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
About this time, while they are still at the Porter’s House, Christiana’s eldest son, Matthew, becomes sick with a terrible stomachache. An old doctor named Mr. Skill diagnoses Matthew with the “Gripes,” declaring that Matthew will die unless his stomach is purged. Samuel reminds Christiana that Matthew had eaten some forbidden fruits earlier. Christiana is frightened, but Mr. Skill reassures her and makes Matthew a potion “Ex Carne & Sanguine Christi.” He works the potion into pills and prescribes them to be taken along with a pint of repentant tears.
The “gripes” is an archaic term referring to intestinal pain. The Latin phrase describing Mr. Skill’s potion translates as “from the body and blood of Christ.” It’s possible that Bunyan intends this special potion to symbolize the elements of the Christian sacrament of the Eucharist (which symbolize Christ’s body and blood), though as a Protestant, he would have viewed the sacrament less literally than his Catholic counterparts.
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Matthew resists at first, but Christiana tastes one of the pills and assures Matthew that it’s as sweet as honey. After he takes the pills, his stomach is purged, and he is soon on his feet again. Mr. Skill tells Christiana that these pills are good for all pilgrims’ diseases, and he makes up a dozen boxes of them, reminding her that they must only be taken as directed.
The purgative effect of the pills (taken with tears of repentance) symbolizes the power of Christ’s salvation in the soul of a person who has consumed “forbidden fruit” (i.e., someone who’s succumbed to Satan’s temptations).
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Some time after, Matthew asks Prudence why medicine is usually bitter. She explains that medicine’s bitterness shows that the Word of God is unwelcome to a worldly heart. When the Word works in such a heart, the heart and mind are cleansed much as the body is purged by medicine. Prudence also teaches Matthew that the sun, clouds, rainbow, and other elements of the natural world reflect the power of God’s word and his grace in various ways.
Prudence likens bitter medicine to the Word of God, or the Bible. Biblical teachings might taste “bitter” when first swallowed, but as they are allowed to work, they cleanse and purify the sinner’s mind and heart.
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After they’ve been at the Porter’s House for a month, Joseph asks Christiana to send to the Interpreter’s House to ask that Great-heart be sent back to them, to serve as their guide for the rest of the way. So Christiana sends a petition to the Interpreter, who agrees to do so. Meanwhile, the family at the Porter’s House decides to send the pilgrims off with the sight of some special objects.
After a long stay focused on spiritual learning and healing, it’s time for the pilgrims to get underway again. Having learned from her past mistakes, Christiana takes the initiative to seek God’s guidance this time, asking for Great-heart’s accompaniment.
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First, they show the group one of the apples that Eve ate and gave to Adam, resulting in their expulsion from Paradise. They also watch angels ascending Jacob’s ladder. The pilgrims are also shown the mountain on which Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac. Soon after, Mr. Great-heart arrives to conduct the group on their journey, and they depart with the Porter’s blessing.
Here, the pilgrims are shown items from biblical stories. These encourage the pilgrims by reminding them of their own connection to the Bible’s larger story—that is, as followers of Christ, they are continuing the story in a way.
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When they’ve gone only a few steps, Piety remembers she forgot to give the women something, and she runs to get it. While they wait, Christiana hears the birds of that country singing psalm-verses. Then Piety returns with a drawing of all the things the guests have seen at the Porter’s House, so that they can be reminded and comforted.
The drawing suggests that pilgrims will always need special reminders of God’s grace and power to strengthen and encourage them on their journey.
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