Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan (1628-1688), is perhaps the
best-known allegory in English. Part I tells of the journey of a
man named Christian as he seeks salvation through the
Christian religion. Part II tells of the journey of his wife and
children to the same goal.
Pilgrim's Progress
by John Bunyan
Summary of Part I
Christian, who lives in the City of Destruction, foresees that the
city will be destroyed by God for its sinfulness. A man named
Evangelist advises Christian to flee and make his way to the
Celestial City-that is, Heaven. Christian sets off, carrying a
heavy burden of past sins on his back, and a series of trials and
adventures begins. He falls into a bog called the Slough of
The strange, otherworldly incidents of Pilgrim's Progress are an
allegory of the struggles that people may undergo in achieving
religious faith.
How does the use of allegory help John Bunyan convey his
message that faith is the key to salvation?
Because the allegory is also an adventure story,
O readers can enjoy it even if they don't share Bunyan
's religious beliefs.
The use of concrete characters and events to stand
O for abstract concepts helps readers understand
Bunyan's themes.
In allegory, each symbol has a clear meaning, so
allegory helps conlince readers that Bunyan's ideas
are true.