whole flock of righteous pilgrims.

Suggested Essay Topics

1. Marriages and male-female bonds in general have an ambiguous significance in the book. In a sense, religious awakening must be an individual, solitary experience. Male-female relations sometimes appear as dangerous diversions from one’s true spiritual path, as with Madam Bubble. Some marriages look evil, like Despair’s marriage to his wife. But, on the other hand, Bunyan shows a positive side of marriage too. According to The Pilgrim’s Progress, is marriage good or bad for a pilgrim?
2. The narrator insists at the beginning that the reader should not accept details in his book at face value but should look beneath the surface to the hidden meaning. Yet Gaius at dinner tells Christiana’s son that sometimes apples are just apples, not symbols of sin. Are these views inconsistent? Why or why not?
3. Christiana’s pilgrimage is obviously very similar to her husband’s earlier one. She starts from exactly the same point and proceeds to the same destination. Many of the obstacles she passes through, like the Slough of Despond and the Doubting Castle, were Christian’s obstacles too. How does Bunyan avoid creating the impression that Christiana simply repeats what her husband already did? How is her pilgrimage unique?
4. Christian and Christiana both spend time with hosts during their separate pilgrimages, sometimes with the same hosts. Yet their interactions with those hosts are very different. What do those differences suggest about Christian and Christiana as pilgrims? Do they differ in their general attitudes toward others?
5. Christian ends his journey abiding in the Celestial City and rejoicing in its glories. Christiana, by contrast, arrives in the Celestial City only to make another departure. She is sent off to see the Master. Her end is just as successful as Christian’s, since her pilgrimage has reached its desired destination. But it is darker than the ending of Part I. What is the significance of Christiana’s ending a different emotional tone?

Context

John Bunyan was born in Elstow, England, in 1628. As the son of a household appliance repairman, Bunyan was expected to carry on his father’s trade. Bunyan had very little schooling but learned the rudiments of reading and writing. From boyhood on, Bunyan experienced private visions that fed his brand of Christian devotion. He saw devils and heard inner voices talking about Christ and later in life felt driven to pray to trees and broomsticks. These visions and dreams would later serve as an inspiration for his writings. At sixteen, Bunyan enlisted in the army as a solider and fought in the English Civil War, fought between the Puritans and the Royalists over Charles I’s changes to the Church of England, including a new English Prayer Book.

Bunyan’s involvement in the Baptist Church began soon after marrying Margaret Bentley in Elstow in 1647. At the behest of his wife, Bunyan began to read the Bible and attend church on a regular basis. Bunyan was received into the Baptist Church in 1653. Bunyan advanced his knowledge of the Christian faith and scriptures by fasting and practicing solemn prayer. He started preaching in Bedford and nearby villages and gained an immense, popular following wherever he preached, earning the nickname “Bishop Bunyan” because of his stature as a religious teacher and thinker. After bearing Bunyan four children, Margaret died in 1657. Two years later, Bunyan remarried. Bunyan’s experience of religion was deeply individual. A pious young man, his strong sensitivity to sin was self-imposed and self-enforced. His personal standards were harsh and unforgiving. Bunyan did not commit many sins, but he did confess to using profane language, having danced, and having rung the bells of his local church without permission. His severe and self-critical moral code provides the backdrop to Christian’s earnest and impassioned search for salvation in The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Religion and politics both dominated Bunyan’s life. The Puritans, evangelical Christians with strict moral beliefs, had a great influence over the government and culture of England during Bunyan’s lifetime. Their growing power culminated in civil war and the installation of the Puritan Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector of Britain in 1653. During Cromwell’s reign various “immoral” activities were brought to an end throughout Britain, including dancing and theatergoing. For many years, the country was in the grip of a religious fundamentalism. Religion in the seventeenth century was also highly political. It was not simply a matter of choosing one’s faith to practice peacefully at home but a sign of political alliance with or rebellion against the ruling faction in public life. Religion affected one’s career and one’s family’s prosperity, and Bunyan demonstrates this in The Pilgrim’s Progress when Christian suddenly decides to leave his family behind to seek salvation in the Celestial City.

When Bunyan joined the Baptist Church, he began preaching to his own congregation without a state license to do so and was jailed in 1660 by the Church of England for this infraction. Bunyan and other outspoken Protestants were not simply discriminated against but were persecuted and imprisoned. Bunyan himself spent twelve years in prison, where he began to write Part I of The Pilgrim’s Progress. The book was later published in 1678. Bunyan’s assurance in the validity of his personal visions underlies The Pilgrim’s Progress, which he disguises as a dream. Bunyan also drew on personal experience when writing and preaching in public. Whenever Bunyan provides images of bondage and detention in his work, like the old man in the iron cage in the Second Stage of The Pilgrim’s Progress, he invokes his own imprisonment and the state’s repression of his fellow religious rebels. After Bunyan was eventually freed from prison in 1670, he began to preach again and became a pastor of the Bedford church.

Bunyan published Part II of The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1684. In the six years between Parts I and II, his confidence as a writer grew visibly. The Pilgrim’s Progress is so fresh and original partly because Bunyan knew no great fiction writers to copy. Early editions of his work were often on cheap and coarse paper, bought mainly by the poor. Bunyan thus had a hand in educating the class from which he himself came. Though Bunyan published nine books, including his spiritual autobiography Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, The Pilgrim’s Progress has remained arguably the most renowned published Christian allegory, a symbolic story that serves as a disguised representation for meanings other than those indicated. The characters in Bunyan’s allegory have no individual personality but are embodiments of moral qualities as illustrated by their names: Christian, Christiana, Great-heart, and Hopeful, to name a few.
The Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible and is said to be one of the most widely read books in English. After catching a severe cold on his way to London, Bunyan died at a friend’s house in 1688. Bunyan is buried in the cemetery at Bunhill Fields in London. It is said that many Puritans pleaded on their death beds to be buried as close as possible to the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress.

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Ashish Simroliya

English Literature

Friday 11 October 2013