John Bunyan's |
Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrims
Progress is an allegory by John Bunyan published in 1678. It was written in
prison. John Bunyan was a staunch Puritan, who adopted preaching as his
profession. In his autobiography he has depicted the story of his conversion. After
the restoration, Bunyan was imprisoned for his licensed preaching. It was in
prison that he wrote “The Pilgrims Progress” in which he gives the story of the
salvation of a Christian. Bunyan was a deeply and sincerely religious minded
man who loved the Bible in the most devoted manner. Emile Legoius says that
Bunyan seemed to have lived with the Scriptures alone, indifferent to every
production of the human mind, occupied only with the quest for means of
salvation. The story of the salvation of a Christian in “The Pilgrims Progress”
is set forth in the form of an allegory.
In the
beginning, the dream of the author is described in which he sees Christian with
a burden on his back reading in his book that the city in which he and his
family are living (the city of destruction) will be shortly consumed by fire.
Christian prepares to run away from the city to the celestial city-Heaven along
with his wife and children. But they cannot be convinced by him and he takes to
his journey alone. But his journey is not easy. His path is beset with numerous
obstacles and temptations.
In part one,
there is description of Christian’s journey through such places as the ‘slough
of despond’, ‘the valley of shadow of death, the interpreter’s house, Vanity
Fair. And soon in the course of his journey Christiane meets allegorical
personages like Mr. Worldly Wiseman, faithful, giant despair, and so forth. The
encounter with them signifies the difficulties lying in the way of salvation.
In part two
there is a fine description of the journey of Christian’s wife Christiana and
her children to the same destination. She has a vision and starts her journey
in the company of her neighbour mercy, overruling the objections of people like
Miss Timorous, Great Heart accompanies them as their guard and guide. He killed
Giant Despair and other monsters and escorts the party safely to the Celestial
City-heaven.
The simple
story of “The Pilgrims Progress” is all imaginary but John Bunyan succeeds in
enlivening the whole thing by his simplicity coupled with the strength of
conviction. The style closely resembles in its strengths, simplicity and
vividness to that of the Bible John Bunyan's “Pilgrim's Progress” has a
lucidity and life likeness which even and Edmund Spenser could not attain. John
Bunyan is not merely didactic but he shows a keen sense of landscape
surroundings. In “The Pilgrims Progress” there are some instances of humour and
social satire also.
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