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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. Why does Bunyan use the allegorical approach in writing this book?

2. What statue do Christian and Hopeful see?

3. What does the person who protects Christian from the Devil’s arrows tell Christian to do next?

4. What do Christian and Hopeful tell Ignorance?

5. Who meets Christian and Hopeful on the other side of the river?

Short Essay Questions

1. What story does Christian tell Hopeful and the person in question 23?

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

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

4. What does Atheist say to Christian and Hopeful?

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

6. Who is Christian and why does he leave his home?

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

8. What does Evangelist tell Christian about Worldly Wiseman and what does Christian ask Evangelist? What is Evangelist’s answer to Christian’s question?

9. Where does Christian meet Timorous and Mistrust and why is it nightfall before he gets to the top of the mountain?

10. What does Worldly wise suggest to Christian and how does that turn out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Christian represents the common man, who is faced with the question of what will happen to him after death. He is disturbed by images of Hell and chooses to leave his home and family to seek salvation. On the journey, he meets Evangelist, who acts as his spiritual guide. Christian shows his weaknesses in often being detoured from his goal by the forces of evil.

1. Christian is a universal, everyman character even today. To be human is to wonder about death. Discuss how Christian’s images of Hell might represent the universal fear of death. Use examples from The Pilgrim’s Progress and your own experience to support your answer.

2. Discuss the weaknesses and strengths that Christian shows on his journey. Present and analyze examples from The Pilgrim’s Progress to support your answer.

3. Do you think that the “lesser sins” such as sloth or dishonesty are as detrimental to a person’s psyche as the more felonious ones? Why or why not? Use examples from The Pilgrim’s Progress to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Narrative structure refers to a novel's structural framework and the order and manner in which a story is presented to a reader. Answer and discuss the following regarding the narrative structure of The Pilgrim's Progress.

1. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of The Pilgrim’s Progress, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult or easy to identify the plot elements of this novel? Why?

2. Identify and discuss the major sub-plots and their elements in The Pilgrim’s Progress. (The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot.) Do the sub-plots contribute to the main plot? Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Few works in literature present so effectively what it means to be committed to a cause or belief. In The Pilgrim's Progress, the world is filled with snares and diversions which may keep Christian from realizing his purpose. In an age like our own, when distractions and temptations keep many young people from realizing their potential, The Pilgrim's Progress stands apart, celebrating the courage and resolve needed for a person to do what he believes is right and good.

1. Compare the rigid theology of the Christians in the 1600s to a modern religion that seems to be just as rigid. How are the tenets of each religion similar? How are they different?

2. Discuss the ways in which The Pilgrim’s Progress might be used to teach determination and perseverance. What characters embody these traits?

3. How would you compare the distractions and temptations in The Pilgrim’s Progress to modern issues the young have to face?

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