The Pilgrim’s Progress: Part 1: Vanity Fair Summary & Analysis

When Christian and Faithful are nearly through the wilderness, Evangelist catches up with them. They are glad to see him and tell him about their pilgrimage thus far. Evangelist exhorts them to keep striving and not to grow weary in their journey. Christian asks him to tell them what they will encounter in the future. Evangelist prophesies that they will soon enter the town of Vanity, whose residents will kill one or both of them. He encourages them to be brave.

Sure enough, soon Christian and Faithful enter a town called Vanity which is home to a huge Fair that runs throughout the year. The fair is quite ancient—almost 5,000 years old. At that time, Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, seeing many pilgrims passing through Vanity on their way to the Celestial City, decided to set up a fair selling all sorts of merchandise—lands, titles, kingdoms, jewels, and even people. Every kind of sin and crime also happens here. The wares of many different nations are promoted in the streets of the Fair.

It is not possible to reach the Celestial City without passing through Vanity Fair, unless a person goes out of the world altogether. Even Christ passed through it, and Beelzebub offered to make him Lord of the Fair in exchange for Christ’s worship of him, but Christ resisted this temptation.

As soon as Christian and Faithful enter the Fair, they cause a commotion. Their clothing is strange; their speech, “the language of Canaan,” sounds barbaric to the people of Vanity; and they constantly turn their eyes away and plug their ears against the sellers and merchandise, calling on Heaven for help. When Christian and Faithful say that they’re only interested in buying “the Truth,” the people of Vanity mock them.

Soon, the commotion grows so large that the leader of the Fair brings the two men to be examined. Christian and Faithful explain where they’ve come from and where they are going, but the people of Vanity don’t believe them—they think the pilgrims have come on purpose to stir up trouble in the Fair. So they beat the pilgrims, smear dirt on them, and put them in a cage, to be a spectacle for everyone.

While in the cage, Christian and Faithful remain patient and kind, despite the insults hurled at them. Soon, the better people of Vanity begin to blame the crueler ones for mistreating the prisoners, and soon the townspeople begin fighting. The pilgrims are brought before the authorities again and charged for causing this uproar, too. They’re led through the town in chains as an example to everyone. But they continue to behave meekly toward all, winning some to their cause and further enraging others, who decide that they should be put to death.

While awaiting trial, Christian and Faithful recall Evangelist’s words and comfort one another. They agree that whichever of them dies will have the happier fate. At trial, the judge, Lord Hategood, accuses them of disturbing trade, stirring up division in the town, and circulating dangerous opinions. In his defense, Faithful says that he has only opposed those things which oppose God, especially Vanity’s King, Beelzebub. Witnesses named Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank testify against Faithful. Envy testifies that he heard Faithful claiming that Christianity and the customs of Vanity are irreconcilable. Superstition says that Faithful claimed their religion is illegitimate, and Pickthank accuses him of denouncing Beelzebub and his nobles.

Faithful is permitted to speak in his own defense. In response to Envy, he states that anything which can be shown to be against the Bible is opposed to Christianity. To Superstition, he responds that only a divinely revealed faith is legitimate. Finally, to Pickthank, he asserts that Vanity’s Prince Beelzebub deserves to be in Hell. In conclusion, he entrusts himself to God’s mercy. Lord Hategood instructs the jury, and they come back with a unanimous guilty verdict, condemning Faithful to the cruelest death possible.

After this, Faithful is scourged, stoned, and burned at the stake. After he dies, he is taken into a chariot and immediately transported to Heaven. Christian is put back in prison and later miraculously escapes, singing a song about Faithful’s triumph.