John Bunyan’s the Pilgrim’s Progress as a Vehicle of Allegory

Abstract

John Bunyan, an English author and Baptist preacher is best remembered as the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678).  Bunyan’s artistry, is most clearly seen in his role as an allegorist. With the publication of The Pilgrim’s Progress, The Life and Death of Mr. Badman in 1680, and The Holy War in 1682, Bunyan had shown growing resourcefulness using allegorical symbols.  When allegory is used as story, additional meaning lies below the surface narrative.  Allegory presumes to engage the reader with at least two narratives: the surface narrative and the underlying one below the surface that most often contains the work’s theme.  Bunyan models his allegory after his own spiritual experiences and substantiates them with Biblical references.  In Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan refers to a fallen world that is plagued with sin which has lost the glory of God.  Christian, the central character, walks through the wilderness of this world in a quest to attain salvation.  Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory par excellence and this article explores this undeniable fact with precision and clarity.

Keywords: Allegory, Pilgrim's Progress, Christian, Grace, Salvation