John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, and the Allegorical Conveyance of Forgiveness

Written By: Cleo C.

29 Jul. 2022

Source: Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 May 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Pilgrims-Progress#/media/1/460468/237451. Accessed 26 July 2022.

Table of Contents:

Principles of Allegory

Christian: The Sinner who Sought Salvation

Christiana: The Ignorant that Seeks Contrition

Honorable Mention: Mr. Fearing

Conclusion

Works Cited

Notable fables, like the Turtle and the Hare, provided meaningful lessons for many generations of readers. Likewise, such tales utilizing friendly creatures impact the meaningful notions of human experiences. But such pleasantries of one's childhood are not the sole emblems of allegorical masterpieces. Classical novels that persevere throughout time prevail with their relevance to human experiences, being a timeless consultant to society's desire for emotional or spiritual inspiration.

One example that epitomizes this mastery originates from a Puritan name John Bunyan. Condemned to prison for his beliefs, the uncertainty of life brought a strong inclination for consolation. And where does one find such tools? Amid this personal adversity, the sole resource available was a pen and paper. Thus, one of the most prestigious works in literary history was born (Lundin ix).

Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress describes a man named Christian who places a firm resolve on a pilgrimage to the Celestial City. Perceived by a dream witnessed by the author, Christian preserves in a journey filled with tribulations, enlightenment, and repentance. The story dissects into two parts; one contains Christian's adventure, and the latter is about his wife, Christiana. As both individuals surrender their mortal tendencies for salvation, Bunyan's account performs allegoric teachings on virtuous deeds, one of them including the concept of forgiveness. Centered on seeking repentance as a pilgrimage, it contributes to the morale through lyrical proses with deep meaning. Thus, by centralizing on each character's demonstration of this theme, Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress enhances moral teachings of forgiveness through abstract usages of allegory.

Principles of Allegory

Before analyzing Bunyan's allegoric conveyance of forgiveness, understanding the basic principles of allegory is significant in knowing its literary influence. An allegory poses as a "symbolic fictional narrative that conveys a meaning not explicitly set forth in the narrative." (Britannica 2019). Commonly embodied as fables, apologue, or parables, they present this 'double meaning' that indicates profound representations of an idea apart from what is being presented (Britannica 2019). Such instances include using unorthodoxly related characters or events in the narrative to convey a symbolic notion of the author's intended message. A source from Philp Thomas Sitterding demonstrates an accurate example of this strategy, "a knight comes to signify the good man, a maiden virtue, and a dragon vice; when the knight kills the dragon and rescues the maiden, the allegorist says that the only means for the good man to achieve virtue is by conquering his own vices." (5).

In Bunyan's case, The Pilgrim's Progress serves as a novel that is immensely rich in allegoric concepts, making the story a prestigious epitome on the compelling usage of allegorical storytelling. To further elaborate on such methods, Sitterding introduces a central idea: circumstantial and intended meaning. Allegory functions in two processes, where the circumstantial meaning —the concrete idea presented in the story— coincides with the intended meaning — the author's hidden message from that articulated event— to provide that impactful effect in conveying specific themes or lessons (5-6). Similar to a famous fable called The Turtle and The Hare, both aspects transpire to relay the crucial lesson of patience. First, we have the circumstantial meaning describing the race between both animals, then placing an intended meaning as a narrator conveys the virtuous lesson towards the end of the story.

Bunyan demonstrates a similar effect in his novel, where such characters embark on an adventure that epitomizes a spiritual process of forgiveness. Aside from other virtues that may be present, Christian and Christiana's story centralize many instances of repentance; hence the purpose of their pilgrimage is to seek acceptance into the Celestial City. Weighing more on the intended meaning, the novel's allegoric richness encapsulates the thematic essence of forgiveness in one's spiritual voyage. Based on three notable characters, their paths capture the enlightening message and the importance of allegorical features conveying humanity's valuable lesson on inner acceptance.

Christian: The Sinner who Sought Salvation

Through Bunyan's main protagonist, Christian's journey served as a foundational emblem of following pilgrims on their way to the Celestial City. His pilgrimage paved a path to countless adversity, testing his faith and endurance needed for repentance (Bunyan 11-155). Although his unwavering faith is imperfect, these obstacles encapsulate the concept of forgiveness through a reminder of his purpose. Among the many challenges faced — defeating Apollyon, enduring the Shadow of Death, or losing Faithful at the Vanity Fair— one particular event accurately describes features of repentance amid an uncompromising ordeal. This occurred during Christian and Hopeful's imprisonment at the Doubting Castle.

The origin of this outcome began when Christian decided to take a shortcut through the By-Path meadow. Unable to pass through the river's rough waters, both surrendered to the detour's convenience despite Hopeful's suspicion (Bunyan 106). Unaware of a trap awaiting its prey, both pilgrims eventually were dragged from their progress and brought into the territories of Giant Despair. In his lair lies the invulnerable Doubting Castle, where Christian and Hopeful were imprisoned and tortured (Bunyan 107-111). Enduring multiple sessions of physical, emotional, and psychological maltreatment, both pilgrims nearly surrendered to such ordeal until Hopeful mentioned a key needed. Sparked by the thinnest thread of hope, Christian awakens himself from his sorrowful meditation and brings out the key named Promise, which was entrusted to Christian in dire need (112). As they successfully escaped the clutch of Giant Despair and his wife, they left a reminder to any passerby of the ruse that lies near the Doubting Castle (113).

Through this instance, we witness Christian and his companion's greatest ordeal. Driven by guilt for disobeying the righteous path, the Doubting Castle served as punishment for those who perceived their spiritual journey with impetuous intent. Through Giant Despair's tortuous activities, Christian and Hopeful were forcefully driven to a state that pushed them into self-sabotage and resentment. Despite the wavering desire to escape, the protagonist slowly lures himself into Giant Despair's ultimate trap: the betrayal of the self. Thankfully Hopeful's unconditional faith in their escape brought back Christian's consciousness, leading them to remember the Promise key. This aspect of the event manifests the allegorical conveyance of forgiveness, in which the key becomes the sole representation. Driven by psychological surrender, Hopeful's lecture reminded Christian of the key entrusted to him when he needs aid that deems impossible. The simplicity of such relief relays a meaningful notion that forgiveness does not require the surmounting feat to earn. Instead, it lies in the reminder of one's unwavering faith in their beliefs, assured of the service one can receive when requested with genuineness. A source from John R. Knott shares a similar perspective on the key's prominence, "The brilliance of the episode lies in the fact that Bunyan makes escape seemingly so difficult yet paradoxically so easy; Christian has only to remember that Scripture has provided him with his own key, a solution that comes to him as a result of prayer." (Knott 449)

Remembering an advocate of the Celestial City— in the form of an object or character— was the act of forgiveness in itself. As Christian repents for his mistake, the key served as a reminder that despite what hurdles he may endure, his steadfast faith will always provide a reassuring redirection. Christian's circumstances tell the reader how forgiveness transpires in removing oneself from secular tendencies to decipher true spiritual renewal and perceive the authenticity of one's enduring faith (Knot 450). Even through an entrusted emblem, it was enough to remind Christian of the mercy that awaited him and his journey.

Christiana: The Ignorant that Seeks Contrition

Besides the arduous journey transpired through Christian, Christiana presented a more leisurely cruise through the same path her husband has accomplished. The second part of Bunyan's novel centers on Christian's wife, which occurs after news of her husband's victory spreads throughout the land. Apart from the relief she felt for his well-deserved repose, guilt and regret also brewed from her mistrust (Bunyan 169-170). Unable to rest from her sin, she follows her husband's laborious journey not only to reunite with her partner but to seek repentance for her former ignorance (Bunyan 169-299).

Despite her trip being dissimilar to Christian's tortuous environment, Christiana's story does not hold inferior in its conveyance of forgiveness. Rather, her decision to partake in a treacherous road becomes Bunyan's demonstration of the theme. Like Christian's ordeal in the Doubting Castle and many other instances in his journey, the consciousness of one's guilt towards a spiritual purpose drives each protagonist into desperate acts of atonement. Bunyan seems to explain that the request for forgiveness does not require the dire sacrifice of oneself; instead relies on the realization of her sin and the guilt that inclines them to seek repentance. A source from William A. Madden explains a similar notion: forgiveness implies a sense of shame, and that guilt implies a divine law to transgress (139-140). This notion is evidently embodied through Christiana's decision, in which her guilt for doubting her husband and the Higher Being plows a heavy burden in her consciousness, desiring the spiritual contentment her husband has acquired.

Christiana's story may serve as a compassionate approach to the theme, where such femininity could help distinguish its allegoric authenticity against its masculine predecessor. As each protagonist becomes a hero/heroine in their circumstances, their conveyance of the theme conceptualizes diversity in its concept. One theory to consider this coincides with a source by Margaret Soenser Breen, where she conceptualizes an intended position in their progress:

"In the Pilgrim's Progress, Christian's spiritual capacity is so evolved that, relying on his consciousness of the promise of salvation, he only needs the intermittent assistance of single characters…By contrast, Christiana's journey to the Celestial City presupposes that the consciousness of her husband is the shaping force of her progress. "(445).

Breen's idea contributes to the conveyance of forgiveness based on Bunyan's strategy to consider two unique approaches. As Christian's motive originated from his own will, to set out on a lone adventure deemed reasonable based on the warnings he left for future passersby, like the note he left after escaping the Doubting Castle (Bunyan 113). Among these pilgrims, Christiana benefits from such cautionary to entirely focus on the forgiveness she seeks. This makes Christiana equally worthy of symbolizing the theme through her journey, as she set Christian as a prominent exemplar of her spiritual renewal. A similar argument transpires from Knott, where "Kaufmann has suggested that Christian "helps to define the road to be walked" and prepares the way for his wife and family; by markers and victories "he transforms the way he covers" without, however, changing its outlines" (449). The primal uniqueness thus lies in how her path reflects a more benevolent approach, in which her heroine status standardizes towards the face of mercy.

Honorable Mention: Mr. Fearing

Although Bunyan's novel consists of two protagonists, another character provides a significant demonstration through a brief articulation of his journey. Written in the second part, Christiana learns of a unique man named Mr. Fearing. Based on Mr. Honest's and Mr. Great-Heart's accounts, the diffident individual emboldens the theme in his strange characteristics. Mr. Fearing was a man who embodies his name, a pilgrim who decides to seek an arduous path yet fears at the sight of any being that represents his road to salvation. Although he treads with pure intentions, his reluctance causes unnecessary turmoil to his internal well-being. That knocking on the gate of Mr. Goodwill was an immense feat until the owner had to introduce himself instead (Bunyan 239-240). However, Mr. Great-Heart mentions the character's hidden potential despite his agitated semblance.

Mr. Fearing may have feared some parts of his journey, but moments occurred when his bravery shone brightly. Mr. Great-Heart mentioned how he endured the Valley of Humiliation at ease, for the foes that lashed animosity were as light as a tickle (Bunyan 241). But when faced with the formidable darkness in the Shadow of Death, he cried out in fear of hobgoblins, which such spirit would imply as one of his fears (Bunyan 242). An evident notion of this contrast lies in Mr. Fearing's source that triggers his apprehension. It seems that material or secular form of evil seems trivial to the fear he places on the King, whereas most of it resonates with a spiritual incoherence that tests his bearing. It is what Mr. Great-Heart mentioned: "his troubles was not about such things as those; his fear was about his acceptance at last" and to "never see that face with comfort that he had come so many miles to behold." (241-242).

This profound concept of his character enhances the conveyance of forgiveness through what he prioritizes in his journey. As much as he feared his worth before the Celestial City, fearing extends to a sense of humility for the same realm he deems unworthy. His love for every creation of King and the hidden gratefulness for Mr. Great-Heart's guidance upholds an impactful representation of the theme. This genuine fear rooted in his passion resulted in the King stirring any form of darkness away from the pilgrim since Great-Heart noticed how usually more serene the place became than its usual state (Bunyan 242). And as they reached the final obstacle, the guide noticed an unusual occurrence in the river, which seemed shallower than before (242). It implies that the Highest Being was aware of his genuine soul and offered leniency to his journey, for He was sure of Mr. Fearing's worthiness before entering the City. Thus Mr. Fearing safely reached the Celestial City; a man who questioned his worth became the most valued resident of His kingdom.

Mr. Fearing demonstrates a similar concept Christian and Christiana shared, where guilt for their mortal flaws becomes a fundamental factor. But unlike the main protagonists who assure themselves of repentance, Mr. Fearing persists through this cowering humility that insists on his incompetence and inferiority. This presents a consistent form of personification through his character, where such diversity deems equally respectable for a happy ending. According to a source by Dr. R.L.N. Raju and Jose George, Bunyan poses as one of the first writers to concretize abstract ideas where "qualities cease to be abstractions and take shape and color" (28). Such an impactful strategy for conveying thematic concepts is evident through Mr. Fearing.

Despite his immense adoration and veneration for everything consisting of his Ruler, he remains humble to the judgment awaiting him at the end of his journey. The concept of forgiveness thus prevails through the King's warm welcome, even a man as fragile as Mr. Fearing deems at most venerable. An article from Philip Harrelson explains this uniqueness in Mr. Fearing, "He was a blazing soldier, prominent hero in the night visions but as the sun rose, he became a weak vessel of clay again. But prevailing through all his fear was the unrelenting desire and noble goal of his entrance into the Celestial City." (2017). Bunyan creates this diverse perspective on the theme, where he implicates that bestowing forgiveness does not mandate a singular disposition. Instead, forgiveness grants those who comprise the genuineness in their pilgrimage that their intentions towards spiritual renewal remain unconditional to their fulfilling destination.

Conclusion

John Bunyan's allegorical conveyance of themes bestows a prominent impact on how forgiveness manifests through each character in this novel. We have learned how Christian's experience in the Doubting Castle embodied forgiveness through a symbolic object, implying that forgiveness prevails despite tribulations that jeopardize their spiritual consciousness. Through Christiana's journey, the decision to follow her husband's footsteps contributes to the theme through an influential factor from Christian's pilgrimage. Reflecting on the accomplishments, what her husband acquires through his lone adventure compelled Christiana to realize the truth to his beliefs, seeking the same redemption by taking on his legacy. Thus, it offers a different perspective on the theme, implying that forgiveness prevails even in the most benevolent adventures. Aside from the main characters, Mr. Fearing poses an honorable mention to this allegorical concept, where his characterization contributes to his worthy acceptance before the King.

As the conveyance of forgiveness prevails in each journey, Bunyan also emphasizes diversity in the theme, where the author implies how granting such a concept poses no standard form. In Christian, he sought forgiveness through a key called Promise, encapsulating the object's symbolism of the idea. Christiana sought repentance through the benevolent path she endured. Although her challenges may not have experienced the equality of Christian's suffering, it does not deem her incapable of being a significant epitome of the concept. Lastly, Mr. Fearing's tale signifies the unbiased mandate of gaining forgiveness, prioritizing one's pure intentions towards their spiritual journey. Through these details, Bunyan encapsulates the driving force of his allegorical language. That through an abstract conceptualization of hurdles and enlightenment shares a profound message of forgiveness and humanity's objective to achieve this transcendent contentment. Nevertheless, Bunyan's dream of spiritual salvation perseveres as one of the most notable portrayals of allegoric conveyance. And such a method exists through a strange phenomenon of using abstract notions to discover answers to a meaningful life.

Works Cited:

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Harrelson, Philip. “Characters from Pilgrim's Progress -- Mr. Fearing.” Characters from Pilgrim's Progress -- Mr. Fearing, Blogger, 28 Mar. 2017, http://barnabas14blog.blogspot.com/2017/03/characters-from-pilgrims-progress-mr_28.html. Accessed 15 Jul. 2022.

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Madden, William A. “The Search for Forgiveness in Some Nineteenth-Century English Novels.” Comparative Literature Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, 1966, pp. 139–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40467684. Accessed 26 Jul. 2022.

Sitterding, Philip, "Allegory as Experiential Communication: Metaphorical Mapping between Bunyan’s Emotions and The Pilgrim’s Progress" (2018). Senior Honors Theses. 788. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/788. Accessed 15 Jul. 2022.

Dr. Raju, R.L.N., and George, Jose. "John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress as a Vehicle of Allegory." Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 6, no. 5, 2016, 27-29, IISTE, https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234674957.pdf. Accessed 15 Jul. 2022.