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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 Mercy ask Christiana in the beginning of Part 2?

2. Who helps Matthew?

3. Where does the group stop for the night after meeting Honest?

4. What does Christiana have to treat illness when they leave House Beautiful?

5. What does Great Heart do to help the group enter House Beautiful?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Honest tell the group about Self-Will?

2. What happens to the group at DelectableMountain?

3. What happens when the group is on Enchanted Ground and who meets them at BeulahLand?

4. Whom does the group ask to join them and what is that person’s worry?

5. Where are the first two places the group go after leaving House Beautiful and what does Great Heart do for them?

6. What hill did the group climb and what were they shown as they approached House Beautiful?

7. What does the group do when it prepares to leave and what is the consequence of that action?

8. What happens to the group when they leave Goodwill’s house?

9. Why is Mercy worried about the journey?

10. How is the group greeted at House Beautiful? What kind of dream does Mercy have?How long does the group stay?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The River of Death is a final test of religious faith. The river is easy to cross if one has faith in God and in one's own worthiness to enter Heaven. It is difficult for those full of doubt or worry. Christian is overcome with final doubts about his salvation, but Hopeful manages to save him. Like their time in the Doubting Castle, the two work together so that both can be saved.

1. Discuss the metaphor of the River of Death and why the author believes death is easier when a person has faith. Use examples from the novel to support your answer.

2. Discuss the irony of Christian losing faith at the last moment after all he had been through. What does this loss of faith say about Christian as a character?

3. What is demonstrated by the fact that Hopeful and Christian cooperate throughout their journey?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Setting is a literary element with many qualities: It can establish mood, tone, and circumstances. It can also contribute directly to a novel's plot. Discuss one of the following regarding setting in The Pilgrim's Progress:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in The Pilgrim’s Progress.

2. In what ways does the author employ symbolism and imagery in his depictions of the settings in the narrative? What do the settings themselves represent symbolically or metaphorically?

3. What themes are developed through the author's depictions of settings in The Pilgrim's Progress? How are they developed?

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