JohnBunyanBunyan’slifeBunyan’sliterarycreationThePilgrim’sProgressallegoryTextualstudy:ThePilgrim’sProgressJohnBunyanBunyan’slife1Bunyan’slifeBornin1628,uneducatedtinker;FromthereformationhereceivedanexcessofthespiritualindependencewhichhadcausedthePuritanstruggleforliberty;ThereligiousfermentoftheagemadeatremendousimpressiononBunyan’ssensitiveimagination;Thedowryofhiswife,twobooksentitledThePlainMan’sPathwaytoHeavenandThePracticeofPiety,gavefiretohisimagination;Becameanopen-airpreacher,imprisonedbecauseofhisrefusaltoobeythelawprohibitingreligiousmeetingswithouttheauthorityoftheEstablishedChurch;Bunyan’slifeBornin1628,une2Bunyan’slifeWroteThePilgrim’sProgresswhileinprison.Bunyan’slifeWroteThePilgrim3Bunyan’sliterarycreationThePilgrim’sProgress:itsstoryThestorytellsofthespiritualpilgrimageofChristianwho,withabookinhishandandaburdenonhisback,fleesfromtheCityofDestructionandmeetstheperilsandtemptationsoftheSloughofDespond,VanityFair,andDoubtingCastle.HefacesandovercomesthedemonAppollyon,journeysthroughtheinterpreter’sHouse,thePalaceBeautiful,theValleyofHumiliation,theValleyoftheShadowofDeath,andtheDelectableMountainsandfinallyreachestheCelestialCity.Bunyan’sliterarycreationThe4Bunyan’sliterarycreationThePilgrim’sProgress:anallegoryAtaleinverseorproseinwhichcharacters,actions,orsettingsrepresentabstractideasormoralqualities.Thusanallegoryisastorywithtwomeanings,aliteralmeaningandasymbolicmeaning.ThemostfamousallegoryinEnglishliteratureisJohnBunyan’sThePilgrim’sProgress.Bunyan’shero,Christian,makesajourneytotheCelestialcity,duringwhichhemeetssuchcharactersasHope,Shame,andDespair.Thesymbolicmeaningofthejourneyisthesearchforspiritualsalvation.Bunyan’sliterarycreationThe5TextualstudyThePilgrim’sProgress:itstheme TheallegorydepictsthePuritanstruggleforfreedomofworship,theeternalstruggleofmantofindunitywithGod.1.ItisthemostsuccessfulreligiousallegoryintheEnglishlanguage.ItspurposeistourgepeopletoabidebyChristiandoctrinesandseeksalvationthroughconstantstruggleswiththeirownweaknessesandallkindsofsocialevils.2.Thesatiresinthebookarecenteredupontherulingclass.Bunyanrevealedarealisticpictureofthemoraldepravityoftherulingclass.TextualstudyThePilgrim’sPro6TextualstudyThePilgrim’sProgress:abriefcommentThePilgrim’sProgressiswrittenintheformofallegoryanddream;Theallegoryiswritteninaneffectivestyle:simple,strong,masculineanddirect;Heusesthelanguageofthecommonpeople;Helinksthereligiousallegorywithrealisticcharactersketches.Heticksoffacharacterbymerelygivinghimaname—Obstinate,Mr.WorldlyWiseman,LordHate-good.TextualstudyThePilgrim’sPro7Textualstudy:commentonthefairThispartisthedescriptionoftheVanityFairthatChristianandFaithfulpassthroughontheirwaytotheCelestialCity.Vanitymeans“emptiness”or“worthlessness,”andhencethefairisanallegoryofworldlinessandthecorruptionofthereligiouslifethroughtheattractionsoftheworld.Theseriousbusinessofbuyingandsellingwasaccompaniedbyallsortsofdiversions–eating,drinking,andotherfleshlypleasures,aswellasspectaclesofstrangeanimals,acrobats,andotherwonders.Thisselectiongivesthebitterestsatire,whichisinvariablydirectedattherulingclass.InthedescriptionsoftheVanityFair,BunyannotonlygivesusasymbolicpictureofLondonatthetimeoftheRestorationbutofallbourgeoissociety.Textualstudy:commentonthe8TextualstudyThePilgrim’sProgress:scenesthataremostsatirical(1) OnesceneisthedescriptionoftheVanityFair,whereallsortsofvanityaresold.Peoplecanbuymerchandiseanddelightsofallsorts,aswhores,bawds,wives,husbands,bodies,soulsandwhatnot.Peoplecanalsoseecheats,foolsandevenadulteriesinthefair.Inthissatire,BunyangivesusasymbolicpictureofLondoninBunyan’stime.TextualstudyThePilgrim’sPro9TextualstudyThePilgrim’sProgress:scenesthataremostsatirical(2)AnothersceneistheoneinwhichthepersecutionofChristianandhisfriendFaithfularedescribed.ChristianandfaithfulcomeVanityFair.AstheyrefusetobuyanythingbutTruth,theyarebeatenandputinacage,andthentakenoutandledinchainsupanddownthefair,andatlengthbroughtbeforeacourt.JudgeHate-goodsummonsthreewitnesses:Envy,SuperstitionandPickthank,whotestifyagainsthim.Thecaseissubmittedtothejury,composedofMr.Badman,Mr.No-good,Mr.Malice,etc.eachgivesaverdictagainstFaithful,whoispresentlycondemned.HereBunyanintendstosatirizethestatetrialsinthereactionaryreignsofCharlesIIandJamesII.TextualstudyThePilgrim’sPro10PointofViewReligiously,BunyanwasadevoutChristian.HeinsistedthatBiblicaldoctrinesbethebestwayoflifeandeveryonebeentitledtounderstandBibleinhisownway.Hebelievedthatman’sfinalsalvationcouldbeachievedonlybyone’sownspiritualstruggle.Politically,Bunyanhadadeephatredforthecorruptedandhypocriticalrichwhoaccumulatedtheirwealthbyhookandbycrook(illegalway).Heeulogizedthetruth-seekingChrisitan,whowasasymbolofthevirtuouscom