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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Hopeful say about his life to Christian?

2. What convinced Hopeful to feel optimistic?

3. What are Sloth, Simple, and Presumption doing when Christian sees them?

4. What do Christian and Hopeful enter when they leave Enchanted Ground?

5. What do Christian and Hopeful pass on the way to Lucre Hill?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where do Christian and Hopeful get confused and who leads them away?

2. What is at the top of the mountain? Who is there?What do they ask Christian?

3. Where does Christian go from the valley in question 10 and what is bad about it?

4. Where do Christian and Hopeful go after leaving the Enchanted Ground and where is it in relation to Celestial City?

5. What does Atheist say to Christian and Hopeful?

6. What happens at Lucre Hill?

7. Who do Christian and Hopeful meet after they leave the shepherds? What does that person say to them?What is Christian’s response?

8. What does Talkative tell Christian and Faithful and what does Christian say about Talkative? What does Faithful say once he understands Talkative?

9. What city do Christian and Faithful enter? What is there that happens all year?What happens to Faithful and Christian?

10. What does Evangelist tell Faithful and Christian about the city they are about to enter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Pilgrim’s Progress belongs to the religious allegory genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give examples of three other genres in addition to the religious allegory genre.

2. What are other examples of religious allegories? In what ways to they compare with The Pilgrim's Progress?

3. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre. How does this apply to The Pilgrim's Progress?

3. What are the key differences between a religious allegory and a historical novel or a mystery novel?

Essay Topic 2

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Give a brief biographical sketch of John Bunyan. When and where was he born? Where was he educated?

2. What in Bunyan's background may have helped in writing The Pilgrim’s Progress? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of Bunyan's agenda in writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Analyze the idea as presented throughout the book.

Essay Topic 3

As a Christian allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress demonstrates a number of literary devices such as metaphors, similes, foreshadowing, etc. Discus the following:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Bunyan chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Why do you think Bunyan chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Bunyan's use (or lack) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, cliffhangers, deux ex machina, etc...), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Bunyan use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, and theme).

(see the answer keys)

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