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.