The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory or Religious allegory

John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress is one of the most famous allegories in English literature. This prose is a good example of religious allegory. Through using the allegory, writer shows the ascension of the soul from earth to Heaven. That is why, we can find that the protagonist named Christian leaves his doomed city and starts a journey of progress towards spiritual achievement.

Christian is a symbol of every common man. He is weighed down by a great burden, the burden of sin. The writer shows that in this earth, sometimes we commit sin. That is why, we have the need to get salvation. This path is not easy because it is full of suffering. Still, some people choose this path to get salvation. The ‘City of Destruction’ represents this world which is a doomed world without spiritual values and the ‘Celestial City’ represents Heaven. Christian has read a book which symbolically represents the Bible. 

In this story, good aspects and negative aspects of human beings are personified. When Christian arrives at the Wicket Gate, A man named Goodwill opens the gate. Symbolically, it shows that when a person has good will, he will get success. Christian finds a companion Faithful who helps him on his way to the Celestial City. In many instances, many characters like Hypocrisy, Apollyon, Mr. Worldy Wiseman and Obstinate and Pliable try to discourage or stop him from achieving his goal. Finally, he reaches to the Celestial City carried by Hopeful’s faith. The allegorized characters and situations do not merely simplify human virtues and vices, but they reveal how individual destiny can be shaped by outstanding qualities of personality.

Wordly- Wiseman is symbol of earthly pleasure. If we want to get worldly pleasure then we lose the ultimate happiness of our life. If we get mercy and blessings of God then we can lead a better life. At first, Christian follows Mr. Worldly Wiseman's advice and finds that his burden is getting heavier. As Evangelist warns Christian, in the same way, Bible also warns us against earthly pleasure.

Mr. Legality, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and Civility used their cunning to divert him from his salvation. Through this character, the author tries to show the picture of his contemporary society. It was believed that if a sinner pays some to the church man, he will be free from sin. However, truth is that without struggle, pain, and suffering no one can get the redemption.

Christian and Faithful face scorn and public anger in the town of Vanity Fair. Lord Hategood presides over their trial. Some critics said that Bunyan actually tries to show the pleasure-loving and worldly society of England's Charles II and suffering of Puritan.

The whole story is based on religious faith. If we observe carefully then we can find that The Pilgrim’s Progress does not only shows the moral points of view, but also represents the writer’s thought as how he views the world and how he wishes the world to be. 

Significance of Characters and places:

The Interpreter has an important role.  It is represented as a spiritual guide who shelters Christian. The Interpreter instructs Christian in the art of reading religious meanings hidden in everyday objects and events, which he houses in his Significant Rooms.

Christian is the central character of the book and the hero of the pilgrimage. Christian represents just one profound aspect of the human experience. As a protagonist, his role is very important. Through this character, Bunyan shows the ultimate sufferings of human life. Without suffering, we cannot get anything. The writer shows that through suffering and pain, a soul can get salvation. The Jesus Christ has sacrificed his life for common people. So, his followers can only get salvation and mercy of God through choosing the path of pain and suffering.

Evangelist is the messenger carrying the Gospel, or word of Christ, to Christian. Evangelist spurs Christian on his journey to the Celestial City. Through this character, writer tries to tell us the message of God.

Faithful and Hopeful both are important allegorical figure. Through these two characters, the writer wants to say that if we have faith and hope on our own decision and God then we can reach towards our goal. We can be successful. Hopeful saves Christian’s life in the river before the gates to Mount Zion. Christian could have saved his own life for his hope. He had also faith in God. These two things helped him to get salvation. Faith is not just part of religion but every aspect of our daily lives. It means we can make our lives better if we have faith in God. These two things help us to lead a better life in this brutal world.

Despair is a negative quality of human nature. It causes hopelessness or for which there is no hope. A person loses all his hopes and cannot be able to overcome his problems. That is why, writer refers to Despair as a ‘Giant Despair’. It indicates if we cannot overcome this shortcoming, then we will fail.

In the same way Demas is also an important figure. He is a deceiver. He is a gentlemanly figure who tries to entice Christian and Hopeful with silver and dreams of wealth. This stands as a warning to all Christians that they should not love this world. Its system is opposite to God and His rule. This allegory figure carries a message for us that we should not love this world, or the things of this world.

Worldly Wiseman is a person whom Christian encounters early in his journey. It represents the worldly pleasure. If we want to get mercy and blessings of God then we have to leave worldly pleasure.

Mr. By-ends is a user of religion for personal and social profit. Mr. By-ends accompanies Christian briefly after Christian escapes from Vanity. It represents the contemporary society of writer. Even we can find the presence of this kind of people in our society.

Though each and every character is personified, still they have great role in this whole story. Through these characters, writer gives an image of human beings of this world.