The Pilgrim's Progress

Simple, Sloth, and Presumption continue Bunyan’s pattern of characterization. He names a person after their dominant trait, which their actions and words reflect. The three men are too simplistic, slothful, and presumptuous to follow Christian. Their chains symbolize their stagnation, and they’re initially asleep because they lack a keen consciousness. The motif of sleep occurs throughout the text and isn’t always a positive thing. Sometimes, as with the narrator, it produces an elucidating vision or dream. Conversely, it can represent a lack of interest in the spiritual realm, as it does with these men.

Formalist and Hypocrisie advance the theme of Human Laws and Customs Versus Christian Devotion. They justify their shortcut with reference to “Custom” and feel their conduct would “be admitted as a thing legal, by any Impartial Judge” (278). Christian replies, “You are counted thieves already, by the Lord of the way” (279). Christian stands for God’s rules, while Formalist and Hypocrisie represent the law—not just temporal law, but also the behavioral codes laid out in the Bible. Protestants like Bunyan did not believe that adherence to that code was in and of itself necessary for salvation; in fact, to the extent that it led one to overlook Faith’s Necessity for Salvation, preoccupation with the letter of the law could actually be harmful. Bunyan also juxtaposes Christian with Timorous and Mistrust, who clarify that there are different kinds of fear. A person should fear God, but they should also have the courage to follow God’s teachings when times get tough. Timorous and Mistrust instead come down the Hill of Difficulty. They lack the fortitude to withstand God’s tribulations.

Although Christian is a Christian, he’s not perfect. Bunyan makes him a complex character by giving him flaws. He falls asleep, and it’s a bad sleep; he treats a waystation God has provided as though it were his destination, wasting time. Christian rebukes himself, saying, “O wretched Man that I am, that I should sleep in the day time! that I should sleep in the midst of difficulty!” (289). Self-awareness is key, and a person should be able to criticize themself if they’ve done wrong. The misplacement of the document stresses the consequences of Christian’s erroneous rest. The lions present a different challenge, testing Christian’s faith. Because they’re chained, they can’t hurt him, but the sight of them nearly causes him to turn around. Thus, the chained lions symbolize superficial danger.

As their names suggest, Prudence, Piety, and Charity are allies, so Christian tells them about his journey. This recapitulation of past events helps refresh the reader’s mind about what has happened to Christian. Christian’s tribulations are numerous, but overcoming myriad hardships is an unavoidable part of embracing God.

In discussing why Christian’s family is not with him, Charity brings up the story of Cain and Abel, explaining that Cain hated Abel because of the latter’s godliness. This underscores the conflict between Christian life and the temporal world. Though people may look down on a person who abandons their family, their actions are praiseworthy if they do so for God. The discussion of Christ as “such a lover of poor Pilgrims” introduces the motif of money (318)—another human custom that may conflict with spirituality. Many societies treat monetary wealth as positive and poverty as anathema. The pilgrims turn this formula upside down.

The Porter and company show Christian the biblical artifacts to further connect him to Christianity and to remind him and the reader about what others have been able to do in the name of God. Bunyan uses foreshadowing when Christian observes a “Sword, Shield, Helmet, Brest plate, All-Prayer, and Shoes that would not wear out” (210). The items hint at what’s to come: Christian needs them when he enters the Valley of Humiliation and battles the demon Apollyon. Bunyan conveys Apollyon’s monstrosity through imagery, simile, and repetition, describing Apollyon’s grotesque appearance with a slew of comparisons. Imagery then helps Bunyan build the haunting and threatening atmosphere of the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Notably, this region contains an entrance to hell, illustrating the connection between sin and death in Christianity (death being the consequence of original sin).

Bunyan gives Christian a friend in Faithful. He symbolizes faith and tells Christian how he overcame a slew of antagonists, including Wanton and Shame. Faithful describes Wanton as a woman who is “all carnal and fleshly content” (370), introducing the motif of gender. Wanton demonstrates that women, like men, can be too focused on worldly pleasures; the association of sexual pleasure specifically with an ungodly woman reflects societal norms that prioritized female chastity. By contrast, Bunyan’s use of Shame challenges traditional gender norms. Shame believes “a tender conscience [is] an unmanly thing” (380), but Faithful counters, “God prefers a tender Conscience” (383). God likes sensitive, mindful men. Shame exemplifies a different type of allegory. Faithful thinks he “bears the wrong name” (379): Shame isn’t ashamed himself; he shames others. Talkative is a more complex antagonist. Faithful thinks he will “make a very excellent Pilgrim” (393). Christian replies, “[A]ll he hath lieth in his tongue, and his Religion is to make a noise therewith” (396). Talking isn’t inherently bad, but Talkative’s words don’t produce action or reflect deep faith.

Imagery brings to life the town of Vanity and its yearlong fair, which again contrasts human custom with God’s truth. It’s legal to sell husbands, lands, wives, etc., but that doesn’t make it right in the eyes of God. Christian and Faithful must show perseverance when the townspeople abuse them for not conforming to the town’s radically transactional culture. Faithful’s trial spotlights the unfairness of earthly justice: The names of the judge (Lord Hategood), witnesses (Envy, Superstition, etc.), and jury members (Mr. Malice, Mr. Live-loose, etc.) reveal Bunyan’s contempt for secular law. Faithful’s brutal death, depicted with vivid imagery, illustrates the importance of martyrdom in Christian tradition: Faithful dies rather than renounce his beliefs. His ascension to heaven functions as foreshadowing, as Christian will ultimately arrive there too.