Discussion Topic
The main character and his representation in The Pilgrim's Progress
Summary:
The main character in The Pilgrim's Progress is Christian, who represents everyman or the typical human soul on a journey towards salvation. His experiences and challenges symbolize the struggles and triumphs faced by believers in their spiritual journey, emphasizing themes of faith, perseverance, and redemption.
Who is the main character in The Pilgrim's Progress?
The main character in John Bunyan's allegorical tale The Pilgrim's Progress is given the single name Christian. According to the summary in enotes:
Christian becomes distressed with his life in the City of Destruction and insists that his wife and four children accompany him in search of salvation. When they refuse to leave, Christian determines to set out alone. Henceforth his life story consists of hardships, sufferings, and struggles to overcome obstacles—physical, human, and emotional—that beset his path.
Since Christian is on a long journey, he carries a large, heavy pack on his back. This symbolizes his cares and especially his sins and burden of guilt. He encounters all sorts of people along the way who represent the various types of lost individuals who do not understand and practice true Protestant Christianity, as well as enlightened and helpful people who offer him valuable guidance. The story in some ways...
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resembles CervantesDon Quixote and Voltaire's Candide. The narrator of the tale, presumably Bunyan himself, presents it as a something he saw in a dream:
I lighted on a certain place where was a Den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep: and, as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back.
After his long journey and many misadventures, Christian finally is relieved of his "great burden" and gains admission to the Celestial City along with some other deserving pilgrims he has met along the way.
The Pilgrim's Progress, published in 1678, is regarded as one of the most important works in English religious literature. It was popular with general readers for several centuries. It exemplifies the Protestant belief that each individual must work out his own salvation with the guidance of the Holy Bible and especially the New Testament. Many of the characters Christian encounters on his long journey still represent types of people who are to be met with today, including Mr. Worldly Wiseman.
Who does the character Christian represent in The Pilgrim's Progress?
Christian in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress is the protagonist of the tale and also the title character. In other words, he is the pilgrim who progresses "from this world to that which is to come." Thus we can see that he represents each person who passes from this life ("this world") to the next. Christian is what is known in literature as the "everyman"—that is, someone who represents the common or typical person. Such a character is meant to arouse sympathy in readers, because readers can easily imagine themselves as the character. In a didactic allegory such as The Pilgrim's Progress, the character is designed to teach the reader the lesson more powerfully, because the reader will hopefully internalize what the character learns throughout the story.
It would be simplistic and not completely accurate to say that Christian represents every Christian. Although much of the book relates to Christian's journey as a Christian, he is not a Christian when the tale begins. At the beginning of the story, he is weighed down by sin and fear of God's wrath. He is miserable because he doesn't know how to find salvation. Evangelist appears and points him to the Wicket Gate. When he passes through the gate, he becomes a Christian, and his journey continues until he crosses over to the Celestial City, which represents Heaven and the afterlife.
Part of the lesson of the allegory is that every person is tormented by guilt and the knowledge of sin unless and until he puts his faith in Jesus Christ, whom the Wicket Gate symbolizes. Ignoring false guides like Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Legality, and Civility and trusting in Christ alone results in salvation. After Christian's conversion, he represents not every person, but every Christian believer. By beginning the story before Christian becomes a Christian, Bunyan is able to use his everyman character to illustrate both the way of salvation and the path of the Christian following conversion.