The Pilgrim's Progress

The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come by John Bunyan (published 1678) is an allegorical novel. Bunyan wrote this book while imprisoned in 1675 for violations of the Conventicle Act which punished people for conducting unauthorised religious services outside of the Church of England. An expanded edition, with additions written after Bunyan was freed, appeared in 1679. The Second Part appeared in 1684. This work is one of the greatest classics of literature, widely translated into more than 100 languages other than its original English text. The text consists of 108,260 words and, within each of its two parts, is not further divided, e.g. into chapters, but reads as a continuous narrative.

Characters of the Second Part

• Mr. Sagacity, a narrator who meets the author in his dream, and recounts to him some of the earlier story of CHRISTIANA
• CHRISTIANA, wife of CHRISTIAN, who leads her four sons and neighbor MERCY on pilgrimage
• MATTHEW, CHRISTIAN and CHRISTIANA'S eldest son, who marries MERCY
• SAMUEL, second eldest son, who marries Grace, Mr. Mnason's daughter
• JOSEPH, third eldest son, who marries Martha, Mr. Mnason's daughter
• JAMES, youngest son, who marries Phoebe, Gaius's daughter
• MERCY, CHRISTIANA's neighbor, who goes with her on pilgrimage and marries MATTHEW
• Mrs. Timorous, relative of the Timorous of the First Part, who comes with MERCY to see CHRISTIANA before she sets out on pilgrimage
• Ill-favoured Ones, two evil characters CHRISTIANA sees in her dream, whom she and MERCY actually encounter when they leave the Wicket Gate
• Innocent, a young serving maid of the INTERPRETER, who answers the door of the house when Christiana and her companions arrive, and who conducts them to the garden bath, which signifies Christian baptism.
• MR. GREAT-HEART, the guide and body-guard sent by the INTERPRETER with CHRISTIANA and her companions from his house to their journey's end. He proves to be one of the main protagonists in the Second Part
• Giant Grim, who "backs the lions" near the House Beautiful, slain by GREAT-HEART
• Humble-Mind, one of the maidens of the House Beautiful, who makes her appearance in the Second Part.
• Mr. Brisk, a suitor of MERCY's, who gives up on her when he finds out that she makes clothing only to give away to the poor
• Mr. Skill, the physician called to the House Beautiful to cure Matthew of his illness in eating the apples of Beelzebub
• Giant Maul, a giant that GREAT-HEART kills as the pilgrim's leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death
• OLD HONEST, a pilgrim that joins them, a welcome companion to GREAT-HEART.
• Mr. Fearing, a pilgrim whom GREAT-HEART had "conducted" to the Celestial City in an earlier pilgrimage. He was noted for his timidness. He is Mr. Feeble-Mind's uncle.
• Gaius, an innkeeper the pilgrim's stay with for some years after they leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He gives his daughter Phebe to JAMES in marriage. The lodging fee for his inn is paid by the Good Samaritan.
• Giant Slay-Good, a giant that enlists the help of evil-doers on the King's Highway to abduct pilgrims, murder, and consume them.
• Mr. Feeble-Mind, rescued from Slay-Good by Mr. Great-Heart, who joins Christiana's company of pilgrims
• Phoebe, Gaius's daughter, who marries JAMES.
• Mr. Ready-to-Halt, a pilgrim who meets CHRISTIANA'S train of pilgrims at Gaius's door, and becomes the companion of Mr. Feeble-mind, to whom he gives one of his crutches.
• Mr. Mnason, a resident of the town of Vanity, who puts up the pilgrims for a time, and gives his daughters Grace and Martha in marriage to SAMUEL and JOSEPH respectively.
• Grace, Mnason's daughter, who marries SAMUEL
• Martha, Mnason's daughter, who marries JOSEPH
• Mr. Despondency, a rescued prisoner from Doubting Castle
• Much-Afraid, his daughter
• Mr. VALIANT-FOR-TRUTH, a pilgrim they find all bloody, with his sword in his hand, after leaving the Delectable Mountains
• Mr. Stand-Fast, a pilgrim found while praying for deliverance from Madame Bubble
• Madame Bubble, witch whose enchantments made the Enchanted Ground what it is, who is the adulterous woman mentioned in the biblical book of Proverbs