The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim’s Progress
By John Bunyan
20 April 2010
Format: MLA Style
The Pilgrims Progress, composed in 1678 by John Bunyan, is said to have originally graced John in a dream. As a Preacher and English writer, Bunyan comprised this during the time in which he was imprisoned for preaching the word of God. This makes good sense because of the timing of it all. If there were ever to be a good time for a person to consider their life as it was and eventual death that would one day come, it would be the time in which they were imprisoned if they were ever to find themselves in such a situation. Bunyan seemingly wrote this allegorical story to track the main character’s journey that would eventually lead him to find his salvation. As the author uses an allegorical style, he apologizes for it in the preface of the text but it actually saves the reader. Allegory uses symbolism as a disguised representation for meanings. Without allegory, the characters would have names that could easily take on the persona of any one person. The characters that Bunyan utilizes in this piece truly appear to be universal. The personalities of the characters that were conveyed could have been found just as easily in 1678 as they could in the present day. Carl Rollyson states that John Bunyan was a Puritan who wrote about every earnest Christian’s continuous search for salvation (394). The primary purpose was not only to spread the word, but to continue to strengthen faith and win souls as well. The author was fascinated with the ideas that backed the human experience. Evidence of this comes from some of the names that were assessed to his allegorical characters. These personalities such as Mr. Feeble-Mind, Mr. Talkative, Mr. Money-Love, and Mr. Save-All were just a few that were created from involvement in everyday life. Likewise, the allegorical stops in the way such as Valley of Humiliation, Slough of Despond, Vanity, and the Delectable Mountains can be closely compared to places
By John Bunyan
20 April 2010
Format: MLA Style
The Pilgrims Progress, composed in 1678 by John Bunyan, is said to have originally graced John in a dream. As a Preacher and English writer, Bunyan comprised this during the time in which he was imprisoned for preaching the word of God. This makes good sense because of the timing of it all. If there were ever to be a good time for a person to consider their life as it was and eventual death that would one day come, it would be the time in which they were imprisoned if they were ever to find themselves in such a situation. Bunyan seemingly wrote this allegorical story to track the main character’s journey that would eventually lead him to find his salvation. As the author uses an allegorical style, he apologizes for it in the preface of the text but it actually saves the reader. Allegory uses symbolism as a disguised representation for meanings. Without allegory, the characters would have names that could easily take on the persona of any one person. The characters that Bunyan utilizes in this piece truly appear to be universal. The personalities of the characters that were conveyed could have been found just as easily in 1678 as they could in the present day. Carl Rollyson states that John Bunyan was a Puritan who wrote about every earnest Christian’s continuous search for salvation (394). The primary purpose was not only to spread the word, but to continue to strengthen faith and win souls as well. The author was fascinated with the ideas that backed the human experience. Evidence of this comes from some of the names that were assessed to his allegorical characters. These personalities such as Mr. Feeble-Mind, Mr. Talkative, Mr. Money-Love, and Mr. Save-All were just a few that were created from involvement in everyday life. Likewise, the allegorical stops in the way such as Valley of Humiliation, Slough of Despond, Vanity, and the Delectable Mountains can be closely compared to places
Cited: Mort, John. Christian Fiction. Greenwood Village: Libraries Unlimited, 2002. Perrine, Tim. “Pilgrim’s Progress.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 11 April 2010. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ Pilgrim’s Progress: Journey to Heaven. Dir. Danny R. Carrales. Perf. Daniel Kruse, Terry Jernigan, Jeremiah Guelzo. DRC Films, 2008. Rollyson, Carl. “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Vol. I. 2nd Ed. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2000.