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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
Below the Delectable Mountains, Christian and Hopeful enter a country called Conceit. Here they meet a young man named Ignorance who’s on his way to the Celestial City. Since Ignorance has no scroll to hand in at the Gate, the pilgrims ask him how he hopes to gain entrance. Ignorance explains that he lives a good life, gives alms, and pays his tithe, so he is confident he'll get in. When Christian argues that Ignorance can only be admitted to the Celestial City by way of the Wicket-gate, Ignorance replies that they should each follow the religions of their respective countries, and anyway, the Wicket-gate is far away from his home.
Ignorance exemplifies the person who sees themselves as good, moral, and even religious and therefore hopes for Heaven. Yet Christian, in alignment with Bunyan’s Puritan theology, argues that the only proper gateway to Heaven is Jesus—not a person’s moral standing. However, Ignorance sees their disagreement as an indifferent matter of religious disagreement. In line with this, it’s implied that he is not a Christian whatsoever—the Wicket-gate is far away.
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Christian and Hopeful see that Ignorance is “wise in his own conceit” and decide to walk along without him for now, giving him time to think over what they’ve discussed. Meanwhile, as they walk down a dark lane, they pass a bound man being led to Hell by devils, a sign on his back labeling him an “apostate.”
The phrase “wise in his own conceit” appears in the King James translation of Proverbs 26:12, stating that a “fool” has more hope than a person who thinks himself wise. An apostate is someone who rejects the faith they once held or claimed to hold.
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The sight of the damned man reminds Hopeful of a story. In the town of Sincere lived a good man named Little-faith. While going on pilgrimage to the Celestial City, Little-faith took a nap in a place called Dead Man’s Lane, frequented by murderers. Three robbers named Faintheart, Mistrust, and Guilt robbed Little-faith and knocked him unconscious. A champion named Great-grace chased the robbers away. It turned out that although the robbers got Little-faith’s spending-money, they didn’t get his most valuable jewels, or his certificate for the Celestial Gate. However, this was due to God’s grace, not Little-faith’s wisdom. And Little-faith was so discouraged by the robbery that, for the rest of his journey, he failed to take much comfort in his certificate.
Little-faith symbolizes someone whose faith is assaulted in the course of their pilgrimage. Though Little-faith loses nearly everything, he doesn’t lose his certificate—the symbol of his assurance of salvation. This is only thanks to Great-grace, not his own efforts to preserve his treasure. The meaning of the story is that a Christian’s faith can be small and battered, but that doesn’t mean their salvation is lost. This is because God’s grace is believed to keep a true Christian secure. Yet falling prey to such “assaults” can still weaken a person’s trust in his salvation, so all pilgrims should stay vigilant.
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Hopeful and Christian compare the plight of Little-faith with that of Esau, who sold his birth-right, or inheritance, for a bowl of stew. Christian explains that the difference between Little-faith and Esau is that, though Little-faith had small faith, he still had faith, unlike Esau; and he treasured his birth-right more than Esau did his. Little-faith still possessed a saving faith, which meant that he could not give up his inheritance for anything. Christian also defends Little-faith, saying that no one can judge the obstacles another faces, and that not all of Christ’s subjects are also champions; strength of faith varies.
Esau appears in the Book of Genesis and is often used to exemplify the surrender of something precious (one’s birthright) for something trivial (stew). Little-faith is different from Esau because he didn’t willingly give up his inheritance (his faith). According to Bunyan’s theology, someone who possesses the gift of true faith—even a tiny, weak glimmer of faith—cannot ultimately lose it. Some, like Great-grace, are “champions” of faith, while others will always struggle.
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Sometime later, Christian and Hopeful arrive at an intersection and aren’t sure which way to go. While they’re thinking about it, a dark, robed man approaches them and offers to lead them to the Celestial City. They follow him down the intersecting road, which gradually turns away from the City; eventually, he leads them into an entangling net, and they can’t free themselves. They know the dark man is the Flatterer the Shepherds had warned of. They also forgot to read the Shepherds’ directions.
In a moment of negligence, Christian and Hopeful fall prey to a deceiver. They got preoccupied and forgot the Shepherds’ warning about the Flatterer, besides the fact that the Shepherds had given them clear directions to follow. This is another reminder that pilgrims must stay vigilant throughout their entire journey, because there are always devilish forces waiting to entrap them, even at the very last moment.
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After a while, a Shining One approaches them, holding a whip in his hand. After Christian and Hopeful explain their predicament, the Shining One releases them from the net, then whips them both to chastise them for failing to heed the Shepherds’ warnings and going astray from their path. Then he directs them on the right path. Thanking him, Christian and Hopeful humbly go on their way, singing.
This passage emphasizes that God is always merciful to wayward pilgrims, yet that doesn’t mean that such pilgrims won’t encounter hardship and discipline for their failures. Chastisement is meant to set a pilgrim on the right path and is therefore seen as a loving measure; it’s not vengeful cruelty.
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