Article #131-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come, by John Bunyan

In the Similitude of a Dream

{10} As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted
on a certain place where was a Den, and I laid me down in that
place to sleep: and, as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed,
and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain
place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and
a great burden upon his back. [Isa. 64:6; Luke 14:33; Ps. 38:4;
Hab. 2:2; Acts 16:30,31] I looked, and saw him open the book,
and read therein; and, as he read, he wept, and trembled; and, not
being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry,
saying, "What shall I do?" [Acts 2:37]

{11} In this plight, therefore, he went home and refrained himself
as long as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive
his distress; but he could not be silent long, because that his
trouble increased. Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his
wife and children; and thus he began to talk to them: O my dear
wife, said he, and you the children of my bowels, I, your dear
friend, am in myself undone by reason of a burden that lieth hard
upon me; moreover, I am for certain informed that this our city
will be burned with fire from heaven; in which fearful overthrow,
both myself, with thee my wife, and you my sweet babes, shall
miserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I see not) some way
of escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered. At this his
relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what
he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some
frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing
towards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle his brains,
with all haste they got him to bed. But the night was as troublesome
to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in
sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know
how he did. He told them, Worse and worse: he also set to talking
to them again; but they began to be hardened. They also thought
to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly carriages to
him; sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and
sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to
retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also
to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the
fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying: and thus for
some days he spent his time.

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress

Context of the Source

The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) is a Christian allegory by John Bunyan, written while he was imprisoned for preaching without a license. The work follows the journey of Christian, a man burdened by sin, as he travels from the "City of Destruction" (this world) to the "Celestial City" (heaven). The story is framed as a dream vision, a common medieval and Renaissance literary device where the narrator claims the events are a prophetic or symbolic dream.

This excerpt introduces Christian’s spiritual crisis—his realization of sin, his despair, and his family’s rejection of his concerns. The passage is deeply rooted in Puritan theology, emphasizing conviction of sin, repentance, and the search for salvation.

Themes in the Excerpt

The Burden of Sin
- The "great burden upon his back" symbolizes the weight of guilt and sin that Christian carries. This is a central metaphor in the allegory, representing the spiritual oppression that unsaved souls experience.
- The references to Isaiah 64:6 ("all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags") and Psalm 38:4 ("my iniquities have gone over my head") reinforce the biblical idea that sin is an unbearable load.
Spiritual Awakening & Conviction
- Christian’s reading of the book (the Bible) leads to weeping, trembling, and despair—classic signs of spiritual conviction in Puritan thought.
- His cry, "What shall I do?" (Acts 2:37) mirrors the desperation of the unsaved soul realizing its lost condition.
Rejection by the World (Family as Symbol)
- His wife and children mock, chide, and neglect him, symbolizing how the world (and even loved ones) often rejects spiritual truth.
- Their assumption that he is mad ("some frenzy distemper") reflects the scorn believers face when they express concern for salvation (1 Cor. 1:18: "the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness").
Isolation & the Pilgrim’s Path
- Christian’s withdrawal to pray alone in his chamber and walk in the fields foreshadows his eventual separation from the world to seek salvation.
- This sets up the pilgrimage motif—the believer’s journey is solitary and difficult, requiring perseverance.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Features

Allegory & Symbolism
- Nearly every element is symbolic:
  - Den (wilderness) = the world, a place of spiritual danger.
  - Rags = sinful nature (Isa. 64:6).
  - Book = the Bible, the source of conviction.
  - Burden = guilt of sin.
  - City to be burned = divine judgment (Sodom & Gomorrah, Rev. 20:9).
  - Wife & children’s scorn = worldly opposition to faith.
Dream Vision Framework
- The story begins "in the similitude of a dream", a device used in works like Piers Plowman and The Divine Comedy.
- This allows Bunyan to present moral and theological truths in a vivid, imaginative way.
Biblical Allusions & Intertextuality
- Bunyan directly references Scripture (e.g., Acts 16:30-31: "What must I do to be saved?").
- The weeping and trembling while reading the Bible reflects Ezra 9:4 and James 4:9 ("be afflicted, and mourn, and weep").
- The family’s dismissal echoes Jesus’ warning in Matthew 10:36 ("a man’s foes shall be they of his own household").
Psychological Realism
- Despite being allegorical, Christian’s emotional turmoil is vividly rendered:
  - "He spent the night in sighs and tears" → genuine despair.
  - "They thought to drive away his distemper by harsh carriages" → realistic portrayal of familial rejection.
Repetition & Parallelism
- "Sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him" → triple structure emphasizing the varied forms of opposition.
- "Worse and worse" → progressive despair, mirroring the deepening conviction of sin.

Significance of the Passage

The Beginning of the Pilgrimage
- This is the inciting incident—Christian’s awakening to his sinful state sets the entire journey in motion.
- Without this moment of crisis, there would be no quest for salvation.
A Puritan Conversion Narrative
- The passage follows the classic Puritan "order of salvation":
  1. Conviction (realization of sin).
  2. Repentance (weeping, trembling).
  3. Despair ("What shall I do?").
  4. Rejection by the world (family’s scorn).
  5. Seeking a solution (which will come in the form of Evangelist’s guidance later).
- This mirrors Bunyan’s own conversion experience, making the allegory deeply personal.
Universal Struggle of Faith
- While rooted in 17th-century Puritanism, the passage speaks to any believer’s initial spiritual struggle:
  - The loneliness of conviction.
  - The opposition from loved ones.
  - The desperate search for answers.
Theological Emphasis on Grace
- Christian cannot remove the burden himself—this sets up the need for divine intervention (later symbolized by the cross where his burden falls away).
- The passage reinforces Reformed theology: salvation is by grace alone, not human effort.

Line-by-Line Breakdown (Key Moments)

Text	Explanation
"As I walked through the wilderness of this world"	The world is a spiritual wilderness, a place of danger and lostness (Jer. 2:6).
"a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house"	- Rags = sin (Isa. 64:6).

Face from his house = turning away from worldly comforts, beginning to seek God.
Book in hand = the Bible, which brings conviction. | | "as he read, he wept, and trembled" | Emotional response to God’s Word (Ezra 9:4, Acts 16:29). | | "What shall I do?" | Desperation of the unsaved (Acts 2:37, 16:30). | | "this our city will be burned with fire from heaven" | Divine judgment (Gen. 19:24, 2 Pet. 3:10). | | "some frenzy distemper had got into his head" | World’s dismissal of spiritual concerns (1 Cor. 2:14). | | "they would deride, sometimes they would chide" | Persecution from loved ones (Matt. 10:36). | | "he began to retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity them" | Christian’s response: prayer and compassion, despite rejection. | | "walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying" | The pilgrim’s life is one of solitude and devotion (Ps. 55:6-7). |

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is foundational to The Pilgrim’s Progress because it:

Establishes the central conflict (sin vs. salvation).
Introduces the allegorical method (every detail has spiritual meaning).
Reflects Bunyan’s own spiritual journey (his conversion involved deep despair before finding grace).
Serves as a mirror for readers—many believers identify with Christian’s struggle, loneliness, and desperate search for answers.

The passage is not just a story—it’s a theological and psychological map of the sinner’s awakening, making it one of the most powerful openings in Christian literature. Bunyan’s genius lies in taking abstract doctrinal truths (sin, conviction, rejection) and making them visceral and personal through allegory.

Would you like a deeper dive into any specific aspect (e.g., Puritan theology, Bunyan’s life, or later developments in Christian’s journey)?

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s framing of the story as occurring "in the Similitude of a Dream" serves primarily to:

A. establish an unreliable narrative perspective that undermines the allegory’s theological claims.
B. align the text with Enlightenment-era skepticism about literal religious experience.
C. create a psychological distance between the reader and Christian’s spiritual crisis.
D. signal that the events are purely fantastical and devoid of moral instruction.
E. invoke a medieval literary tradition that legitimizes visionary revelation as a vehicle for truth.

Question 2

The wife and children’s response to Christian’s distress—"they thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head"—is most effectively read as:

A. a critique of Puritanism’s tendency to pathologize emotional expression.
B. an ironic commentary on the irrationality of all religious belief systems.
C. a realistic portrayal of familial concern for mental health in the 17th century.
D. a neutral observation that highlights the ambiguity of Christian’s spiritual experience.
E. an allegorical representation of the world’s inability to recognize divine conviction as rational.

Question 3

The repetition of "sometimes" in the phrase "sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him" functions rhetorically to:

A. emphasize the cyclical nature of Christian’s psychological instability.
B. suggest that the family’s rejection is inconsistent and therefore insincere.
C. convey the varied and relentless forms of opposition faced by those undergoing spiritual awakening.
D. undermine the seriousness of Christian’s plight by portraying his family as merely capricious.
E. mirror the unpredictable nature of divine grace in Puritan theology.

Question 4

Christian’s physical and emotional state—"he spent [the night] in sighs and tears"—is most analogous to which of the following literary or theological concepts?

A. The dark night of the soul in mystical tradition, where despair precedes spiritual illumination.
B. The hero’s refusal of the call in mythic structure, where the protagonist resists their destiny.
C. The catharsis of Greek tragedy, where suffering leads to emotional purification.
D. The agnostic crisis in existentialist literature, where meaning is perpetually deferred.
E. The purgative stage in Dante’s Purgatorio, where penitents endure punishment for sin.

Question 5

The passage’s depiction of Christian reading the book and weeping most strongly aligns with which interpretive framework?

A. A Marxist reading, where the book represents ideological oppression.
B. A feminist reading, where the book symbolizes patriarchal control over emotion.
C. A reader-response reading, where the text’s meaning is generated through the reader’s affective engagement.
D. A deconstructionist reading, where the book’s authority is destabilized by Christian’s emotional reaction.
E. A psychoanalytic reading, where the book functions as a projection of Christian’s subconscious guilt.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: E

Why E is most correct: The phrase "in the Similitude of a Dream" is a deliberate invocation of the medieval dream vision tradition (e.g., Pearl, Piers Plowman, The Divine Comedy), where visions are framed as divinely inspired revelations. Bunyan, a Puritan preacher, uses this device to legitimize his allegory as a vehicle for spiritual truth, not to undermine it. The dream framework signals that the narrative transcends literalism while retaining theological authority.