Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Pilgrim’s Progress, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Burden of Sin and Salvation through Christ
The World vs. Christianity
Obstacles on the Journey
The Centrality of the Bible
Women as Pilgrims
Summary
Analysis
Christian sees Faithful a little distance ahead of him, runs ahead, and overtakes him. But Christian suddenly trips and falls and needs Faithful to help him up. Then the two pilgrims walk on happily together, discussing everything that’s happened to them so far. They talk about the City of Destruction and the rumors that circulated about Christian; they also discuss Pliable and the town’s scorn for him after he turned back from following Christian.
Christian’s stumble suggests that he has fallen into the temptation of pride—the Book of Proverbs features the verse, “pride goes […] before a fall.” However, the bigger point is that he is delighted to have a companion on his journey. Because he is from the same town, Faithful can update Christian on Pliable. Though mocked at first for going with Christian, Pliable gained no respect for changing his mind, either, suggesting the world’s fickleness.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
Faithful tells Christian about some of the obstacles he encountered on his journey. He evaded a woman named Wanton who enticed him with promises of pleasure. Worse, at the foot of the Hill Difficulty, he met an honest-looking old man who identified himself as Adam the First from the town of Deceit. Adam the First asked Faithful if he’d be willing to live with and work for him, in exchange for good wages and an inheritance. Adam the First also claimed to have three daughters, Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and The Pride of Life, and that Faithful could marry all of these if he liked.
This passage emphasizes that no two pilgrims have the same journey; much depends on individual circumstances, inclinations to different temptations, and other differences. For his part, Faithful is tempted by sexual pleasure; he is also tempted by a figure named Adam, who is identified with the Old Testament law. Adam offers Faithful work to do (symbolically contrasted with Christ’s grace), and his three daughters’ names come from the biblical Book of 1 John, a summary of what the world offers.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
At first, Faithful was tempted to accept Adam the First’s offer. Then he noticed written on Adam’s forehead “Put off the old man with his deeds,” and Faithful realized that Adam the First would enslave him, no matter what he claimed to the contrary. When Faithful turned to go, Adam the First chased him up the Hill and knocked him down. When Faithful recovered from the blow and asked for mercy, Adam the First replied that he didn’t know how to show mercy. He would have beaten Faithful to death, if the Lord hadn’t passed by just then (Faithful saw the marks in his hands and side) and made him stop. Christian explains that “Adam the First” was really Moses, who doesn’t know how to show mercy to transgressors of the Law.
The quote on Adam’s forehead is from the Epistle to the Colossians, which contrasts the works of the old, sinful self with those of the new self that’s given by Christ. The Bible verse hints that Adam is identified with the old self which must be rejected, because it can never achieve freedom from sin. That’s because Adam, or the Law, requires perfection and cannot show mercy to imperfections. Only Christ shows mercy, as the Lord’s intervention shows. This is complex theology, but the gist is that a Christian is often tempted to fall back on the “old self” instead of trusting in Christ’s grace.
Themes
Literary Devices
Quiz
Test Yourself
Faithful further explains that he bypassed the Palace Beautiful, but that in the Valley of Humility, he met a man named Discontent who tried to convince Faithful not to offend other friends like Pride and Arrogancy by passing through the Valley. In reply, Faithful explained that he has disowned these old relations, and that, anyway, Discontent is wrong about the Valley—humility comes before honor, and Faithful would rather pass through humility than choose the path others deem best.
Faithful continues narrating the parts of his pilgrimage that differ from Christian’s. Discontentment, pride, and arrogance all cut against a humble attitude. Faithful resists these temptations with his understanding that humility is an indispensable part of any Christian’s progress toward Heaven.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
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But that wasn’t Faithful’s only obstacle in the Valley of Humiliation. He also met a figure named Shame, who said that worrying about religion is “unmanly” and exposes a person to ridicule in these modern times. After all, few of the rich and powerful ever followed Faithful’s way. Shame also argued that most of today’s pilgrims are poor and ignorant. At first, Faithful blushed in response, but then it occurred to him that although Shame could tell him about what people value, he couldn’t tell him what God values. After much effort, he finally shook off Shame’s company. Faithful says that the rest of his journey was filled with sunshine. Christian describes his much darker journeys through the Valleys of Humiliation and the Shadow of Death.
Embracing religion requires humility. Shame tries to convince Faithful that modern people, men in particular, shouldn’t take religion too seriously, especially if they care about their social status. However, Faithful remembers that God’s values and the world’s values are not the same. Making this distinction is another key to humility; when Faithful embraces what God values, he is able to pass through the Valley of Humiliation undisturbed.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
