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 and Faithful meet a tall man named Talkative, who is also headed to the Celestial City. Talkative is glad to have their company and to talk together, since he says most people don’t enjoy spiritually profitable conversations. Talkative proceeds to talk about the value of profitable conversations—such discourses teach people the worthlessness of earthly things, the importance of Christian doctrine, how to repent, and how to refuse falsehood. It’s because people don’t discuss such things that so few people understand the importance of faith and eternal life. Faithful interrupts, arguing that knowledge of such things is given by God, not by human conversation.
Talkative is a figure intended to warn the reader, yet there’s also something humorous about him. It’s clear that he enjoys talking about spiritual matters (even talking about talking), but it’s less clear what these matters mean to him. Mostly, he seems to enjoy hearing himself talk. Faithful points out that people only come to understand spiritual topics through supernatural means; just talking about eternal life doesn’t mean a person possesses it.
Themes
Literary Devices
Quiz
Test Yourself
In an aside, Christian tells Faithful that he knows Talkative. He’s from the City of Destruction, and despite his pleasant speech, he has a poor reputation—the more Talkative drinks, the more he talks, and there’s no religion in his heart or lifestyle. He only knows how to talk about Christian teachings; he has not experienced them for himself, and he mistreats his family and servants. He brings shame on the name of religion.
Christian warns Faithful that Talkative is not what he seems and that his religious talk is superficial. His lifestyle contradicts his words, making him a hypocrite.
Themes
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From Christian’s words, Faithful understands that saying and doing are different things. Christian agrees—the “soul” of religion is in practicing it, but Talkative does not understand this. Talkative is self-deceived, believing that hearing and saying are sufficient in order to be a Christian. But his life demonstrates that he doesn’t understand the grace of the gospel.
Talkative has never grasped the difference between talk and action. He enjoys discussing religious matters, but these things have not truly affected his soul. The lengthy discussion with and about Talkative suggests that Bunyan saw this as a common problem in his day.
Themes
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Faithful wonders how to get rid of Talkative. Christian tells Faithful to initiate a conversation with Talkative about the life-changing power of religion and see what happens. Faithful does so, asking Talkative how God’s grace “[discovers] itself” within a person’s heart. Eagerly, Talkative says that grace causes an outcry against sin. Faithful interrupts, saying that anyone can object to sin, but that only a godly person can hate their own sin. Similarly, Faithful disputes Talkative’s claim that knowledge of the gospel is enough. It’s possible to possess much knowledge without actually being God’s child and a doer of God’s will.
Faithful presses Talkative on these subjects to see if they have a deeper meaning for him. There’s a fine distinction in Talkative’s replies—basically, he says that a gracious person will get upset about sin, but Faithful perceives that there’s a difference between condemning sin and repenting of one’s own sin. Again, Talkative’s faith appears to be hypocritical.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
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Talkative says Faithful is just laying a trap for him, and at any rate, they’re not going to agree. Even so, Faithful continues talking about how grace is revealed in a person’s life. To an individual, grace convicts a person of their own sin and awakens faith in their Savior and a desire to serve him. To other people, grace is revealed both in an individual’s confession of faith and by a life that conforms to that confession—that is, through holiness not just in talk, but in practical acts of faith and love.
For the audience’s sake, Faithful corrects Talkative’s deficient understanding. In short, genuine religion provokes a person’s conscience and causes them to seek Christ to save them. Only an individual can know if this has happened or not. At the same time, other people can tell if a person’s behavior coincides with their claim to be religious.
Themes
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Faithful then asks Talkative if his religion is only in word or also in deed. Blushing slightly, Talkative declines to answer, since Faithful is not his judge. Why does Faithful ask him such questions? Faithful says he has heard of Talkative’s bad reputation and that he brings shame on all who profess Christianity. Talkative decides that he no longer wants Faithful’s company. Christian says that they must let him go. Then he and Faithful, deep in conversation, pass through a wilderness.
Talkative avoids answering Faithful’s questions, suggesting that Faithful has hit a nerve. Talkative eventually parts ways with the other pilgrims. The episode with Talkative warns Bunyan’s audience that even apparently knowledgeable pilgrims might prove to be false, and that everyone should guard against such a superficial religion in themselves.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
