PAPER 4: John Bunyan

Question 1

Bunyan - general info

Answer 1

Writer, civil war Parliamentarian, nonconformist preacher (imprisoned 11 years). Died 1688.

Question 2

Bunyan - key works

Answer 2

The pilgrim’s progress (1678) and grace abounding (autobiographical?)

Question 3

Bunyan - key ideas

Answer 3

True faith. Spiritual and physical journeys, allegory, morals, “puritan retrospection” and a cumulative understanding of life.

Question 4

Pilgrim’s progress - about

Answer 4

1678. Two books following the journey of Christian and Christiana as they travel from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Second book: 1684. Very popular allegory. Dream narrative, 1st then 3rd person in “dialect”. Main body: continuous prose.

Question 5

Pilgrims progress - key themes

Answer 5

Process of writing. Dream narrative! True faith, allegory - transparent use of names!! Spiritual and literal “journey”, familial bonds, brotherhood/companionship, counsel/education.

Question 6

Pilgrim’s progress - key critics

Answer 6

Brittain - familiar local landscapes e.g. The delectable mountains: the chilterns.

Question 7

Pilgrim’s progress - “apology” quotes

Answer 7

In heroic couplets. “Fell suddenly into allegory” “Thus I set pen to paper with delight/ and quickly had my thoughts in black and white”. Chosen mode of allegory: “must I needs want solidness because/ by metaphors I speak?” Counsel: “this book will make a traveller of thee,/ if by its counsel thou wilt ruled be”

Question 8

Pilgrim’s progress - allegorical names

Answer 8

Christian, christiana, hopeful, faithful, the narrator, good-will, mr worldly-wiseman, talkative, lord hate-good, giant despair in the doubting castle; “key” is within Christian all along…, valley of the shadow of death, “burden”/”scroll”, slough of despond… atheist “fell into a very great laughter” when they tell where they are heading

Question 9

P.progress part I quotes

Answer 9

Christian, to mr worldly wiseman: “why, sir, this burden upon my back is more terrible to me than are all these things which you have mentioned”. Evangelists arguments for turning back “flowing only from the flesh”. Formalist/hypocrisy taking a “shortcut” “what’s matter which way we get in?
Anti-Catholicism: “two giants, pope and pagan, dwelt in old times”
Talkative - “religion hath no place in his heart, or house, or conversation, all he hath lieth in his tongue” - “a saint abroad and a devil at home”
Vanity fair: selling “the ware of Rome”
“Hopeful, on reasons people turn back: “began to pick holes… in the coats of some of the godly”. shepherds give them a view from their “perspective glass” on mount “clear”