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Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed

The Pilgrim's Progress

by John Bunyan

1678

Novel

Allegory

This allegory of Puritan devotion illustrates the trials and rewards of Christian spirituality.

Bunyan's two-part allegory covers the spiritual lives of a Christian convert and his family. The main character, Christian, is converted by Evangelist, who instructs him to leave the City of Destruction through the wicket gate on his way to the Celestial City. Christian's family misunderstands him and his neighbors attack him, but Christian leaves his home with a burden on his back and a book in his hand.

Before finding the wicket gate, Christian succumbs to the Slough of Despond and Mr. Worldly Wiseman, who leads him to comfort in the village of Morality. Fortunately, Evangelist steers him to the wicket gate, where Christian climbs a hill to a cross. There Christian loses the burden and is outfitted for travel to the Celestial City.

On his way there, Christian encounters the Hill of Difficulty, Humiliation, Vanity Fair, and By-Path Meadow. Christian gets lost at Doubting Castle, where the giant Despair imprisons him. Remembering his key of Promise, Christian escapes and ascends the Delectable Mountains, where he first sees the Celestial City.

One more temptation awaits Christian: He almost drowns in a river when he contemplates his sins. He is rescued by Hopeful, and the two of them enter the Celestial City together.

In the second part of this allegory, Christian's wife and sons, who had refused to accompany him to the Celestial City, are converted at his death and decide to journey to the Celestial City themselves. They take the same path but have different experiences because by this time there are more pilgrims to help them. They find help in Mercy, Mr. Greatheart, Mr. Honest, Mr. Valiant-for-Truth, and Mr. Steadfast, among others. They encounter their fair share of temptations, but their journey is easier than Christian's because his courage was inspirational and instructive.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Bunyan, John. "The Pilgrim's Progress." Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed, edited by Editors of Salem Press, Salem Press, 2015. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=6CR_0424.
APA 7th
Bunyan, J. (2015). The Pilgrim's Progress. In E. Salem Press (Ed.), Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Bunyan, John. "The Pilgrim's Progress." Edited by Editors of Salem Press. Recommended Reading: 600 Classics Reviewed. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2015. Accessed September 15, 2025. online.salempress.com.